Tennisters fall short at PCA, look ahead to UAAP

With the second round of UAAP Season 78 fast approaching, the DLSU Lawn Tennis team continued their preparations by joining the annual Philippine Columbian Association (PCA) Open last October 5 to 9.

The Green Tennisters Team A won their first two matches against UP-B and Mapua, but lost to UP-A in the semifinals of the tournament. Meanwhile, the Lady Tennisters beat UP but were not able to overcome UST, and were thus unable to advance to the semifinals. The Green Tennisters Team B could not come up with a win as they lost to UP-A and NU in the group stages.

Against stiff competition, the team was not able to reach its full potential. However, there were other factors going against them. Team captain Kyle Parpan argued, “PCA isn’t formatted the same way as the other leagues like let’s say, the UAAP. Here, all matches are doubles matches, so some players who have little or no experience in playing a doubles match had a hard time adjusting.”

Also, for the first time, the tournament implemented a French Open style of play, as the games were held on a clay surface. There are not many clay courts around Metro Manila, so getting time to practice on one would be a challenge. Parpan, though, knows that in sports, there are no excuses.

“Tennis is a game of immediate adjustments and we were not just able to adjust [right away], which is why we didn’t finish the tournament on a high note,” he said. “The team knows it did not play well in the tournament. It did not reach the high goal it set for itself, [which was winning] the championship. For us, however, it is only more motivation for us to win the year’s main tournament, [which is the] UAAP.”

There are a few silver linings, though. Many of the team’s promising rookies were given the chance to represent La Salle for the first time: Jonah Cano and Betto Orendain of Team A and King Golfo, Paulo Martin, Rey Mayo, and JR Arguelles of Team B.

“It feels pretty surreal to be given the opportunity to represent the school that I have always dreamed of going to,” Orendain, who saw representing DLSU as a dream come true, said. “It is very rare to be given that chance because of the tight competition in slots among athletes.”

He knows, however, that now, he no longer plays for himself, but for the entire Lasallian community. “Wearing the green shirt boosted my confidence. It reminded me that I no longer play for myself but for the school and thus motivating me to perform better,” he added.

No team is perfect and from their perspective, the PCA was able to help the team identify their weaknesses. Fortunately for them, they still have time to improve and get better. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect and perfection is what is needed for the team to win the UAAP championship.

“We were able to identify our errors and shortcomings,” the team captain explained. “This has provided us several pointers on which areas to focus on during our trainings.”

From Orendain’s perspective, the solution is easy: listen to the coaches. Development may be manifested by the players, but coaches play a big role in this, as well. Hard work from both sides is the only way the team can get to the top.

“I think we [the team] just need to follow the plan our coaches laid out for us,” he said. “Our training schedules are well planned such that we will be ready for the UAAP season.”

Failure encourages and inspires people to go the extra mile to get what they want. For Parpan, coming up short only motivates him, and the team, that much more. “This disappointing finish made us hungrier,” he stressed. “Hungrier to play, hungrier to get better, hungrier to get back on top.