SPORTS and other outdoor activities like “scouting” are effective ways to keep young people away from illegal activities, said a grandmother who witnessed her grandson joining the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP).
Rebecca Nardo was among the guests who attended the ceremony where 30 young football athletes, aged eight to 15, received their neckerchiefs and wooden carabao heads as symbols of BSP on Sunday, June 25, 2023 at Camp Zubu in Golden Heights, Sitio Ylaya, Talamban, Cebu City.
Nardo said parents should support their children in playing sports instead of allowing them to wander around without guidance from them. She believes that allowing children to engage in sports would really change their bad habits, that is, through self-discipline.
“Sports is the important thing now. If they would not avail themselves of that, most likely they would just play computer or worse, do drugs,” Nardo explained.
Nardo would like to invite all parents and grandparents to allow their children to play sports and be engaged in other outdoor activities.
“I would like to challenge all parents and grandparents not to allow their children to wander outside without their guidance. If their children would express that they like this sport, support them,” said Nardo.
Learnings
One of the new scouts, Martine Daep, a member of Junquera Football Scouts, expressed his happiness to be part of BSP in an interview with SunStar Cebu on Sunday, June 25.
Daep shared that scouting taught him the values of respect and discipline, and that he could apply these values when playing football.
James Clarck Glariada, a fellow of Junquera Football Scouts, said that just like Daep, he also acquired the values of respect and discipline from scouting.
Glariada added that he could practice these values at home by being self-disciplined and respectful to his elders.
Another member of Junquera Football Scouts, Bruce Vincent Jimenez, explained to SunStar Cebu how he would balance his studies and extracurricular activities. He said he would use time management by making a list of tasks to do.
Background
Junquera Football Club Scouts started way back in 2016 under the name Kamagayan Football Club. The club was composed of talents from Barangay Kamagayan and won several games during its humble beginnings. However, the Covid-19 pandemic forced the team to stop playing.
In 2022, the club rose from its long rest, this time bringing a brand-new name, the Junquera Football Club, when the club welcomed new members from other barangays within Junquera Street.
In 2023, the name Junquera Football Club was changed to Junquera Football Scouts, which speaks of their being members of BSP who play football.
Johann Sebastian Sandil Caparas, Boy Scouts of the Philippines-Cebu Council member and recipient of two prestigious awards, Eagle Scout and Ave Maria, was the brains behind the admission of the 30 young football athletes.
Purpose
Caparas shared that he was motivated to do scouting activities for these children because he knew what scouting could do for them, especially as someone who has gone through it personally.
He said he would not reach what he has achieved now without the values that he acquired from scouting.
“To others, scouting might seem a hobby with outdoor activities such as camping, but once you really get to be a part of it, a part of the brotherhood that it is, you will learn so much more and it will help you discover so much more about yourself. That’s how it was for me, and that’s what I want for the kids here also,” Caparas explained.
“I want them to push for even greater, greater purpose, greater sense of belongingness, greater sense for things that they may do for others,” he added.
Caparas shared that he sees great potential for the growth of these children and believes that they are the future nation-builders in the community. Therefore, it is crucial to properly guide them. Caparas wanted these children to be able to merge their lives as football players and as scouts, eventually as citizens of this country that could do better.
“I also want them to realize that they would always have a sort of home, a brotherhood, and a family to come back to, which they may build through scouting,” Caparas added.