If you build it, they will come...
This famous line in the 1980's movie Field of Dreams (by Kevin Costner) in a nutshell has been the mantra and the vision of the leaders of National University since they took over the reins of the school back in 2008. In a few hours, the National University Bulldogs Men's Basketball team will have the opportunity to end the longest title drought in all of college basketball. Sixty years to be exact, since NU last won the men's basketball crown in the UAAP, and it would be a historic moment if the Bulldogs' defense and intensity (and a little bit of luck) can hold up for another tense, and emotion-filled game at the Araneta Coliseum this afternoon. But rather than delve into the x's and o's of the game, I would look at this game from a different perspective. Instead of the match-ups and stats, I will try to look at the "bigger picture" so to speak. At the heart of it all, people may say that "It's only a game". Indeed, it is only a game to some, but on the broad and young shoulders of the five who will take the floor rides the hopes and dreams of an almost forgotten community.
UAAP whipping boys
Much has been said about the resurgence of the sports program of National University when the Sy family took over the ownership of the school back in 2008. Some would say it has been a 'meteoric' rise from the ashes for the laughing stock, or whipping boys of the UAAP wars for the most part of the last three decades. Since I became part of the league both as a fan and as a player back in high school for the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, playing against NU would be considered an 'automatic victory' for your squad. There would be some seasons in Basketball, Baseball and Chess that the Bulldogs would be somewhat competitive, but would always fall short in the end. All that would change early in 2008 when the Sy family (not the SM group of companies) bought majority ownership of the school just when the school was about as close to running aground (in every sense of the word). Parts of the Main Building of the school had burned down a few years back, and the student population was down to about a thousand. The rescue from the Sy family couldn't have come at a better time.
The vision
When the Sy family took over, they thought of ways to uplift the image and market the school at the same time. Existing sports programs got a major boost with improved facilities for training and equipment among others, while new programs were started such as the Men's and Women's Lawn Tennis teams. I was brought in to start the tennis program in 2011 and we have been very fortunate to have been successful in such a short span of time (winning the Men's division in Season 75 and 76, as well as the Women's title in Season 76). Other teams like Baseball (Season 74), Beach Volleyball (Season 75 and 76), Men's Volleyball (Season 75 and 76) and most recently Women's Basketball (Season 77) have also claimed the crown for the school in the Seniors Division. The success of these programs have inspired the others to do the same, and as the famous John Wooden would say; "Winning breeds winning". But since that first title of Baseball in Season 74, and the numerous titles that followed, something was still missing.
The NU Community
Title after title came to the school in UAAP and other collegiate competitions. The first time the Cheerdance team won in Season 76, there were hardly any supporters from NU in the arena to witness their triumph. Basketball, Volleyball and other televised events would often have near empty seats in the NU section. Maybe all the losing seasons made the students and alumni stop caring for the school and the teams involved. Even when you see them in the arenas watching, their passion and energy in cheering for the school paled in comparison to the other school's rabid fans who would scream and shout their lungs out just to lift their teams' spirits. Even when they secured a top-seed heading into the Final 4 of Season 76, you just couldn't 'feel' the crowd was into their Bulldogs. Maybe I was just spoiled from the passionate UST fans that would troop to the venues and cheer proudly for their alma mater, win or lose. Even during basketball games early in Season 77, you would see an improvement in attendance, but the "passion" was still lacking in the fans. Maybe it was that nervousness as two of the squads top players Ray Parks and Jean Mbe were no longer around, and students, fans and alumni were fearing for the worst, that NU would go back to the bottom of the standings.
The Underdogs
Believe it or not, the basketball squad had been tagged as pre-season favourites for the past 2 seasons. Maybe because of Ray Parks, but it probably didn't fit well with the fans and alumni, let alone for the team itself. But this year, nobody expected the Bulldogs would contend in the pre-season, and it might have been for the best for the team and the community. playing under the radar and with no undue expectations. As the team played one do-or-die game after another, current and former students started to identify themselves with the team. They now had a genuine affiliation with the team, and more pride with their school. For more than six years, the Sy family, led by Mr. Hans, with NU officials Mr. Teddy and Nilo Ocampo, Mr. RJ Ermita, Mr. Junel Baculi, and all the supporters of the school and teams have tirelessly rallied around the community. Today, winning the championship will just be the icing on the cake. The visionaries of the "new" National University have already won. They have realized their dream, as the community will rally behind them. And going back to that famous line in the movie... "IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME".
