Alcoseba eyes Cebu’s first PCCL title
-A A +ATuesday, October 23, 2012
SOUTHWESTERN University Cobras head coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba is setting his sights on becoming the first Cebuano team to take the elusive Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) national title.
However, he would not take Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) 2012 runner-up University of the Visayas Green Lancers lightly as the former champions are most likely the Cobras’ main obstacle in their quest to claim a slot in the Final Four.
But before the big wars ahead, Alcoseba recalled the historic finals that gave the Cobras their first-ever Cesafi championship.
“That was tough and sweet. We lost three games in the elimination round and right during our very first game, we lost one player to an injury. But tough men are not made overtime. It’s very sweet to look back and make that as our inspiration toward our goal,” Alcoseba told reporters.
In a coaching career that started in 1984, Alcoseba has a handful of collegiate championship—four in the defunct Cebu Schools Amateur Athletic Association (two with USJ-R and two with CDU) and currently one with Cesafi.
Alcoseba, however, also has two national inter-collegiate championships—in 1985 and 1987.
This record pales in comparison to the number of championships he won as the coach of the country’s winningest amateur ball club M. Lhuillier basketball team.
But unlike the M. Lhuillier team, where all players are already polished, coaching a collegiate team has always been a challenge to him.
“My basic principles in coaching are motivation, discipline, hard work and patience. Follow this religiously and you can be a winner,” said Alcoseba.
SWU is seeded to the Southern Islands Over-All championship, and a win will get them a spot in the Final Four in Manila.
“Again, it would be a tough road ahead but with better physical and mental preparation, maybe we can get what we want,” Alcoseba said.
The PCCL has already started and it will make a stop at the Cebu Coliseum on Nov. 13 to 15 for the Southern Islands Overall championships.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 23, 2012.
Sports
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