It’s no secret that when rivals San Beda University and Colegio de San Juan de Letran go up against each other, emotions run high not only for the rabid fans but also for the players themselves.
And for Red Lions team manager Jude Roque and Knights head coach Bonnie Tan, keeping their players’ cool during their heated games is a must so as not to lose their focus on what’s important: winning.
“We always remind the players before the game, especially when the games are intense, to stay focused on the game since there are also a lot of kids watching us,” Tan, whose wards snared the Season 95 title, said on 'Rise Up Stronger: The Road to NCAA Season 96'.
Roque agreed, saying: “I absolutely agree with coach Bonnie because apart from wanting your players to focus on the game, when they get emotional, your game plans would also be compromised.”
For the past decade, no team has won the NCAA title except for San Beda and Letran.
From 2010 to 2014, the Red Lions were sitting on the throne until the Knights dethroned them in 2015. But the crown went back to San Beda the following year and until 2018, before Letran snared it again in 2019.
That’s why for these officials, it’s just understandable for the players to feel extra pressure when sharing the court; however, they asserted that getting emotional would only do harm.
“As much as they can control their emotion, the better and we just remind them to always be focused on the game,” Roque added.
Meanwhile, both Roque and Tan beamed with excitement over the looming restart of the season and bared their respective teams are continuous with their training.
“Communication with the players is important so that at least the new players will already get involved and there’s already a camaraderie,” shared Tan.
“It's very difficult for us because it has been more than a year that we haven't really seen each other. The players are in their homes, they're just attending their online classes. Whatever plans that we had right after the loss in the finals in 2019, were washed away.”
Watch GMA Synergy's 'Rise Up Stronger: The Road to NCAA Season 96' every weekday (2:45 p.m.), Saturdays (4:30 p.m.), and Sundays (5:05 p.m.) on GTV.
—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA News