This famous line in the 1980's movie Field of Dreams (by Kevin Costner) in a nutshell has been the mantra and the vision of the leaders of National University since they took over the reins of the school back in 2008. In a few hours, the National University Bulldogs Men's Basketball team will have the opportunity to end the longest title drought in all of college basketball. Sixty years to be exact, since NU last won the men's basketball crown in the UAAP, and it would be a historic moment if the Bulldogs' defense and intensity (and a little bit of luck) can hold up for another tense, and emotion-filled game at the Araneta Coliseum this afternoon. But rather than delve into the x's and o's of the game, I would look at this game from a different perspective. Instead of the match-ups and stats, I will try to look at the "bigger picture" so to speak. At the heart of it all, people may say that "It's only a game". Indeed, it is only a game to some, but on the broad and young shoulders of the five who will take the floor rides the hopes and dreams of an almost forgotten community.
UAAP whipping boys
Much has been said about the resurgence of the sports program of National University when the Sy family took over the ownership of the school back in 2008. Some would say it has been a 'meteoric' rise from the ashes for the laughing stock, or whipping boys of the UAAP wars for the most part of the last three decades. Since I became part of the league both as a fan and as a player back in high school for the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, playing against NU would be considered an 'automatic victory' for your squad. There would be some seasons in Basketball, Baseball and Chess that the Bulldogs would be somewhat competitive, but would always fall short in the end. All that would change early in 2008 when the Sy family (not the SM group of companies) bought majority ownership of the school just when the school was about as close to running aground (in every sense of the word). Parts of the Main Building of the school had burned down a few years back, and the student population was down to about a thousand. The rescue from the Sy family couldn't have come at a better time.
The vision
When the Sy family took over, they thought of ways to uplift the image and market the school at the same time. Existing sports programs got a major boost with improved facilities for training and equipment among others, while new programs were started such as the Men's and Women's Lawn Tennis teams. I was brought in to start the tennis program in 2011 and we have been very fortunate to have been successful in such a short span of time (winning the Men's division in Season 75 and 76, as well as the Women's title in Season 76). Other teams like Baseball (Season 74), Beach Volleyball (Season 75 and 76), Men's Volleyball (Season 75 and 76) and most recently Women's Basketball (Season 77) have also claimed the crown for the school in the Seniors Division. The success of these programs have inspired the others to do the same, and as the famous John Wooden would say; "Winning breeds winning". But since that first title of Baseball in Season 74, and the numerous titles that followed, something was still missing.
The NU Community
Title after title came to the school in UAAP and other collegiate competitions. The first time the Cheerdance team won in Season 76, there were hardly any supporters from NU in the arena to witness their triumph. Basketball, Volleyball and other televised events would often have near empty seats in the NU section. Maybe all the losing seasons made the students and alumni stop caring for the school and the teams involved. Even when you see them in the arenas watching, their passion and energy in cheering for the school paled in comparison to the other school's rabid fans who would scream and shout their lungs out just to lift their teams' spirits. Even when they secured a top-seed heading into the Final 4 of Season 76, you just couldn't 'feel' the crowd was into their Bulldogs. Maybe I was just spoiled from the passionate UST fans that would troop to the venues and cheer proudly for their alma mater, win or lose. Even during basketball games early in Season 77, you would see an improvement in attendance, but the "passion" was still lacking in the fans. Maybe it was that nervousness as two of the squads top players Ray Parks and Jean Mbe were no longer around, and students, fans and alumni were fearing for the worst, that NU would go back to the bottom of the standings.
The Underdogs
Believe it or not, the basketball squad had been tagged as pre-season favourites for the past 2 seasons. Maybe because of Ray Parks, but it probably didn't fit well with the fans and alumni, let alone for the team itself. But this year, nobody expected the Bulldogs would contend in the pre-season, and it might have been for the best for the team and the community. playing under the radar and with no undue expectations. As the team played one do-or-die game after another, current and former students started to identify themselves with the team. They now had a genuine affiliation with the team, and more pride with their school. For more than six years, the Sy family, led by Mr. Hans, with NU officials Mr. Teddy and Nilo Ocampo, Mr. RJ Ermita, Mr. Junel Baculi, and all the supporters of the school and teams have tirelessly rallied around the community. Today, winning the championship will just be the icing on the cake. The visionaries of the "new" National University have already won. They have realized their dream, as the community will rally behind them. And going back to that famous line in the movie... "IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME".
