Passion for the game

Saturday, January 14, 2012

DAVAO City's football scene has emerged as one of the country's most active and lively communities. Throughout the years, football squads that bannered the city brought home awards from various national tournaments. These Dabawenyo booters must have no other life but football.

Not so, for Davao Football Community (DFC) administrator Manuel Crisencio "Buboy" T. Arrieta, who says that sharpening the skills of a football player here is laidback and that it's the passion for the game that drives them.

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Buboy was introduced to the game of football during his elementary days at the University of Perpetual Help Rizal (UPHR) in Las Piñas where he joined the varsity team. His love for the game continued to grow as he improved his skills. He was a prodigy of the game, becoming one of the key players in their varsity club. His team became a sensation too as they were already facing high-school squads from different schools in Metro Manila.

Despite having a busy school life, Buboy never failed to give time to the sport that he grew to love.

He remained a football varsity player in high school during which he was able to join various tournaments. After graduating in high school, he spent a year in San Beda College to take up up Bachelor of Science in Marketing where he again joined the college football team.

His stint with the San Beda team was cut short but not football because he returned to UPHR to continue his studies and football.

Having earned a degree in Marketing, he migrated to Davao City in 1994 to set up a billboard advertising business. He married his wife Rachel in 1996 and from the young couple sprung a family with Hanz Mikhail followed shortly by Alexi Nina and recently, their ten-month-old Pacho Eniko.

Having a family and a business did not stop Buboy from giving ample time for football.

He formed the Solido Fil-Chi United football squad in 2004. Two years later it was already on top of the heap as it bagged two consecutive titles in the Davao Football Association (DFA) Men’s 2nd Division League in 2006 and 2007 and seizing the titles in the Davao del Norte Football Association (DNFA) Cup in 2007 as well.

The Solido FC consistently belonged to the top-seeded teams in every tournament.

It was in 2009 when Buboy along with some senior players of Davao City, formed the DFC. They started with 12 players. Eventually, the DFC became the biggest group in the city with 20 teams and around 15 players in each team. The DFC spearheaded by Buboy, currently holds weekly community games on Sunday at the Crocodile Park Field and weekly futsal games at the Davao Central National High School Gym on Wednesdays.

"The weekly games that we hold, although not as competitive as tournaments, have created a huge impact in the Davao City football scene as seen in the growth of our community. Moreover, not only do the games sharpen the skills of the players, they also help the players practice camaraderie," Buboy said.

Camaraderie and skills development for all rank high among the values instilled on DFC members.

"In the past, senior football players kept power-tripping on the junior players. The seniors played most of the time while the juniors kept waiting in the sidelines. Now in DFC, we let the juniors play first so that they will be able to improve on their skills and more importantly, everybody will have an opportunity to play," he said.

"The main value that players should practice in the community is fairness. I have regularly come in between conflicts among different teams in the DFC and a good thing is I was able to resolve the conflicts. With that said, I am proud to say that DFC is one of the most harmonious football organizations here in the city."

Buboy has also encouraged the members of the DFC to be socially responsible. Just last year, the DFC conducted three major fund-raising events. First, they held the DF Aid which was for the benefit of the flood victims in Balusong and Matina Pangi in June 2011. Second, they worked hand-in-hand with the Lion’s Rotary Club to hold a free medical and dental check-up in a barangay here, and then they staged the DF Aid II for the benefit of the Sendong victims.

The game that binds them all is football.

"Our main goal in DFC is to celebrate the passion of football. What drives us is the love that we have for the game and in turn, we are all determined to improve. Despite of the fatigue that we experience after the games, we are still very happy since we have enjoyed the games. Moreover, we have managed to be closer to all of the members of the community which makes the games more enjoyable."

According to Buboy, improving football skills will not follow if the passion for the game is not there.

"That is why DFC is open to everyone to develop their love for football and consequently improve the quality of players that Davao City has as well," he said.