The victory of Ateneo over La Salle in the UAAP Season 76 womens volleyball finals was very inspiring. The Lady Eagles secret to winning? Have fun playing! This is what my percussion mentor always tells me whenever I have lessons with him. In order for me to interpret every detail of the pieces correctly, he consistently reminds me to enjoy what Im playing and keep this disposition whether I play for an exam, competition, or concert. During the final round of last years NAMCYA, my mentor was out of the country on the semestral break. A pianist who is part of the directors of the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth took over for the meantime, and he gave me that very same advice, along with being faithful to the score. So when I got on stage on the day of the finals, I played my pieces not to impress anyone in particular, but just for the fun of it. (Most of the pieces for this competition were what I played during my childhood, and what I chose for the finals was something Gilbert Asuque, my college idol, played during his mid-college years. I used these facts to pump me up, and also imagined my finals piece being used instead of the Shostakovitch piece for the full-cast routine in the recital of Chaya Baris and Sarah Samaniego, despite the fact that both pieces are contemporary, and come in a fast-slow-fast movement format, just to boost my spirits.) In the end, I nabbed the top prize, all by the grace of my Lord. The Ateneo womens volleyball team may not have always been able to understand their head coach from Thailand (although team captain Alyssa Valdez gets to interpret), but ever since the stepladder round of the tournament, he points out important keys to a strong finish: keep a heart-strong attitude and play happily. Thats what made them beat the teams that were above them in the elimination standings, NU twice and La Salle thrice. I didnt know who to cheer for during the finals, but congratulations to the Lady Eagles for taking home their first ever UAAP season 76 volleyball crown, thanks to their joyful playing! I loved seeing the banner in their campus. I hope this continues to be their playing tactic, and I pray that we all keep tapping into our passions with cheerful hearts, always making sure to fix our faith in Jesus and give Him all the glory He deserves for giving us our respective gifts. ^_^
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 11:21:44 +0000
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