Vince Hizon’s "No Fear" Attitude
April 9, 2002 | 12:00am
Ten years ago, Vince Hizon left family and friends in sunny California and journeyed back to his roots. His Philippine roots, that is. Having paternal ancestors in Davao, he used to vacation down South as a child. Then he opted for Blue Eagle education at the Ateneo de Manila University for college. Vince was always a student athlete but never expected his basketball career to end up like it has.
Vince joined the PBA league, playing first with Purefoods then Ginebra. With his chiseled features and doe eyes, he fast became a basketball heartthrob. Um, and the accent didn’t hurt either.
But Vince isn’t all looks, you know. He actually did well in the professional ranks. Blessed, Vince felt the need to give back. He admits, "It’s been a very long and adventurous journey, but I get to do what I love to do. It’s made me who I am now, and I’m very grateful." Thus, the Vince Hizon Foundation came about in 1998. Their motto: "Partners in Education." Bottom line: To put children through school. Through the foundation, Vince hopes to educate the youth, and more importantly, to inspire young athletes to face their fears because it is possible to live their dreams.
Vince, however, has had his share of frustrations. Political lows, more like it. Whoever said being in the limelight was all glitz and glamour? In 1999, Vince changed leagues to the MBA and signed a three-year contract with the Iloilo Megavolts. To cut the long story short, he played a total of one year and got benched the remaining two. It came to a point when
Vince would go to all his games in uniform, even pay for his own plane fare, just to be left on the sidelines. Vince recalls, "I was a hundred percent healthy and ready to go, but they were not giving me ‘ownership clearance,’ whatever the heck that inactive list meant, which is what they put me on. It’s either you were on the playing list or the injured list. I wasn’t on both, so for so long, I was held back."
But Vince allowed no room for discouragement, and as soon as his contract expired last December, he went back to where his heart belongs. "The PBA is my home and it’s where I intend to finish my career," he says. "Going back to the PBA has been a work in progress ever since I began having major difficulties with the MBA. Playing for Red Bull is the brightest note I’ve had in so long."
Vince admits that he has no timeline when it comes to his basketball career. "It’s like being asked, ‘How long are you gonna live?’" Vince believes that the number of years are different for every person.
And so, if you aim for the stars, you might just reach the heavens. That’s what his father used to tell him as a child. That is why, in turn, Vince wishes that today’s youth learn how to aim high and maximize their potential. He muses, "There are a lot of skilled people, but they don’t realize their potential and develop them. That is the difference between a good basketball player and a good athlete." So, at the end of the day, hard work is the name of any game. "I don’t necessarily jump the highest or run the fastest, but as soon as I see another person working harder than I, then I’ll know it’s time to quit."
Vince joined the PBA league, playing first with Purefoods then Ginebra. With his chiseled features and doe eyes, he fast became a basketball heartthrob. Um, and the accent didn’t hurt either.
But Vince isn’t all looks, you know. He actually did well in the professional ranks. Blessed, Vince felt the need to give back. He admits, "It’s been a very long and adventurous journey, but I get to do what I love to do. It’s made me who I am now, and I’m very grateful." Thus, the Vince Hizon Foundation came about in 1998. Their motto: "Partners in Education." Bottom line: To put children through school. Through the foundation, Vince hopes to educate the youth, and more importantly, to inspire young athletes to face their fears because it is possible to live their dreams.
Vince, however, has had his share of frustrations. Political lows, more like it. Whoever said being in the limelight was all glitz and glamour? In 1999, Vince changed leagues to the MBA and signed a three-year contract with the Iloilo Megavolts. To cut the long story short, he played a total of one year and got benched the remaining two. It came to a point when
Vince would go to all his games in uniform, even pay for his own plane fare, just to be left on the sidelines. Vince recalls, "I was a hundred percent healthy and ready to go, but they were not giving me ‘ownership clearance,’ whatever the heck that inactive list meant, which is what they put me on. It’s either you were on the playing list or the injured list. I wasn’t on both, so for so long, I was held back."
But Vince allowed no room for discouragement, and as soon as his contract expired last December, he went back to where his heart belongs. "The PBA is my home and it’s where I intend to finish my career," he says. "Going back to the PBA has been a work in progress ever since I began having major difficulties with the MBA. Playing for Red Bull is the brightest note I’ve had in so long."
Vince admits that he has no timeline when it comes to his basketball career. "It’s like being asked, ‘How long are you gonna live?’" Vince believes that the number of years are different for every person.
And so, if you aim for the stars, you might just reach the heavens. That’s what his father used to tell him as a child. That is why, in turn, Vince wishes that today’s youth learn how to aim high and maximize their potential. He muses, "There are a lot of skilled people, but they don’t realize their potential and develop them. That is the difference between a good basketball player and a good athlete." So, at the end of the day, hard work is the name of any game. "I don’t necessarily jump the highest or run the fastest, but as soon as I see another person working harder than I, then I’ll know it’s time to quit."
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