Pasig United F.C joins the Weekend Football League Ladies Soccer Division

On other news, my newly formed club Pasig United F.C is now making some noise in the local football scene.. here’s the story!

This year marks another milestone for Pasig United F.C. Aside from celebrating its first year anniversary as a club last March and holding its very first football tournament in Pasig City first week of April, the club made another notable step of joining the first ever Women’s Soccer League in Philippine soil – the Weekend Football League (WFL) Ladies Soccer Division. A big leap for the club but its definitely the direction we wanted it to go.

The league kicked-off last April 28, 2012 with four participating teams: SQS-Pasig United FC Ladies, Sikat FC, Nomads FC, and United Superstrikers FC. It is an 11-a-side game and given that the club only has a few active lady players, we grabbed the opportunity to merge with SQS United Ladies to aptly complete the line up for WFL. The league will progress till mid June and as per the WFL board, a 2nd season for the Women’s League is in order this coming September 2012.

It’s a great opportunity the club don’t want to miss, the opportunity to play and be part of the very first Women’s Soccer League in the Philippine soil and be part of Philippine football history. It will also help the lady players of Pasig United to progress as they get exposed to a different kind of soccer play in a league level. With the merge with SQS United, our Lady players were also given a chance to get coached by one of the country’s finest female football player & Coach, none other than the Lady Captain of Philippine National Women’s Soccer Team Malditas, Marielle Benitez.

Ms. Benitez, having handled & coached a lot of women’s teams in the past & being part of the National pool, agreed to lend a hand to PUFC Women’s team Coach, Alan Trinanes. Together, they form a formidable coaching duo rallying behind the girls, guiding them both off & on the pitch.

The Women’s team still has a long way to go but they sure is off to a great start. The team may not win all the battles but it’s a great way to learn and be a better team, a better player. Sometimes, the most important lessons in life are the ones we learned when we lose. Keep the fire burning & the hunger ladies and best of luck to your future games! Sipa, sige!

WFL Ladies Division game schedule: Home game of SQS-Pasig United versus Nomads FC on May 27, 2012 (Sunday), 4pm at Rizal Highschool Football Field in Pasig City. Please do watch & support the team.

We also would like to take this opportunity to thank SQS United for lending us a hand in making all of this possible and Ms. Benitez for volunteering to help coach the team. Maraming maraming salamat po!

Interested to play and represent for the PUFC Women’s team? You may contact Coach Alan Triñanes thru his mobile: 09165140009 or via email: alan_trinanes@yahoo.com or pasigunitedfc@gmail.com Good luck to all our lady players! Sipa, Sige! =)

Gone for the weekend: The historic Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan

i have this terrible feeling that i’d be busy in the coming weeks. i’ll be taking on another role at work, leaving marketing behind and will start anew as data analyst/CRM officer. so i’m posting where i’m heading this summer as early as now! =))))

summer for me starts at around late march and for this year, i’ll mellow it down a bit. i’m usually up for adventure when traveling and loves to go to places that’s hard to reach like last year when we went road tripping to Padre Burgos, Quezon and camped out in an island there. for this year, i just wanted to chill, relax, and most importantly rest so i’m heading to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan.

to be honest, this will be the one trip that i’ll be shedding a bit more money but i think its gonna be worth every cent (crossing fingers). i love how serene the place could be. its also a plus that its a historical tour too. i’m a history junkie, i love old stuff, stories from the past, et al. all the houses there in Las Casas has a bit of history and story in it so i really can’t wait to take a tour back in time! =)

here are some pics i’ve gathered while making a research about the place:

some of the houses in Las Casas. the owner, Mr. Acuzar, saved most of these houses from getting demolished and brought them all to Bagac, Bataan. How does he do it? well that’s what i want to find out when i get there!

this is the hotel where guests stay. i think its a replica of the buildings in Escolta, Manila (not sure though but i’ll let you know when i get the story behind this wonderful building). i’m thrilled coz i’m staying overnight here, i’m dying to know what it feels like to sleep in one of the rooms of this building. plus i heard from frequent guests of Las Casas that the hotel staff offers “old world” service to guests there. by old world i mean they’re serving the guests same as what the maids back in Rizal’s time were serving their masters. so that’s another experience i dont want to miss.

another great experience will be the cultural show happening in this plaza (on the picture) every night. heard it’s a night of bonfire, dance and music! =)

i’m simply thrilled taking a look at these photos! its an inside peek to what those historical houses have.. now i really can’t wait to get there! =)

this is one of the pools in Las Casas. it was built to imitate a lake/pond where children back those days used to take a bath or take their carabaos to have a drink. i heard there’s an infinity pool too! =)

and this is the beach front! ah, sunsets gonna be majestic here.. =)

with all the rugby & soccer trainings i’ve been to plus the stress i get from work, i definitely deserve a break in a place as lovely as Las Casas. So i’m marking my calendar, on March 11, 2012, i’ll see you in Bagac, Bataan! stoked and can’t wait!

there are still a lot of places to discover and its definitely more fun to do it here in the Philippines! Keep on moving your feet guys! =)

P.S: I promise to make another detailed blog entry of this trip to Las Casas for you guys! =)

Bostik 10s League at Nomads Sports Club (Saturday, February 18, 2012)

RUGBY AT THE HOME FRONT: So before we gear up for the most awaited Rugby 7s event here in Asia, the Hong Kong Sevens happening this March, check out some  Rugby happenings here in Manila.

