Victolero’s harvest

SANTA MARIA, Bulacan – The Magnolia Chicken Timplados are on a tear. The Hotshots have won their first four games in the PBA Philippine Cup going into last night’s game. So far, the young players are carrying the load, the rotations fluid, and everything is balancing out. Head coach Chito Victolero is harvesting the fruits of his hard work inside and outside the basketball court.

“We’re healthy, first of all,” says the former Mapua Cardinal. “We are avoiding the little injuries that hurt us in the past.”

After several frustrations, including finals losses, everything continues to fall into place for Magnolia. Victolero says that as a coach, you have to be prepared for when winning time comes. You can’t always be on top, but you can always get better. And you can take advantage of the opportunities that open up for you.

“You’re not always going to win,” he adds. “The PBA has a very dominant player in June Mar Fajardo, and right now San Miguel is on top. We’ve lost four finals to them because Fajardo is just so hard to stop. We’ve tried a lot of things, but he’s just so good. And everyone around him is great, as well. We have to keep getting better.”

How does Victolero let off steam and deal with stress? He takes refuge at VFarm, his very own 4.5-hectare paradise here in Bulacan. It’s a project. He started over a quarter century ago when he was still playing with the San Juan Knights in the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association. A provincial boy at heart, Coach Chito has never been comfortable with a lot of people around, preferring instead the serenity and fresh air of nature. This is where he decompresses, de-stresses, and spends time with his family, away from the hassle of urban life.

Initially meant to be a weekend retreat, VFarm gradually took shape into a resort for families and big groups to enjoy nature, great homemade meals, and a gigantic pool. Most of the fruits and vegetables served are grown here, some from trees that Coach Chito himself planted. It has been a labor of love that has paid back in memories. It also allows him to detach from the stresses of a professional basketball coach, and breathe the fresh air of home. We all wish we could have a place like this. Many times, the simple life is all that we really need.

More in a succeeding piece.