“I don’t know anything that builds the will to win better than competitive sports” – Richard M. Nixon, 37th US President

Back when I was a child (during weekends), I would wake up early and race with my friends to whoever comes first to our neighborhood’s tennis court. The reason – the first three kids to arrive would become ball boys/girls for the entire day’s match. In return, the players would compensate us for our service. We would sum it up and divide the amount equally between the three of us. After every set, I would borrow the player’s racket and play with my fellow ball boys/girls. And that’s when I learned how to hit a ball or two.

I can still recall how I used to argue with my fellow ball-kids over who could get the larger share of the amount. (Kids really, we argued a lot.) After every game though, we still ended up as friends. We would even rush to the nearby store and buy ourselves snacks. I guess that’s really the best thing about being kids – they argue a lot, some get bullied, but at the end of the day, they still end up being friends. Kids are just so forgiving.

And then I grew older, and adolescence kicked in, so I stopped doing the things I used to do. (Well, you know, I am the only girl in that neighborhood who picks up balls for the players; eventually, it was awkward to run around the court.) And then there’s high school – I got tangled up with other sports (Basketball, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Karate, etc.).

College finally came and I became interested in lawn tennis once more (who wouldn’t, when the tennis court was just outside our classroom). For the entire 5 years of my college life, I spent 1/4 of it playing tennis. Even when it was 12 noon and the sun was at its peak, my classmates and I would play for hours. I played for the engineering department during intramurals, and I was so blessed to be coached by my mentor and one of my college instructors. We saw him as our second father when we were out-of-town playing and representing the school. He has been very supportive and understanding when it comes to practice and actual matches. Even when I performed poorly during the match, he always kept my spirits up. It was amazing how much faith he had in me, in our team, and in our ability.

On my fourth year as an engineering student, our team qualified to play for the regional held in Bohol. It was kind of a big deal since it was our first time to play and represent the school. Although we didn’t win that time, I hold much pride for what we achieved that year. I thought that would be the highlight of my college days’ tennis career, a year after I proved myself wrong.

On my last year as an engineering student and a senior tennis player, our team qualified for the nationals. It was a pretty awesome year for me. My college days are almost over and everything’s falling into its proper place.

What’s great about the Nationals was that I had a week off from school and I was exempted from my exams. Not to mention, the team had to travel by plane to Manila for the competition. The Nationals took place in Ilagan, Isabela, Philippines – it is located on the rightmost part of the Northern Luzon, facing the Pacific Ocean. To get there, we had to travel 12 straight hours by bus from Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. The longest bus ride I ever had in my entire life, but never did I feel bored. I was captivated by the mountain view; seeing the Sierra Madre Mountains in person was breathtaking (best bus ride ever).

The highlight of the Nationals, I must say, was the experience: traveling to a completely unfamiliar place, the people I met, and the bonding. I made a lot of new friends, and although the Region 7 delegates were composed of students from different universities in Central Visayas, we showed a great deal of teamwork and camaraderie. And that’s not all – I also made a lot of friends from delegates of other regions. Although my team didn’t win during our matches, the experience was still worth it. We didn’t win any medals, but we took home an award no one can take away from us – Memories… And oh, when I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, I was awarded “Athlete of the Year”. What an awesome way to put an end to my college life.

Three years later, I am still in contact with those people I met during the Nationals. I know we’ll see each other again sooner or later.

Special shout-out to: Ton2, Stephanie, Rem Pasaol, Leonor, Roxanne, Aileen, Anjalieca Tan, Reyshell Alayacyac, Sir Edgardo Ceniza Sr., to the players from Bohol (BISU) and CNU, and all the people I failed to mention. Thank you so much for the memories!!

Loren Adong
Beah Tiwaken

_February 21-26, 2011_
2011 National SCUAA Meet