Last saturday, February 18, 2012 was indeed a good day for Philippine Rugby as the 3rd round of Bostik 10s League commenced at Nomads Sport Club in Paranaque with Alabang Eagles, Alabang Ibons, Nomads, and Globe Immortals leading the pack  for the men’s team and Team Xena (formerly Team GL) leading the women’s team  (in terms of standing).

i was suppose to play for Team Xena but unfortunately I got injured while in training. Doctors told me its Patellafemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) and will be sidelined again for 3 weeks and do therapy to strengthen quads, hamstring and inner thigh muscles. this is my second major injury after I pulled & torn my right calf muscle last year (in Rugby traininng too). its a definite setback i have to admit and i was getting depressed and all for just sitting on the sidelines and watching my mates play and have fun. but the good thing about this whole getting injured stuff is that i was able to indulge the other love of my life which is PHOTOGRAPHY!

Aside from training in PRFU’s Rugby 101 program, I do volunteer work for them every now and then (worked as Liason Officer last December for the Division 2 Under 20s game held in Manila) and made good friends with the Admin officers and the coaches so I was thrilled when Junnel asked me to be the “sort of official” photographer that day. armed with my Nikon D5000 and just my kit lens (18mm-55mm) plus the trusty point-and-shoot Nikon camera of PRFU, i managed to get some good shots last saturday!

Behind the scene photos:

at the match officials tent before the game starts with (l-r) LO Nikki, PRFU Admin Officer Junnel, and LO Mika! Kuya Ren and Ms. Precious at the back chatting.. =)

two of my most favorite coaches: Coach Expo & Coach Grant! their one of the world’s finest! =) took this photo while they’re busy talking about the weather i think! =)))))

yehey! may picture na si Junnel! =)))) (from left to right) my good friend Zsazsa with Nikki & Junnel! i’m not sure what’s the name of the guy at the back!

this is a mix of players from all the women’s team who participated last saturday: Team Xena, MAAP, and  Alabang Bullets.. the girls warming it up before the big game! =)

and still all smiles after a tough game! =)

We’re also honored to have Cebu Dragons as our guest last saturday! They may have been beaten by Alabang Eagles but we cannot deny that these lads fought with all their might! Mga Bai! You have all my respect! hopefully we get to see more of them in the coming games!

man of the match gets this baby from Hardy’s! =)

and last but definitely not the least, 3 of my favorite photos that day!

i got so lucky that these two lads tackled one another near the area where i’m standing so i managed to capture the intense moment. Raging Bisons (in black) versus Manila Vipers (in red). the one in black is a good friend of mine and a former LO too for the U20s event last December, Noel Villa. It wasn’t surprising that he got himself to rugby since before we even started volunteering for PRFU, he’s been a fitness buff and sports junkie too! proud of you Noel! you really had it in you! =) although i have to say that the one in red nailed it! kudos for a priceless game face and superb battle cry! =)))))

the picture is a bit dark but i didn’t brighten it up coz I wanna emphasize the time of the day this photo was taken, its twilight and the two teams (Hapons and Manila Nomads) are still battling it out at the line throw out.. adds drama to the pic don’t you think.. =)

i also had a huge respect for the players of Hapons (in white). i’ve been seeing a lot of “Oji-san” (Grandfathers) playing for the team but they run, kick, and tackle like they’re in their 20′s! i’m just in awe really and i admire how fit they are that despite their age (oldest is 65 years old), they can still play rugby well.

this must have been what it’ll look like playing Rugby during Rizal’s time! and i can’t think of any other way to conclude this blog but with this photo. loving the old world vibe in there…

if there’s one thing i’d wish to see today is that Rugby getting as much attention and popularity as soccer. its a tough sport but there are a lot of values and discipline you’ll get from learning and playing the sport.  i hope one day Pinoys will love the sport as much as I am loving it today..

until the next Rugby adventure and keep on moving your feet! =)

*** Join us guys every Mondays & Wednesdays for FREE Rugby training sessions at Ultra, 6pm to 8pm! Be there!***

Philippine Volcanoes to participate in Hong Kong Sevens!

i seriously couldn’t be any prouder than i am now.

i’ve seen it first hand, heard it from the players themselves about what it takes to represent your country. it takes a lot of hard work and sacrifices. it wasn’t an easy ride where you constantly aim to go to the top and ultimately to reach the goal of putting the Philippines in the Rugby map and gaining respect from all other Rugby playing nations in Asia then eventually the world…

in every game, the team battle and bleed to give glory & pride to our country.. and now all the hard work, sacrifices, dedication, perseverance, and passion they’ve put in — the team, the coaches, and all the staff has now finally paid off.. We’ve got an invite to compete in one of the most prestigious Rugby tournament in Asia, well perhaps in the whole world, the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens.

