Incidentally, Sports Illustrated magazine gave insights into the practice of "juicing" among major leaguers. Juicing is another term for steroid use and it has named 11 athletes who injected themselves with performance enhancing drugs. Jose Canseco, Derick Turnbow, Terrmel Sledge, Ken Caminiti, Gary Sheffield, Jason and Jeremy Giambi, Benito Santiago, Bobby Estelella, Armando Rios and Barry Bonds all admitted or thru congressional inquiries confirmed their use of steroids.
The now retired Canseco is baseball's first documented user of steroids but Bonds is the chemistry experiment, having used a cocktail of drugs - from testosterone-based cream to an assortment of injectables including a female fertility drug, Clomid, used to enhance the effectivity of testosterone. Yes they get the accolades and surpass the records made by past baseball greats but it will always be tainted and considered a farce because of the means they used to achieve the feats.
The on-going GUV Cup, despite the usual controversies, has resulted in bright futures for deserving young talents. These teenagers, who stand at least 5'8", and still growing, have at least two local universities interested in giving them athletic scholarships.
My unsolicited advice to these young ladies is to jump on the chance where, aside from honing and improving their volleyball skills, they get to have a quality education which they can always fall back on if their athletic pursuits don't cooperate.
It has been a while since Cebu has produced international level athletes in this sporting discipline and I hope this batch will take the challenge, persevere and make top-level competitions.
If you happen to like stage plays, you still have this coming Friday and Saturday to catch Roger's and Hammerstein's "The King and I" at SM Cinema 1. The play is directed and choreographed by the multi-talented Cebuano, Benjie Diola, who took time off from his commitments in Guam to do the play.
The cast is composed of faculty, students, alumni, parents and friends of Sacred Heart School - Jesuit and except for a few, the rest of the cast have no formal training in theater. Considering this, it's amazing to note that performances have been top-rate, particularly the children.
My daughter Ana plays the role of Little Tupsy and also alternates as Princess Ying Yaow Lak with Anne Geidt and Chelsea Sarza. Just like all the Papas and Mamas whose sons and daughters are casted, it makes me mighty proud. The school's prefect of discipline, Robert Galvan, give life to the role of King Mungkut of Siam. Fr. Jun Agravante alternates. Anne Lorraine Dytian and Maria Celeste Celeste alternates as the widowed English teacher, Anna Leonowens, hired by the King to teach his collection of wives and an oversupply of children.
The play is worth watching. School director Fr. Ernesto Javier, SJ, said it best that after watching the show, it makes you "whistle a Happy Tune". Do I hear "The Sound of Music" next year? If it does happen, then Cebu's barren hills will come alive. Remember the song "The Hills are Alive"?
Aside from sports, the performing arts is another great avenue for our children to excel and gain self-confidence, which in the long run will be beneficial to them when they face the challenges and realities of living in this country defined by grandstanding politicos, rallies and water cannons.
Theater is also minus the sprains and pains which goes hand-in-hand with sports, unless of course you fall off the stage. The only strain you get in theater are the ringing in your ears from the yelling and screaming of the director if you don't get your line right.