FOR Coach Rey Rameri, Cagayan de Oro athletes have to slow down yet in their appetite for "easy life" if they wish to excel in ballgame events of the regional Palaro of which their "more rugged" rivals from Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental have persistently dominated them.
Except in basketball wherein Team CDO is virtually invincible, the local athletes have their weak spot in majority of the ballgame competitions, most notably in baseball, softball and volleyball events.
And this Achilles' heel is a lethal blow to CDO contingent's quest to reign supreme in the Palarong Pampook that already abandoned the seemingly friendly medal count in favor of the quotient system in determining the overall team champion.
"Aping the lifestyle of the athletes from the provinces is quite almost impossible kay medyo dili gyod ma-deny nga naay pagka-sosyal atong mga players. Ang ila.. ginamos, utan ug bulad kombate gihapon labi na kon ang dula sa udtong tutok kay mga mala-udto man kini sila. I think to hurdle the ballgame challenge is like a mission impossible," Rameri, former volleyball coach of Corpus Christi high school-who is now with Pilgrim Christian College-told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro Thursday.
Added Rameri: "Advantage sab ang Misor kay sayo ilang quartering so, dali ra maka-build og teamwork ang mga athletes kay taas-taas man ilang bonding moments."
Even in football sport that has the chance to bring glory to Cagayan de Oro, owing to its forthright alliance with the CMOFA (Cagayan de Oro-Misamis Oriental Football Association), is already suspect to hold ground for CDO's title-hunt in the local in-school meet.
"Kay gawas nga naghinay ang CMOFA human nilangyaw among past president (lawyer Allan Abellanosa) ngadto sa Canada, ang mga pobre uyamot nga mga footballers sa dakbayan di na man makabansay-bansay sa atong Pelaez Sports Center," one local booter, said.
Fully-aware of the fact that even the Montecarlo Boys, known as the pillar of local football community-competitive-wise-are often seen relegated to playing the game instead in a cemented corner of the busy Pabayo street.
"Maybe sa uban nga events daghan dili cowboys but absolutely dili mga arte ang CDO booters pero unsaon man nga mahanas nga dili naman libre ang venue sa Pelaez Center," another football athlete, who obviously did not want to be identified, had tried to illuminate their point.
Governor Oscar S. Moreno and the province of Misamis Oriental will be hosting this year's Northern Mindanao Palarong Pampook starting on Feb. 15 at the Don Gregorio Pelaez Sports Center.
Top surviving athletes will then represent Region 10 in the 2010 Palarong Pambansa National Students Meet to be held in April in Tarlac province.