College of Health Sciences – All we need is a venue.

I guess this was the common denominator that cut across us who participated in the First ASCU-SN Goodwill Games held during the first weekend of sunny May 2012. For the first time, I went to a sports competition in which I was a direct participant. That, in essence, was my first tournament – my first exposure to the real world of physical competition. Thus, it was very memorable to me.

Our Thursday travel from the City of Batac to Iba, Zambales for more or less 13 hours was uneventful – boarding the Hino bus was a bliss that allowed us to stretch our legs further (compared to the Rosa) and shelter us from the unforgivable sun. The fun part, however, was that although we were all professionals in both the teaching and non-teaching fields, we were able to share common threads of stories, jokes, and punchlines that made us all burst with riotous laughter. While some of us dozed off, some had their eyes glued to the TV as two movies of Angel Locsin were shown. Well, I suppose this separated the men from the boys – and the liberals from the conservatives. I could describe this travel leg as the start of a bond that will be forged as we arrived at the Ramon Magsaysay Technological University (RMTU) – our home away from home. As we scouted for a room to stay and place our belongings, I was reminded of our annual SCUAA-I experiences. It was all the same. Some of the guys stayed up late talking about matters ranging from school matters to family life. That chat among sportsmen conceived no-nonsense ideas which happened because it was placed in an atmosphere that created a level ground of spontaneous brainstorming among the young and idealistic, the experienced and traditional, and the in-between and confused – regardless of age, rank, and specialization.Friday was welcomed with a hearty albeit late breakfast and some practice sessions for specific sports. It was the first time I had a badminton racquet in a month, but I did not mind – my strokes and moves were ok, although I got tired easily. What was gruesome, however, was the 2 p.m. parade from RMTU to the Zambales Sports Center. We battled the more-or-less four kilometers of roundabout route under the scorching heat. Some of us just dropped off the line and hailed a tricycle going to the stadium. It was fortunate though that there was a considerable overcast towards the end of the opening program. Because I was so exhausted during the day, I immediately took a bath, had dinner, and slept soundly.

Saturday morning greeted me with somebody commenting on my snoring while we chatted with those who just arrived from the early Fun Run. We then readied for the competitions. I had mixed emotions typical of an athlete – but then again, I conditioned my mind that it was, after all, a goodwill game. After laying the ground rules for badminton and knowing which brackets we belonged, we formally started the games. We had a good start beating one team in the morning. We were not as fortunate in the afternoon, though. We were eliminated due to a 1-win-1-loss card. For the first time, I felt frustrated and disappointed due to a loss. What made matters worse was that my team co-members openly blamed me for such loss – just like kids pointing a finger on an erring playmate. With this, I realized that sports would really bring out the best – and the worse – in a person. It is not polite to blame people without due justifiable cause. The experience humbled me, though, as sports again taught me a lesson: one does not have the monopoly of knowing and vouching for everything. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, so they say. Now, I have proven that even though sports could build good character – it also reveals bad values. I just hope that it will not seep through their coaching styles to the student-athletes. Some of the other events like team sports were favorable for MMSU though. Teams came back to the quarters with smiles – whether they won or lost. Again, I say: it was a goodwill game. It was supposed to be fun.

The last day of the event, Sunday, was an early start for me. I went with the medical team to escort our cyclists at 4 a.m. As we travelled through the perilous, winding slopes and plains between Masinloc and Iba, I got inspired by our MMSU racers. Their passion for the sport was surprisingly obvious: while others stopped and were picked up by their support vehicles – and some were even reported to have clinged to their ambulances just to take advantage – all our cyclists finished the course! This is the point when I thought that in a race, there are two kinds of winners: those who crossed the line first, and those who finished the race no matter what. Both, I presume, are apt definitions for excellence.

In the afternoon, it was again all fun and games for me and the rest of them who were done with their games. We went on cheer for the MMSU spikers for their championship match. During the sets, we could not help but shout and holler like children! Our roars and applauses may have boosted the morale of our team, doubled with the fact that they were really very good at playing volleyball. They even had their own antics on court that made spectators burst with hilarity! This went on until they capped the game as the champions. We then went home in the evening: tired but happy.

With the lessons learned that I have mentioned, I could heartily say that I was really happy to be with the group. While my circle of friends and acquaintances grew bigger, I acquired priceless experiences, forged networks with others in the university, and rekindled my enthusiasm to get fitter and play harder. Most importantly, my appreciation and respect towards the efforts exerted by our student-athletes went to a higher level – what they are doing is truly not easy. I hope that my colleagues will think of this whenever our student-athletes come to us for help and consideration.

For all of these, I wish to thank our beloved university president and the rest of the MMSU officialdom, with special mention to PESSDO headed by Prof. Arsie Gallego, for letting us participate in that momentous sports spectacle. You are undeniably the best in terms of molding the well-roundedness of faculty and staff! The experience was superb. If there will be another event of this nature, I will gladly join and participate once more. See you again!