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THEIR
only championship of 1978 under Hector Calma was so long
ago for many it might as well have been nonexistent.
Some may remember those steady shooting days of Louie
Alas and when Joey Valdez was their top flight center.
Some may recall those slam-dunking and high-flying years
of Kenneth Duremdes, Marlou Aquino and EJ Feihl. Yes,
Adamson alumni remember that for they’d rather forget
those years of utter mortification when they went
winless for a hundred years. Well, it was actually two
straight years, but if you ask the players on those
squads, it could have very well been a hundred years. “Ramdam
na ramdam ng school ’yung mga pagkatalo at
pagiging second class team sa UAAP,”
recounted athletic director Roel de la Rosa. “Masakit
para sa lahat.”
Until
2006, when Leo Austria strode into San Marcelino Street
and picked up a disillusioned and fractured Falcons
squad. Austria’s pro squad, the Shell Turbochargers, had
just disbanded and he was waiting for Welcoat to move up
to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) so he
could take over. With the Philippine Basketball League
team unable to move up right away, the former PBA Rookie
of the Year found himself with some free time. An in-law
of his, who is an official with Adamson, sought his help
in conducting a search for a new basketball coach. But
the search had turned up empty and, in a moment that
changed the fortunes of the school and its basketball
program, they asked Austria if he would like the job
himself. The coach mulled it over, with one of the key
stipulations to keep the core of its dysfunctional team
intact.
The
team’s center, Ken Bono, was largely inconsistent. Large
is a double-edged term, for even had he not resembled
the Pillsbury Doughboy, he was cannon-fodder for the
college game’s big men. Bono was mostly benched under
Luigi Trillo, a good-intentioned coach who was
ill-equipped for the college game and Mel Alas his
replacement in 2005. Bono, battling weight problems, was
told to keep his heft to a certain minimum. If he was
unable to do so, the team was to have two practices in
one day. It all coalesced in one moment when the team’s
star forward Mark Abadia, long having kept his temper in
check, took a swing at the center. The team was somewhat
peaceful after that incident, but the embers of
discontent remained. And after the UAAP’s Season 68, the
Adamson center was left to ponder his future. It was
either play another year or move to the United States.
But he was not alone. Quite a few others had enough of
the losing and the fractious atmosphere of the team.
The
latter of which was largely unknown to the general
public.
The
Falcons were decaying with four different factions
within the team. They were divided by region, their
order of recruitment and perceived status within the
pecking order. The ironic thing was some walked like
kings when they only had a losing record to show.
It was
more evident on the floor when they refused to pass the
ball to one another. Off the court, they communicated
with their fists and with whatever weapons they could
get their hands on. It was gang warfare in a small
locality and their proximity created sparks. And the
losing didn’t help as they fought during practice and in
the school’s hallways that tested the school’s
patience.
Like
another former Rookie of the Year in the Boston Celtics’
Larry Joe Bird, people were surprised that Austria had
the chops to coach. In fact, it calls to mind a similar
incident thousands of miles away when Arsenal coach
Arsene Wenger, after a Premiership title and an FA Cup
win for the Gunners, was in Amsterdam to watch the
Champions League Finals between Juventus and Real
Madrid. At the hotel while checking in, the Frenchman
was filling out a form when he listed under
“occupation,” the words “miracle worker.” And he was,
for he broke Manchester United’s stranglehold on the
Premiership and won a whole lot more for the London club
for considerably less money.
When
Adamson students talk about their hardcourt heroes
today, they’ll mention Bono, Abadia, Hugnatan and
Patrick Cabahug, among others, but it is their coach who
brought them back to respectability. “He is like a
savior to us,” described de la Rosa, who took over the
position two years ago. “He has brought back pride to
Adamson.”
Coaching
collegiate basketball is an altogether different animal
from the pro game. The coach has to put on several
hats—basketball instructor, teacher, guidance counselor
and father. Many aren’t ready for that because most
coaches only know one thing—basketball.
Austria
doesn’t claim to be an expert in all areas but he does
know his stuff and his pedigree created instant respect
among the players. “Excited at inspired kami
maglaro noon,” recalled Leo Canuday, who is
recuperating from an injury that has kept him out of the
lineup. “Hindi naman sa hindi marunong ’yung mga
dating coaches, pero iba rin ‘yung meron
experience.”
Having
prevented an exodus of the team’s core, Austria
subjected them to a series of tests regarding attitude
and their fighting heart, one of which was jogging as a
team initially from the campus along San Marcelino to
Roxas Boulevard, then later to Mall of Asia and,
eventually, Coastal Road. Even during such simple
endurance tests, the players would tease one another
mercilessly, especially those who would lag behind, and
a fight would ensue. “At one point during the season, I
wanted to quit,” confessed Austria. “Iniisip mo,
worth it ba ‘ito? Are you reaching ‘yung mga
bata? But you have to understand that basketball is
a means to move up para sa mga bata na ‘to. So agawan
minsan ‘yan sa bola. You have to teach them the true
meaning of team and team play.”
If one
were to look at the team at how they ran, the space
between one another provided a chilling glimpse into
their continental divide. During one tense practice,
Austria raised his voice at Hugnatan, who was picking a
fight with one player. The coach is a soft spoken man
but when he raises his voice, the effect is like
thunder, and it gets everyone’s attention. After a
while, the fighting stopped and they ran together like a
pack, or more appropriately, like a flock of Falcons. A
strong preseason raised everyone’s spirits considerably,
but Austria preached prudence and caution. The UAAP
tourney was the litmus test of their journey as a team.
“Ang
team lalaban pero sa huli itaas ang banderang kapos,”
explained the coach. The staff made it clear that there
would be no change overnight as everyone had to do their
part. They had to learn how to handle losses that should
be charged to experience. And when they began to win,
the coach had to explain to them how they were doing it
and how they should not only keep it up but handle it
magnanimously.
“Dati
mahirap kumuha ng panalo so pag nandyan i-treasure
mo,” said Hugnatan last season. “Gusto
magtrabaho lalo para tuluy-tuloy ’yung panalo.”
The
Soaring Falcons won its first-ever final four berth with
a 6-6 slate as Bono led the league in scoring with a
21.6 average en route to being named league MVP.
Attendance by the students soared. They no longer had to
be bussed or required to go to the games. They began to
purchase tickets on their own. In school, they wear
“Adamson” T-shirts and cheer lustily for their team with
its new stars like Jan Colina, Michael Galinato, Paul
Gonzalgo, Marc Agustin and Jerick Cañada. The alumni,
previously disenfranchised, have come back in droves to
watch the games. They talk of the team’s potential and
when they battled Ateneo de Manila in three classic
games that were decided by one point and with the final
shot.
“We may
have lost those games and got knocked out of the Final
Four,” said Austria. “But we won back our pride and
self-respect and that is more important than any
trophy.”
Post
script: In Austria’s absence in Season 70, Adamson
suffered from the loss of its stars and floundered.
Their two wins in 14 games were against an even more
hapless UP squad. With Austria’s return for the new
campaign and the long haul, there is renewed hope. And
when foes take to the court to battle them, there is now
respect. |
