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Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Team-building activity ‘pat in the back’ - coach
By Glenn C. Michelena
Sun.Star Correspondent
After taking part in a successful team-building activity that involved some 45 athletes and coaches bound for the 23rd Southeast Asian Games (Seag), Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Comissioner Ricardo “Ritchie” Garcia said he expects the undertaking to have a positive effect on the athletes.
“We came up with this idea to aid the athletes’ psychological preparation for the Games,” Garcia said Sunday in Bantayan Island, where the activity was held. “After months of intense training, our athletes are already homesick and psychologically tired, so this is a good way to build up their spirits.”
Garcia said the athletes are mostly from the National Capital Region and have been training in Cebu for more than a month.
Break
“It gave us a break, and it’s a big help because the athletes have been away from their families for quite some time now,” said Alex Patano, coach of the country’s pencak silat team. “It also made us feel important, and it’s a big tap on the back.”
Cebu will host sepak takraw, pencak silat, mountainbiking, judo, karatedo and dancesport on Nov. 27 to Dec. 5.
The Philippine teams of all six events have been in Cebu the past 45 days for the final phase of their training and familiarization of the venues.
“We decided that its’ best if we house the athletes together and train them here in Cebu. There can be many distractions in Manila, since most of them are based there,” said Garcia. “So we decided to spend a little more money to bring them here, where they can really focus on their training and at the same time familiarize with the venues.”
Beach
The team-building activity, a joint project by the PSC and the Cebu Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee, brought together the athletes and coaches of the pencak silat, karatedo, cycling to Kota Beach in Santa Fe, Bantayan, located more than 100 kilometers north of Cebu City.
Cebuso chairman Jonathan Guardo and members Cheryl Ouano and Oscar “Boying” Rodriguez also graced the event, which was overseen by PSC 7’s Audie Marti and Cebusoc secretary general Allan Torrevillas.
(October 26, 2005 issue)
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