| Cebuanas catch on to football |
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| Monday, 09 October 2006 | |
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AT 17, Danica Tan is every inch a lady. But bring her to a football match and she’ll break some of mankind’s best-held gender-related assumptions. “We were trained to play like boys,” said the fullback of the University of San Carlos Ladies Football Team in an interview. “We are taught how to be tough for our own benefit in the field,” she said. Football is the world’s most popular sport and is gaining ground in the local scene. In Cebu, matches are held on a weekly basis. Tournaments like the Thirsty Cup, Mizuno Cup and Aboitiz Cup are among the most prestigious. Together with the emergence of various football clubs come the creation of ladies teams. Three years Danica has been into football for nearly three years. She started with soccerbaseball in high school. It’s tough, she admits, but enjoyable. Maureen Bejoc, also 17 and the team goalie, has been playing for about the same length of time. When the two ladies were asked if there were any descrimination from the guys in their sport, both of them said no. “They were kind enough to teach us some drills. In that way, I am also challenged to reach to their level,” Maureen said. Gary Panagsagan, 25, has the interesting job of coaching the USC Ladies Varsity Team. And while he feels that coaching girls require him to take a different approach than coaching a boys’ squad, he expects, and often gets, the same intensity of play. Different “You cannot yell at them immediately. Their drills are lighter but at the same time training them to be as tough as the guys. You have to have a lot of patience. It’s hard but it’s also fun and challenging to train these ladies.” Cebuana players are aggressive and very eager to learn, says Panagsagan. Danica’s motivation in every game is helping the team. “If one of us is dysfunctional, our team won’t work and we can’t achieve our goal,” says Danica. For Maureen, it’s about winning and improving her game. “You cannot get everything in a snap. Self-discipline and determination would also go with it,” she said. Courtesy of Sun Star Cebu By Renee Rolette C. Tan STC Mass Communications Student |