It was the Philippine Volcanoes silver medal winning performance in in the Borneo 7s that earned their spot in Hong Kong 7s. We’ve finally proven that the Philippines is a formidable team in the Rugby arena, a team to watch out for in the next couple of years.

Its way beyond “awesome” to be playing against top teams worldwide — New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and England. its the next best thing to Rugby World Cup, seeing our own play with these formidable teams from around the world and i can definitely say its a dream come true for everyone – the team, PRFU, and the fans and supporters as well. but i always knew, seeing the team, looking at how dedicated they are with the sport, that unfailing love of their Pinoy heritage and their country, i always knew they had it in them, the ability to take the Philippines to the top!

let me take this opportunity to say congratulations to Philippine Volcanoes and to PRFU as well. You did a great job and look at where we are now. just keep it up and we’ll definitely go a long way and i won’t be surprised if we’d be able to go and compete in the next Rugby world cup! And i bid you good luck as well. its time to shine your brightest in HK Sevens 2012! again, best of luck! keep in mind that all of your supporters will just be here, rallying with you guys towards winning!

Go Volcanoes!

RESPECT. DISCIPLINE.  PINOY PRIDE.

mondays will always be for Rugby!

January 28, 2012 marks the start of Philippine Rugby Football Union 10′s League (PRFU 10′s) and I haven’t made up my mind yet if i’m gunna play on saturday or what coz i honestly feel that i’m still a work in progress when it comes to playing rugby. been playing the sport for about 3 months now. I started mid August last year but due to club commitments in soccer, i wasn’t really able to focus on rugby. I went back to playing it right after my birthday in September but was forced to sit on the sidelines last October till end of the year due to injury. In one of the training sesh in Rugby, I pulled my calf muscle really really bad that i had to rest it for a while.

I came back first thing this year and to really be honest with everyone, haven’t gained top form for playing yet. I’m way too far from it actually! hence, i’m still undecided with playing this coming saturday. but i’m doin’ everything i can to shape up and to step up for it. i haven’t missed any training sessions this year and on off training days, i sweat it out in the gym, doin’ mostly cardio & some weights to convert all my fats to muscle mass and also to develop agility & endurance. Rugby training is every Mondays and Wednesdays but since it’s Chinese New Year yesterday and its a holiday, no training sesh was scheduled.

and since me and some of my Rugby teammates were used to training during mondays, we scheduled a little training of our own yesterday morning at the field near Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman. We shared the field with UP Softball team (good thing they’re gracious enough to let us use the field with them!).

we started around 8am with warm up, jogging, and some stretching. then passing drills followed. simple “hands” first — just passing the ball from player to player, no fancy passing at all. then we did the “chooky”!!! really hilarious coz we’ve got no sense of direction at all and i really am an epic fail with switching & passing. why am i so bad with directions? haha! then some defense-offense drills and line throw outs then touch rugby after. its more of a “learning” sesh coz this time, we can actually learn and grasp everything. the chill & relax environment while doing the drills makes it a more conducive rugby sesh where you can learn as much as you can, you can ask around without feeling shy or awkward. its nothing like the rugby trainings we’ve had previously (where you can literally drop dead because it was intense)  but we’ve definitely learned a lot from it.

i’ve got to say a huge THANKS to my friend Junnel. yesterday’s sesh was her idea and it was really really fun! its a breath of fresh air actually coz for the first time, we felt chill & relax while training & because of that we learned a lot from it. sometimes its helpful when during training, your back is not against the wall so to speak. you can think clearly and do the drills easily coz nobody’s giving pressure and nobody’s shouting at you all the time.

so before we called it a day yesterday, we managed to get this photo:

aren’t we all cute here!? hehehe.. good job everyone for a successful private rugby sesh yesterday! and got to say that because of you, my dream to be a referee came true! hahahaha!! =)))))))) true story: they appointed me to be the ref for the touch rugby yesterday! and i think i aced it! =)))))

hopefully we can squeeze in one private rugby sesh every week! its really fun!

till the next sesh and keep on movin’ your feet guys!

Philippines finest! Meet our very own Rugby team, Philippine Volcanoes! =)

until now, I’m clueless why I’ve been so blessed this past months. I never expected that my love for football will take me to places I’ve never been to, meet people that I never imagined I’ll be able to meet or talk to even if I live for hundred plus years. And for that, I’ll always be thankful to the Man upstairs and always be in debt with the sport football.. =)

I was able to meet Team Azkals, their coaches and Sir Dan Palami of course since I started playing soccer but I was even more blessed when I started training for Rugby!

