Even the smallest of gestures can make the biggest of impacts.
This is the effect a simple team dinner had on San Sebastian head coach John Kallos and the rest of the Golden Stags, as they went on to claim victory on Sunday against a surging Emilio Aguinaldo College side, 86-70.
Prior to this, the Stags lost three out of their last four games.
According to the 40-year-old tactician, this small get-together they had last Saturday evening really helped his squad trust in each other even more.
"Nag set-up kami ng dinner with Father Virgil Paredes and the whole team was there. We talked a lot kung ano yung mga differences. We tried to help each other and give each other the trust; yun yung pinagusapan namin."
"Matimtiman talaga yung team dinner namin last night. Sabihin na lang talaga natin na sobrang importante…yung speech ng bawa’t isa, si Father Virgil, ako, and the rest of the team was very important for us. And siguro dun very inspired yung mga bata," added Kallos.
("We set up a dinner with Father Virgil Paredes and the whole team was there. We talked a lot about our differences. We tried to help each other and give each other the trust; that's what we talked about... The team dinner last night was honest. Let's just say that it was really important... the speeches made by everyone, Fr. Virgil, myself, and the rest of the team was very important for us. And I guess that's why the players were very inspired.")
Seemingly rejuvenated in their contest against the Generals, San Sebastian looked like a well-oiled machine on the court. The Golden Stags’ first five set the pace before finishing 45 overall points while the bench also did not let up, outscoring the EAC supporting cast, 41-31.
Again, Kallos attributed this new sense of camaraderie and communication to the team dinner.
"Nawala yung mga barriers, nawala rin yung superiority. Wala na ngayon na superior. It’s all about us now. It’s not about me anymore, it’s about all of us."
("The barriers are gone, the superiority is gone. There is no one superior. It's all about us now. It's not about me anymore, it's about all of us.")
Now at the tail-end of the first round, Kallos hopes they can end on a high note as they face defending champions Letran next.
To do this, the Golden Stags mentor reasserted the value of trust and how it will help them in their goal of attaining a Final Four spot.
"Napakalaking bagay na magtiwala kami sa isa’t isa. Because alam niyo naman, kahit sa anong bagay, ang importante ay magtitiwala ka. You cannot do something kung walang tiwala yung mga nasa paligid mo. So pag nagtiwala kami sa core namin, sa pamilya namin, mas marami magtitiwala sa amin."
"Win or lose, nasa likod niya ako at nasa likod ko siya. Alam nila yun. Kung sumablay sila, nasa likod namin ang bawa’t isa. Yun yung importante."
("It's such a big thing for us to trust in each other. Because as you know, in anything, it's important to have trust. You cannot do something if you can't trust the people around you. So if we trust in our core, our family, more people will trust us also... Win or lose, they're behind me and I'm behind them. They know it. Even if they fail, everyone is behind each other. That's what's important.")
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
