A Saturday Special. Football is a rich man's sport. In order to play football, we need a lot of equipment, special training, and a huge space to play in. None of which are easily available in the Philippines.
If you're one of those who thinks that football isn't our sport because of the above reasons, then you don't know diddly-squat about football. But I'm not here to bash. I'm here to educate. There's plenty of reasons to love it, and you might just find yours. Find out what makes football simple, yet complex.
I was just scrolling through Facebook the other day, looking for the latest stuff in football, like the football fan that I am.
But among all of the things I read, transfer rumors, match results, updates on when local football resumes, there was one post that really got my attention. It even struck a nerve. Someone posted that we, the Philippines, should stop the idea of playing football here.
I've heard of this reasoning from many, and I mean many, Filipinos saying a lot of things from the lack of space to play, to the lack of attention that it receives. I mean, I even got the very famous 'football is boring' reasoning. If you believe football is boring, might I suggest you read this before you continue reading this write up.
No. All you need is a ball.
It's as simple as that. A ball, the floor, the grass, the road. You don't even need shoes. Don't believe me?
You don't need hoops, you don't need nets. You just need a ball, and an open mind.
You don't need skills, unless you're into competition. You can have a kick-about just about anywhere, with anyone, even on your own. You can even play against walls.
Football is not, and I repeat IS NOT, a rich man's game. If you're in it for the fancy kits (or jerseys, if you're a hoop-head), the boots, and the academies, then yes, it will cost you just as much as your basketball camps or schools.
So if your argument is that football costs more, I beg to differ. I could just get my kid a ball and have him play with his friends on the street, that's just as good enough as having your kid play in the local court for a 5v5. And I don't need to fix a hoop for them to score on.
If you feel that the Philippines shouldn't focus on football just because it isn't as accessible, then make it accessible. Teach kids how to play in the streets, show them how to play in the courts. Our basketball courts can be just as good as a playing ground for them like as the Pinoy ballers. Why build "multi" purpose courts if only basketball is played in it. Why not share it like this?
To be honest, the sport can be just as loved as basketball, volleyball and boxing. We just need to give our support to any effort, big or small, being made to progress the sport. Dismissing the sport as something that Filipinos shouldn't bother with is one quick way of denying yourself, and others, something magical.
WE ARE BUILT FOR THIS. Our small bodies, when trained, can be made very agile. You've seen this on the hard court. But have you seen this on a football field?
He's our very own Chieffy Caligdong, one of the little driving forces behind the Philippine's lethal attacks. A fellow Ilonggo and arguably one of the greatest Filipino footballers of the modern era. Retired, but never forgotten.
But he's not the only homegrown that can play hard. One of the products of our nation's grassroots, Jarvey Gayoso and dubbed as the King Eagle, can give defenders a run for their money.
After speaking to him in a recent episode of #EatSleepBreatheFootball, we could tell right away that he has this confident and mature demeanor, a cool head, and a good grasp of reality.
He's built like your average Pinoy athlete, not too tall, really quick, and has a lot of heart in his game. He's on one end of the pitch in one minute, then he's on the other end a few seconds after.
Young guns like Jarvey gives me confidence in the future of Philippine Football. Knowing that the next generation is already this far ahead compared to their predecessors, I know that they have plenty of potential to push the Philippines even further along the tide of history.
So you better think twice when saying that Filipinos shouldn't bother with football anymore. Just because you didn't give football a chance doesn't mean that others shouldn't.
I say we have more potential than our neighbors. We're already keeping up with the big guns despite the lack of infrastructure, support, and opportunities for our Pinoy footballers. We can.
Imagine what we can do if we were able to match the environment our fellow ASEAN giants are already enjoying.
And we can give this to them. If you just keep supporting. We believe.
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