Rugby opened a lot of doors for me — met a lot of people/friends on training, trained by one of the best coaches in town (hello Coach Aloh! ), was able to trim down 20lbs with all that running in Rugby (yes, I’m 20lbs lighter because of that!).. what else? I was able to discover and let out the inner “Amazona” in me! haha! yes, definitely! I’m slow when running — like a slow poke, I tell yah and I don’t have any sense of balance but I always knew that I have this brute strength inside me.! I just lack the opportunity to show it but yeah its there! haha! And Rugby, bein’ a full contact sports, players use strength/power so I was able to utilize that brute strength and put it into good use!

AND THE BEST PART OF IT ALL — I was able to meet our very own Philippine Rugby Team Volcanoes! woot-woot! yep, along with two of my friends, met the team & their coach Matt Cullen! I didn’t get to see all, just the 12 of them but it was a blast! It’s not just a meet up, I get to dine & eat merienda with the team, I was able to chat with all 12 of them, have our picture taken and I get to take home a jersey from the team! really, really cool! :>

it all started with joining Philippine Rugby Football Union’s Rugby 101 blogging contest (now, if you guys have been following my blog, you can still see my entry). I never meant to join because the entry I passed was already made way before PRFU announced their promo/contest, though I had to edit it coz it was originally part of a very long entry.  And since it was already made, I thought, “well why not send this to PRFU. Let’s give it a shot.” But I sure am not hoping to win coz I know there are a lot of “better” bloggers over me who wanted to meet the Philippine Volcanoes and I really don’t stand a chance — my blogs are not meant for competitions/contests (still amateur, you know), it’s just an online journal containing the ramblings of the demented mind of a writer wannabe.

the next thing I knew, I found myself clicking the “send” button of my office mail! True story: I had to duck under my table and was convinced to just hide there for the rest of eternity as my email was processing the request to send the entry to PRFU. Then I later said to myself, that entry won’t make that far so why stress myself out. It may even not get the attention of PRFU and the team.

Days went by and here comes August 19, announcement day for the winners of the blogging contest. I was out of the office and don’t have any internet access until after the weekend was over. Friday, August 19, I didn’t go online to check. Saturday & Sunday, I was out in training and usually, I just sleep after a tough day at the pitch so two days went by without internet connection then come monday morning at the office, as I was browsing tons of my email about work, I stumbled with PRFU’s email informing me that I won in their contest! I think I went catatonic for a few hours then I realized I need to revert back to the email. I think I spent an hour (at least) before I was able to complete and send my reply. I was just in shock. It was surreal and the thought of meeting the team won’t just sink in! As in serious! It felt like I was dreaming! haha! But when PRFU called me, yeah that simply brought me back to earth and confirmed that I was not dreaming after all!

The meet & greet was scheduled the next day, Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at Oakwood Center, ADB Avenue, Ortigas. Yes, I have work but I wouldn’t pass up the chance to meet the team so I filed a leave of absence so I’d be able to go out and meet them. =) it’s a once in a lifetime experience so even if I’m neck-deep with work, I ditched everything and went there!

This is it! *hingang malalim* LEZ GO!!! )

I’m nervous as a rabbit about to be thrown to a pit full of lions! haha! eh sorry naman! I went into panic mode the moment I saw the team entering the dining hall! you see, I have this unexplainable condition of having the hardest time talking to the male species! serious! Growing up in a household full of women and growing up without my dad, I’m totally clueless on know how to react when I’m surrounded by guys, well in this case they’re not just guys but totally gorgeous men so the moment they said “hi” to me, I got tongue-tied! haha! I’d say that the best decision I ever made that day was to take two of my chika friends with me and let them do all the talking coz as expected, my mouth was kept tightly shut during the event! I talk to them when they ask me about something but that’s about it. I was also way too distracted by their almost god-like appearance. When I say god-like, I mean they all look like Greek gods who went down to earth from Mt. Olympus, seriously.The word beautiful was an understatement when describing how this men look like (I know right, I’m now officially the envy of all the girls in the world! haha!).

