Sabaldan: Hopes are high for Vina Alinas in 2013

VINA Vera Alinas is one of the most reliable players of Coach Cleo Albay, together with Yengeny Jekiri and Demi Bulanin in the front row of the University of Immaculate Conception volleyball team.

Steadfast was coach Albay and consistent in her coaching and stewardship of the UIC, the team made its unique gallant appearance in the finals with Ateneo de Davao University during the regional Davao Association of Colleges and Schools.

Only 15 years old and stands at 5-foot-seven, Alinas is the daughter of a devoted police major in the PNP currently assigned at the grief-stricken Compostela Valley.

Like MVP Glenda Gregg Agang, the high-leaping spiker, graduating high school student of the prestigious Davao university, has only a few months to decide on their plans to hit it big in Metro Manila.

Three other known volleyball high school athletes of DACS regional champion Ateneo de Davao and fourpeat Mindanao champion Davao City National High School, the versatile duo of Alyssa Aldwin Alterado and Eden Faith Maturan are also planning to try to improve under the stricter training regimen of the player-intensive universities, colleges and the commercial leagues in the big city.

Jaime Salazar's favorite daughter which he loves to call as "The Ninja" has a standing offer to play in one of the colleges of the NCAA. You don't need the big men, you need the diminutive Jarene Mae Salazar, the Davao ninja in volleyball, who was several times best libero in a number of Mindanao championships.

The tallest among them at 6'0 and still growing has already shelved her plans to join any of the marquee teams of the NCAA or UAAP.

She's not mama's girl. She is mama's daughter. With only dad supporting her future plans in volleyball, 15-year-old Arianna Dequito of the Holy Cross of Sasa has to give in to the request of her mother to stay and just pursue an engineering degree at the state-owned University of Southeastern Philippines where Mrs. Dequito has devoted all her life teaching.

In the book What Matters Most for Women distributed by OMF Literature Inc. on SELF-IMPROVEMENT page 143, it says "God Blesses Us With Talents And Gifts That We Are To Develop and Share With Others." It follows with a quotation of an unknown author "Don't start living tomorrow, tomorrow never arrives. Start working on your dreams and ambitions today."

The next page is written a favorite quote from the Book of Philippinians 1:6 "God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again."

The book reads further: "What's wrong with accepting myself as I am? Why do we put so much emphasis on being better and `the best' in our society? Is that any way to live?"

"No question, we can love ourselves for who we are because God does. And no, we don't have to join a 'rat race' of competing with others to have the nicest house and most possessions. We need not push our kids into every activity to ensure that they are the smartest and most athleltic."

New Year Beat: We have always been a trailblazer. - Vice Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte