It’s that time of the year again when the drums begin to beat, and school pride begins to swell in the hearts of the young and old. Alumni begin to mark dates in their calendars and file leaves of absence. Students begin scouring for tickets and stocking up on shirts with their school colors. The players prepare their new uniforms and break-in brand new pairs of shoes for the upcoming battles, while their coaches prepare a few last minute strategies on the drawing board.
The annual UAAP battles are one of the most popular and anticipated events in the country today. If your school has a basketball game today, odds are you’re in the stands cheering your lungs out or at least watching it on TV – and probably cheering your lungs out as well. The battles between universities on the hard court have become an immense source of pride for the members of a school’s community, and winning becomes a necessity.
The audience has just as much passion as the players sweating it out on the court – some say even more – and one can witness wealthy businessmen and high ranking officials morph into rabid fans with strong and loud opinions on what the referee should or shouldn’t have done. With so much emotions invested on what happens on the court, fans are often left gravely disappointed when their team loses a game. Sometimes, inappropriate words are even thrown towards the opposing side, but it gets even worse when even the team and the coaches get more than their fair share of harsh criticism and tactless bashing. When losing comes around, we tend to become fair weather friends and abandon the team, leaving just a few of the faithful cheering during the games.
After winning the UAAP championship in 2007, the Green Archers, probably one of the most recognizable basketball teams in the country, have failed to make it back to the promised land. Since 2009, the team has been handled by four different head coaches, with the fourth, Juno Sauler, being installed barely one month ago. The criticisms of this team have been both harsh and personal, and it’s often easy to forget that this is just a sport.
When the losses pile up, like when the Green Archers failed to make the top four in 2009 and 2011, the blame game goes on. As a community that has been spoiled by a winning tradition from the past decades, our expectations are absurdly high, and when they aren’t met, we start playing the blame game. One of the most common backlashes of a losing season is a sudden misconception that our opinion on the team and what should be done is suddenly better than those who are in authority.
Without losers, there will obviously be no winners. We have to grasp the fact that sometimes, we just have to lose and La Salle can’t always come out on top. All that we can hope for are better results next time, because there’s really no point in crying over spilled milk. Pointing fingers and demanding heads to roll won’t make it better and the negativity takes a toll on everyone, even the players. Could you imagine stepping on the free throw line in front of thousands of people, horrified because of how much criticism a missed shot will bring about? The pressure of shooting two free throws in front of a sold out arena is already immense, but the negative fear that we instill with our harsh words makes it infinitely more petrifying. The same rings true for the coaches, and the criticism only compounds the pressure of an already difficult job.
Maybe the reason for the tough times in the recent years isn’t just because of those directly affiliated with the team. Constructive criticism will always be beneficial if put the right way, but if it comes tactlessly in truckloads, we put too much pressure on the coaches and the players and they become mangled by expectations. Whether we finish as champions or cellar dwellers this season, we have to stand behind our team and keep on egging them on instead of just putting them down.
Optimism and a positive attitude go a long way and at this tumultuous point in time, it can provide the team with the extra push that they need. The next time we’re down by ten points, don’t stop cheering, but instead, scream your lungs out and let the boys know that you’ve got their back. Don’t walk away from the arena until the final buzzer and sing the alma mater with pride – whether we win or lose. A little encouragement goes a long way, more than you could imagine, and you’ll never know, we might just reap the rewards come October.