Greek gods from Mt. Olympus! ay sorry mali, my bad! haha! Meet our Philippine Rugby Team Volcanoes! =)

and because i was way too shy to talk, I just took photos that day! Volcanoes, even after training early in the morning was all smiles in front of us! they’re just adorable.. =’) *sigh*

the meet and greet was truly a treat coz we got the chance to talk to them personally. the team was divided to 6 groups with 2 players together. they went around the the tables for the 10-minute interview. I just wished my chika friends asked a little bit more personal questions other than how the game is played, the Haka, Shanghai 7′s. Sayang! We didn’t get to ask who’s taken and who’s not, what’s their fave food, color, or something, or if they’ll date a fan or someone who’s not into Rugby.. alam nyo yun, I was actually hoping that the conversation will be just chill and relaxed, laid-back but my chika friends opted for the more serious questions! haha! so there.  I’d bet all my fingers that should my friends asked those personal questions and I’ll put it in here, this blogging site will crash due to myriads of girls trying to access the blog! =P

but i have to say that the team was very accomodating. they’ve been asked same questions over and over but still they graciously answer everything. another thing that I really like about them is that they’re not a snob (even on twitter or other SNS sites where you can find them), yung bang parang feeling sikat coz they’re trying their best to talk to us, small talk for lack of better word, they’re even asking questions about us, what we do for a living, our hobbies, the sports we play, someone even asked about the food we love to eat. it’s not something you’ll expect to see or hear from people with celebrity-like statuses. People in limelight are usually snobs *cough, cough, i know some people* haha! but yeah its true. and for that I give them 200% pogi points! I really think that celebs, athletes, public figures should be gracious enough to grant a photo opt or a small chat/talk with their fans coz they owe their popularity to the people who constantly follow & support them. they’re public figures for Christ sake! yun lang.. just saying.. two of the most accommodating and gracious teams I met was the Philippine Dragon Boat Team Pinoy Dragon Warriors & our Philippine Rugby Team Volcanoes! that’s the truth! and I admire and love them for that! =)

(ok, enough with commercials, haha!) funny that the interview felt like a speed dating of sorts.. hehe..

Searchee number 1, oopppss sorry!!! haha! I mean 1st batch of the interview was with Kenneth Stern & John Odulio!

–Kenny was the “madaldal” one.. I mean he was the one doing all the talking in this interview while John was a bit quiet, just giving out some points & opinions when asked. But both are charmers! our interviewers were dazzled! even the photographer if I may add! haha! Oh and if I heard it right (and if my memory serves me right) John is a registered nurse.

and here’s more of these two;

and the interviewers were charmed! i just love the look on them! classic!

Our second batch of interview was with Andrew Wolff and Rupert Zappia! =)

True Story (I guess.. But on a second thought, coming from Andrew who loves to make fun of his teammates.. errrr.. I just don’t know what to believe!): Guess why Rupert was all red on the face that day? According to Andrew, he went out to train on a hot sunny morning in the PHL and he forgot to put on his sunblock ergo, Mr. Sun left him red-faced!

– Both Andrew and Rupert was makwento and talkative but hands down to Andrew for being so outspoken. Among the 12 of them (the team captain included), he’s the only team member who spoke of how little the government and most of their kababayans took notice of their achievements. Despite being on top of their game, beating most of the best Rugby teams here in Asia and after demolishing Malaysia (with score 86-20) last June 2011 therefore establishing themselves as serious and tough contender for Asian top 5 next year, they get no support from the government. Most of their expenses when they compete or play, they had to get it from their own pockets. This really breaks me heart and I truly admire them, they just love to play the game & they take pride of representing the Philippines in any competition that they’re so ready to make sacrifices, even if it means taking a leave from their work and funding their trips just to compete.

more of these two (apologies, picture’s too dark, don’t want to use the flash coz we’re like in a middle of a conversation);

Some of you might be familiar with Andrew Wolff. He had his share of limelight as a local artist here in the Philippines, appearing on various local TV shows & movies. =)  See, our players are not just superb Rugby players! Jack of all trades!

And for the 3rd batch of the interview, we have Oliver Saunders & Chris Hitch! (thank God I can still remember all the names! haha! sometimes i’m so bad with names, I couldn’t remember everything!)

– What else can I say, both are talkative. I think Chris Hitch was the one who asked us with questions rather than us asking questions about them! :> tall, dark, and handsome types that you just love to take home to your parents and say “mom, pop, I’m marrying this guy!” yeah for real.. agree ladies? and i hear a yeah… haha!

more of these two tall, dark, and totally handsome men;

i think its all because of the sun.. blame it on the sun but I’m lovin’ the color! so Pinoy!

our fourth batch of interview was with Mark Chatting & Chris Everingham!

– Mark reminds me so much of Yannick Tuason of Team Azkals I guess because of the hair & the smile, the smile that can melt a thousand hearts! haha! and the other Chris, Chris Everingham that is, was the most charming of the bunch! he’s the guy that you can never say “no” to. You’ll probably do whatever he ask you to do.. as in serious.. maybe it has something to do with those eyes or maybe the way he talks to people — may kasamang lambing! — now if you guys can understand my tagalog! hehe.. And Chris was the one asking the three of us what we’ll do after the meet & greet but before we can even answer, the peeps from PEP.ph asked for a photo opt with him.. hay sayang! would love to join them after their game that day! =P

more of these two charming lads here;

their version of Korean pose with Leslie & Zsazsa! cute!

i’m diggin’ the hair! Mark’s “bagong gising” look! haha!

