Field of Dreams
Annabelle Bangsoy
The Melvin Jones football grounds may not be the FIFA five star rated Camp Nou or London's Wembley Football stadium but it has seen muddied wagwag boots propel dreams in young Baguio children's hearts. It has become Baguio's field of dreams for young Baguio football players. These dreams get etched in their young minds every time they risked getting scolded by their mothers for soiled socks, shoes and kits marinated in the chocolate brown dust and mud at the Melvin Jones football field.
Mike Danieve Arbella,12,never thought he could be the leader of a team that will represent Baguio city and the Cordillera region in this year's national games.The team captain of the city and region's elementary football team, Mike had to make amends first with slack study habits,indiscipline and some attitude before the captain's band was strapped to his left arm by his coach, Gatan Dalang,a former Ateneo Football Team player."Dito kami tumino sa football,"Mike proudly said."Gusto ko maging kagaya ni Coach,"he added.
The son of a part time taxi driver-carpenter and a saleslady, Mike wants to land a college football scholarship at Ateneo to help his parents.But being the young unselfish leader that he is, he doesn't want to dream alone. "Gusto ko,lahat kami sa team, makakuha ng scholarship sa Ateneo,"he said.But as he enters high school,he was selected by Goshen Land Capital Inc as one of its first batch of scholars from the pool of public school kids playing football.
He aspires to become like his coach ,a local boy who grew up playing at Melvin Jones and was recruited by Ateneo together with his friend, now high school football team coach Aris Bocalan.Together, they helped power the Ateneo football team that won the famed three-peat UAAP football championships from 2004 to 2006.
Then they came back home to train young kids for football so they could be prepared and trained for life, beyond the dusty and rocky Melvin Jones Football Field at Burnham Park. "I thought I will coach so I could share my skills and talent,"Coach Dalang said. But after meeting underpriveleged kids from public schools at the Melvin Jones Football Field needing help, like Mike and his team mates, his coaching took on a different course."Football coaching for me now is about touching and changing lives," he shared.
James Mark Ariola,12, striker,a team mate of Mike, used to frequent computer shops to satiate an addiction for online gaming.He goes home late,making his mom worried sick.While gifted with a talent for football,he was an absentee trainee. But when he was challenged to commit to training so his talent wont go to waste through a positive coaching approach,his addiction for online gaming stopped and he was transformed into an outstanding player.
He dreams of becoming a player for the Azkals and aspires to reaching the pinnacle of any local boy's football dream-- to play in an international stadium for the famed European football team Manchester United Football Club.
James Mansueto,the team's central defender who holds the team's defense line and the co-captain of Mike confessed he joined football so he could veer away from the destructive influences of bum gangs and fraternities.A very quiet soul ,he usually keeps to himself but transforms into a hard player inside the field.He said he learned self-discipline through positive coaching in football.The son of a carpenter and a homemaker,James dreams of playing in an international stadium and finishing a course at PMA to help his parents.Like Mike,he was also awarded a scholarship grant from Goshen Land.
Kenneth Sibaen,11,used to be fat,heavy,slow and unlikely to become a football player.Now entering grade 6,he proved a year before that anyone can play football."He was overweight and lazy to train,",Coach Dalang said.But after going through football coaching, he slimmed down,became industrious and committed to ltraining.Like Ariola, and his team mates,he learned self-discipline from his coach.He dreams of playing in an international stadium someday and play alongside Ariola for Manchester United.
Kleiu Mangaoang,12,had it all bad in school ever since he was seven. Since grade 1,he already had failing grades in his school card. He got addicted to computer games, and he just went to school for half day.On top of this, he helped his mother make ends meet by selling barbecue near a jeepney stand up until 11o'clock in the evening.He goes home tired and unable to focus on his studies.But football helped him overcome his circumstances through positive coaching. For the first time,He was able to pass all his subjects and was given a championship medal by his school for his football team's top performance at the CARAA.Now a Goshen Land scholar, he wants to become a PMAer when he is older and hopes to build a house for his future family someday.Meantime, he is training under Coach Dalang at Melvin Jones,getting muddied and soiled,for the love of the game so he could score that life goal inside and outside the field of dreams.***
Baguio's Field of Dreams II: Baguio football players get Manila college scholarships
Annabelle Bangsoy
Baguio highshool boys who grew up getting muddied and dirtied playing football at the Melvin Jones Football field landed a full college scholarship with free board,lodging and allowance.They were chosen over other players even from powerhouse Visayas and Mindanao for the coveted football team scholarship at the Lyceum of the Philippines in Manila.
The boys were scouted by the Lyceum sports scouts while playing for the city's high school team in Baguio and in the Palaro. They were observed playing in local football festivals in Baguio.Then after the Palaro in May this year, they were asked to go straight to Lyceum to take their scholarship and entrance exams.Afterwards, the school announced they were chosen to play for the university's football varsity team . The Baguio boys-powered Lyceum football team will see action in the up and coming NCAA meet.
Nelson Gasic,18,the team's goalkeeper said he was playing baseball at Athletic Bowl when Coach Aris Bocalan recruited him to play football and positioned him as goalkeeper because he is tall and lanky. "Pero nangungulit pa rin, gusto niya striker"his coach added, laughing. Gasic is always smiling,rare for goalkeepers who are supposed to look menacing.Having endured a hard life with his father jailed, he looks to football as his passport to a better life. "Itutuloy ko ang football para makatapos ng college,"Gasic added.He was trained both by former Ateneo football team players and now local coaches Bocalan and Gatan Dalang.
Domingo Sayan,17, the team's striker and midfielder said he grew up in a troubled home where infighting is a daily fare. He confides that when his parents separated while he was in grade three, he rarely stays home during the day and opts to play football instead in the schoolyard even on weekends. "Palaging away-away sa bahay, ayoko,kaya naging libangan ko ang football," Sayan said.He said his teacher, whom he calls Ma'am Pagaduan started him out in football. Inspite of his home environment,Sayan said he learned the values of teamwork and respect thru football. "Teamwork is not about me,it must also be in and out of the field.We must also show that we are respectable,(in our deeds)," he added.
Jenno Aquino,16,also one of the team's strikers, said football gave him something worthwhile to look forward to. "I learned self-discipline,respect for self and others and teamwork," Aquino said.Like Sayan, he also learned to play football at the schoolyard. He dreams of living a peaceful life and landing a job after his finishes college throu his footbAll scholarship. The other boys from Baguio and Benguet who were given scholarships were Jhomayle Buena,Christian Ubilas,Narciso Ferrer,Ernesto Dagdag,Leonard Austria,Angelito Balesteros,Alvin Aranas,Amadeo Dalisay,Randy Gonzales,Nicanor Menzi,Emmanuel Mines. So why were they chosen? Lyceum coach Popoy Clarino reportedly opted for Baguio football players because they are disciplined and they could easily go home to Baguio once they get homesick because of its proximity to Manila.
It is now a standard practice for sports talent scouts from Manila universities to look for football talents in Baguio. A lot of football players in Baguio have been recruited to play football for these schools. Among them are coaches Aris Bocalan and Gatan Dalang for Ateneo,and others who played who played for De LaSalle,FEU, and UST.Twelve year old Mike Arbella, the team captain of the city's and CAR's Elementary Football Team is being recruited by FEU but he had declined the offer several times because he said he will be alone studying in Manila at such a young age."Gusto ko buong team ang kukunin," he said.***
