The morning was full of lessons. From chairman Buddy Encarnado’s exhorting the Fil-Ams to drop the "Am" and just play "Fil" to their guest speakers’ calls for passion, every speaker had gems of wisdom and a big pinch of reality for the players to swallow. For that day, there were no teammates, only "league-mates," to further reinforce the concept of oneness. They are, to use a cliché, all in the same boat.
The league pulled out surveys that pointed out the differences in perception of the PBA as opposed to collegiate leagues. College leagues were full of "passion," while the PBA had somehow created the impression that not all of its games were played that way. This unfavorable comparison was a rude awakening to many of the players, who obviously didn’t want to hear an indictment against them. It was an early dose of tough love for Valentine’s. But hurting people’s feelings was not the workshop’s aim.
"We’re also trying to find out who our audience is," says commissioner Noli Eala. "The Filipino, what is the Filipino culture, and for the Fil-Ams, for them to find out who it is that they’re playing for. We’re also explaining some of the programs we have in place, and what we are trying to do this season."
In the morning session, high school teacher Onofre Pagsanghan — who has been handling generations of leaders at the Ateneo de Manila high school for over fifty years — put things in a very clear perspective. Even as the gentle and wise little old man reached up to put an arm around the shoulders of the giants who surrounded him, he reminded them of the impact they have on the next generation.
"I just asked them to give a thought to the thirteen-year old boys, the fourteen-year old boys, the fifteen-year old boys who idolize them," Pagsanghan, my own high school teacher, said. "To these boys, they are idols. The players have to realize they influence them not only in how they play, but in how they will live their lives. That is how important they can be."
"The league is also opening up to them," adds veteran broadcaster and columnist Ronnie Nathanielsz, one of the morning’s speakers. "It is showing them the real situation, the way things are. In a way, their lives are on the line, so this is an opportunity for them to be aware of how the league is run, and the things they can also do."
They were still some who were recalcitrant. Obviously, many of the younger players acted bored. And there was resistance to the moves of mixing up the Fil-Ams with the locally-born players. But one exercise that got everyone’s attention was the request to write down — anonymously — two good things and two bad things about the PBA.
"It’s very educational, admitted Alvin Patrimonio. "We’re really learning what’s going on in the league, and also what the situation is. We have a role to play, and we know what the situation is now."
In the afternoon, there were also sessions on dealing with the fans and the media, and financial planning, public decorum, and others. Clearly, these changes will take a while to take root. But if the players are serious about their livelihood, they will accept that they are not just there to make money, but to reach out to their audience, which will build a stronger base for the league.
It’s all about relationships.