The next batch was my favorite! Here we’re with the new Team Captain Jake Letts & Jon Morales! =)

– If there’s one guy I’m allowed to take home to my parents that day, it’ll be Jake! haha! Joke! ok, ok! I’m caught red-handed! got this huge crush over him! for the record, I’m harmless. I usually admire from afar, I’m not the crazy stalker type! haha! Surprised too that his mother hails from Bicol, same with me, grand mum & mom is from Bicol too, Albay. and both of us never been to Bicol (We can tour the province, together, if you like! haha! joke!). And with Jake was Jon, that tall, dark, and handsome guy who, despite nursing a bruised lip (got it from their game versus Hong Kong University), still look gorgeous! You just got to love battle scars! And I love Jon for adding us on facebook! 100% pogi points and hugs to you Jon! =)

and last but not the least, the 6th batch of interview was with Harry Morris and Justin Coveney! =)

– This perhaps was the fave batch of my good friend Zsazsa! She’s crushing over our lawyer here (hello there Justin)! haha! If Chris Everingham was the most charming among the bunch, Justin here was the most talkative! Sobrang daldal, promise! It started during our merienda. Justin kept asking a lot of questions about us, what we do, any sports we play, our favorite stuff and the weirdest part was he’s asking about the Azkals! Nakakaloka sa dami ng tanong! And Harry was equally madaldal too! haha! He told us about his upcoming travel show which will feature various travel destinations! Best of luck to you Harry! Hope this travel show of yours will push through! =)

I enjoyed everything that day.. the food, the warm welcome, the 10-minute chit-chat with the team but this takes home the cake: I GOT ONE BIG HUG FROM THE TEAM! ALL 12 OF THEM!

And here’s the only picture of the group hug that i can never forget even if i live a hundred years.. or die then get reincarnated! )

and this officially makes me THE LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE TODAY! )

thanks guys! if i could just hug all of you back, i would although i think you guys probably won’t fit in my arms! :>

and before i wrap this blog up, let me first introduce you to… Coach Matt Cullen!

True Story: On one of the group pics of the team, Zsazsa shouted “Let’s see a wacky pose!” and all of the players said “Huh? What?” the only guy who knew what a wacky pose is was Coach Matt! He came in, joined his team and said “Ok guys let’s do wacky pose!” On field, Coach Matt was totally a different person, he’s not the cool guy, all smiles and all nice with each and everyone. He’s on his beast mode whenever there’s training, shouting at the top of his lungs and commanding the team with a voice that will scare the shit out of you! serious! On my first training day at Rugby 101, he was there. Just his mere presence it’ll scare you to death! then wait till he shouts. But hands down to him, all the success of the team says a lot about his coaching — its effective and brings success to the team. =)

Got to say a huge thanks to PRFU for making all of this possible! this is something that I’ll never forget and something to tell my grand kids that one day, I was able to meet the most amazing Rugby team of my time. And to the Philippine Volcanoes, I want to thank you guys for such a warm welcome! You’ve been so gracious and accommodating that day. I just wish we had more time talking — although I might not speak at all but I did enjoy everything. I hope to see you again one day, maybe in one of your games this December and please do remember me when I approach you guys and ask for a photo opt or an autograph. =)

oh and hands down to you guys (saludo po talaga ako sa inyo)! i admire your love and passion for the sport and for representing the Philippines. True Pinoys through & through! I always believed that you don’t have to be born & raised here in the Philippines for you to be called and considered a Filipino. Being a Filipino is not just by blood, it is but most importantly by heart… and you guys is the living proof of that! keep it up! laban lang! we’re 100% behind you guys, rallying with you in every game & supporting you all the way!

Again, from the deepest recesses of my heart, MARAMING MARAMING SALAMAT PO! Don’t be strangers alright! And I’ll see you guys in your games! you can definitely count on me, shouting at the top of my lungs & cheering for you guys to win! Go Volcanoes! =)

Let’s toughen it up for RUGBY 101! :D

If you can sum up the words FUN and TOUGH in just one, it’ll be RUGBY!!! =)

Yes my friends, you might be surprised to hear a girl trying to play the sport Rugby. I may be a girl but I’m not a softie like everyone else so when I heard that the Philippine Rugby Football Union is offering a Rugby 101 course for free, I grabbed the opportunity with no questions asked!

My mom was diagnosed with a heart problem last May 2009 and that served as a wake up call for me to start living healthy. So I ditched rice, sweets, fatty foods, & junk food and started my quest towards healthy lifestyle. I went on looking for a sport to do and decided to run. Then I decided to take it up a notch and got myself drafted to my hometown’s local football team, Pasig United F.C., been playing for them 2 months now & was lucky enough to see some footy action on a recently held Football Tournament, Laurel Cup 2011.  Trying to move around as much as I can before I turn 30, the once-a-week soccer training was not enough to quench my thirst for crunch time on the pitch. I wanted more. I want to just go out there in the field and play so I went on looking for another sport and stumbled upon Rugby.

