Education through sports

Officiating woes hound sports like ghosts on Halloween.

The recent loss of boxer Eriberto 'Ioka' Gejon in Japan, the trouble in the CESAFI, the loss of the Mantawi Sparkling Nights in the NBC, and many more have all been blamed on the failure of the game officials to call the game as it is.

There are, however, some teams that use officiating as the reason why they fail and I definitely know many of them, who find the excuse as the fastest way to appease themselves.

Perfect officiating is difficult to attain, but as my high school teacher Prof. Daniel Nellas always reminded us, 'constant correct practice makes perfect."

In other words, there also must be an avenue for the officials to continuously hone their skills aside from them having to constantly keep an open mind to learn from their mistakes.

While trouble sometimes makes the sport more appealing to the blood-hungry kind, it does not really speak well about sports.

Let's get into sports for the love of the game and not merely for the love of winning.

* * *

I have always believed that getting into sports is a great teacher.

Sports can build not just your physical strength, mental toughness, and stamina. It can also build character that can be useful in many endeavors as you go through life.

While spending hours practicing judo as a college student, our coach, Leonardo 'Jojo' Roa, Jr., always reminded us that we use the principles of the martial art in our life.

What that means can sometimes stir your brain. But what it really means is to follow your instincts and always bear in mind what you are supposed to do right.

The practice of martial arts is not the only sport that teaches such in fact, all sports do in many different ways.

Basketball players have to learn to be patient to find the open man when they pass the ball around to shoot. That is something that you can apply in life itself, when you find the best way possible to attain your goal without violating the rules.

In football you learn to move up and down with your team whether you are part of the offense or defense. In life, this is like sticking with your group or family through good and bad times.

Volleyball is one sport where you can score by either using a really hard spike or simply dropping the ball softly to an empty spot inside the court. In life this is learning to apply the necessary force to achieve your goal. You don't always have to be forceful to get what you want since there are also times when a very soft approach will be most effective.

There are so much more similarities between sports and life that we can discuss, but just talking or writing about it won't help much. You have to do it.

* * *

MILESTONES: I would like to greet two people a very happy birthday as they turn a year older today.

Happy birthday to Fr. Ernesto O. Javier, S.J., the school director of Sacred Heart School-Jesuit, who has been an inspiration and a guiding light to many school kids and parents.

A very happy birthday also goes to one of my closest friends and compadre, Michael G. Go of American Express Bank, who also turns a year older today.

More power to both of you!