So, together with some of my mates from Pasig United F.C. Women’s, we booked ourselves for our first training sesh last July 06, 2011. Before training, I tried to learn as much as I can about Rugby, the positions, the rules of the game, the Haka (All Blacks for the win!), and everything about it but no one prepared us for that one tough night last July 06!  Our first Rugby training sesh was facilitated by Sir Jovic & Sir Gabe. The warm up was okay but then we went into doin’ the drills and it was INTENSE! At first I thought that Rugby, bein’ classified under football too was just the same with soccer only this time you’re playing with your hands. But I had it all wrong, man, all wrong! Rugby is the exact opposite of soccer! You have everything backwards. And doin’ all the foot drills, I was running around the pitch like a headless chicken, trying to concentrate not to hit the other players and at the same time do what the coaches was tellin’ me to do. Like in Soccer, running is essential so running and foot drills tops the list when training for Rugby. I enjoyed all the foot drills but it was tough. I was forced to run 200% more than my usual run in soccer. I play defense full back for soccer so most of the time I’m just hovering around near the goal post covering the goalie, not running much on the field. I could just wait for the forwards to come to me with the ball on their feet & will just have to clear the ball given the opportunity. But in Rugby, you’re always on your toes as all of the players in the team gets to have a chance to score — oh and if Soccer calls the points as goals, in Rugby, they call it a “try,” just want to share that little info with you guys. After the foot & running drills, we went to passing. Its tough too but I’d say its a great core & upper body work out coz I had to use all my core & arm muscles to catch & throw the ball properly. The biggest difference perhaps with soccer and Rugby is that the latter is a full contact sport, expect to get bumped or bruised when playing Rugby. You have to go touch opponents and try to stop them from scoring a try.

You can tell that the coaches were dead serious with the training, even with newbies and that was something I really admire (thumbs up to that!). For every bad call that we make because we didn’t pay attention or listened to the coaches equates to 1 set of 10 man push ups! But that I think is essential so that players will have discipline and will always listen to what the coach is saying. Then everything commenced into a SCRUMMAGE! yep, you got it right! if soccer calls the matches scrimmage, for Rugby its scrummage. We’re divided into two groups composed of 15 people, after brief instruction from the coach, we do head-on collision of a Rugby game! real intense!

The second training sesh was more intense than the first one since t’was Coach Aloh Abono who facilitated the session. He’s one hell of a tough guy, I tell yah! If the first training sesh I was pushed to run more than 200% of what I was used to in Soccer, now I was forced to step it up a notch to 300% as I heard Coach Aloh talking to me & to those left out in the formation: “Ayaw nyo bilisan?! Sige dadagdagan ko pa yan!” It was crazy but a good crazy coz all that running paid off. I used to finish a 5k marathon in an hour and 15 minutes but after all those running, I can complete a 5k in 40minutes! ) and 2nd sesh turned out to be great as we learned how to do the tackle and all those tackle sessions in Rugby toughened me up as a defense for soccer! I can go head-to-head with a guy, not worrying about getting me self thrown out of the pitch. Oh and not to mention that I got my 1st 5 seconds of TV fame in Rugby as the crew of GMA 7 filmed our training for an episode of one of their sunday morning show! Really cool! =)

I’ve been to 4 sessions already and immensely proud that I was able to get out on every training sesh alive and in one piece! But seriously, I love the discipline of Rugby and I totally dig the challenges the sport has to offer. It pushes you to do good, to go out of your comfort zone, makes you constantly push yourself beyond your limits then you feel rewarded every after training, feeling proud that you did all those drills & you were able to play the rough but fun sport of Rugby! =)

oh and after a tough training sesh of Rugby, me & my mates were rewarded with.. dundundahhhh…

we get to meet & have a photo opt with one of the Philippine Volcanoes , Andrew Wolff! He’s so nice and very accomodating and so adorable too! right ladies??? great reward after a hard day’s work on the pitch!

All of us while staring at Andrew Wolff, I mean resting after the intense Rugby training at Ultra! )

goofing around after training! *on the sides: waiting for an opportunity to talk to you know who.. hehehe*

all tired but still lookin’ pretty after training! woot-woot!

me (in orange shirt & white socks) with the ladies.. i could just lounge here forever then sleep! so tired after training..

man, serious! PUFC girls are tough! to the core! as in!  We were able to finish the intense Rugby training in one piece! haha! proud of you ladies! good job!

On behalf of my team Pasig United F.C., we’d like to thank our Rugby coaches Sir Jovic, Sir Gabe, & Coach Aloh, maraming maraming salamat po for teaching us Rugby! Got to thank you guys for the patience and tons of encouragement while teaching a bunch of “super makukulit” ladies! And big thanks to PRFU for comin’ up with a great program such as this! mabuhay po kayo! =) because of you guys, we’ve got this new found respect for the sports Rugby, yes it is tough but I’d say you’ll come out every training a better person.

till the next training sesh guys! =)

Tough world out there…

it’s been a month or so since i started playing football. i was lucky enough to get drafted in my local town’s football team, Pasig United F.C. Trainings were great coz in a span of a month, i’ve learned a lot about football, strategies, and game play but more than that, the sport teaches you discipline and how to be a team player. And part of bonus i got from playing is that football helps me to keep my weight down. its really a good work out coz almost all of your major muscle groups are working and at the same time, your mind also functions in synch with your body since you have to think of game strategy. In fact, in Germany, the mind is said to be the “third leg” – meaning you’re not just out there to kick the ball, you kick with purpose and it should contribute to your team’s game play.

I am enjoying every bit of my life as a football player and i’m thanking God for it… But i’d say FOOTBALL is a tough world for a girl like me.

first month i was plagued with injuries. first injury sustained was due to a kick in the muscle at the back of my leg on my first scrimmage. i play defense-full back so while trying to protect the goal & carrying the ball, i was looking for a teammate whom i can pass it and the striker of the opposing team just showed up and tried kicking the ball out of my foot ending up kicking my leg muscle instead. the next day after training, my leg was all beaten up and it felt like it’ll fall off any minute. glad that after two weeks, i recovered.

every after training, usually 2 days after the training, my whole body is literally in pain. after the adrenaline & endorphine have died out, i’ll feel every hinge, bone, and muscle in my body in a massive pain. i guess my body is trying to adjust to this new lifestyle. coming in from my bumming days, all this exercises, running, drills will surely take toll on my body. its also a fact that i’m still 200lbs heavy hence i’m having the hardest time running and keeping up with my mates in the team. but i’m working on it and constantly in search of ways to get myself into top form. i plan to learn swimming as it’ll be good cross training sport for me and do core exercises too. tough cores can increase your endurance and stamina in running.

let’s face it: FOOTBALL is men’s world. the sport was first played by farmers whom all were men in Europe and that’s it. women dabbling in the sport had to give their 200% just to get men’s respect and appreciation. really it was just plain tough! women have to bleed to death just to get support, attention, & respect and i’d daresay that its plain and simple discrimination. just because we are girls doesn’t mean we can’t do the things guys do inside the pitch. and just because we are girls and usually emotionally-driven doesn’t mean we can’t be tough inside the pitch. i’d say that women in my team are the toughest. guys may not want to play footy with us and may not want to share the field but we find ways to practice and play, even if there’s just 6 or 8 of us, it doesn’t matter. a ball and a space to play is all we need. i’d say that women in my team have the true heart for the game. we cannot boast a game play same with the guys as they can do all the header, juggling, hat tricks, whatever in the pitch but nothing beats the heart that truly loves the game. the heart that makes us want to play despite the challenges and hurdles game poses. the heart that is wide open and eager to learn which helps us improve. and the most important is that we have the heart that just bonded the women’s team together. i’d say that women in my team have the toughest fighting spirit there is. trainings are important to us much like the air that we breathe hence even the floods & tons of  rain water brought by typhoon Falcon was not enough to stop us training in the field last saturday. we’re even ready to be in our rashguards and board shorts just to train under the rain. we’re giving our 200% and more on every training and game that we have coz like you guys, we’re hungry for a win as well. all these snob acts, showing off, and bravado in the field just fuel our determination to win…  =)

in that short span of time i’m with my team, i can say that everything i mentioned above just makes me proud that i’m representing my hometown with them. girls, we may not be as good as other teams or even our own men’s team, just keep the fire burning. have the passion to learn everything, be determined and don’t listen to people who say we’re not good enough. never let anyone put you down, fight back and show them your true worth. and most importantly keep the love for football! i believe in you guys! we can win this! =)

keep the love for the sport burnin’! =)

oh and just because we all look nice and dandy doesn’t mean we don’t bite, so beware! hehe.. =P

not exactly…

as the title goes… i’m not exactly sure if this is what i want… if this is the path i wanna take… to be honest i’m not happy with the way things are going… i’ve discovered a lot & when i think about it, all the changes that happened in the past were not coincidence at all… it was something that was planned & carefully put into action… now they have successfully taken that one out…

nevertheless, this thing i’m talking about is new journey, might as well try it out, see if things will work out… or if it is even worth seeing at all…

trippin’ on a huge rock…

what’s with me these days??? out of my league… off-track… most of the time I’m just drifting with my thoughts…

sure, sure… I’m just lazy… that’s what I’m gonna tell myself but honestly it’s more than just being lazy… life for me these days is getting a lot boring… still same old stuff I’m doing… hardest part is, I don’t have the guts to embrace change… I guess I’m scared out of my wits even just imagining that I’ll be doing something different… Crap! I’m the one insisting on change but I can’t seem to step my foot forward…