Monday, August 6, 2012
MANILA-based Green Archers Globe Football Club conducted a football clinic last Saturday at Don Bosco Technical Institute, Victorias City as part of its outreach program.
Monchu Gracia, club manager and CEO of Orient freight, said “The Don Bosco clinic is the second leg of our ‘Personal Development through Sport Development’ program in partnership with Globe Telecom and Orient Freight International. Last Thursday we conducted a clinic for kids in Lapaz, Iloilo and played a friendly game with Central Philippine University (CPU) on Friday (August 3). On August 5 we will be off to San Carlos City for another clinic and another friendly game with San Carlos booters.”
“Football is life. That’s what we want to impart to kids. We want to teach them the right attitude in life thru football. We want them to learn that how they play in the field reflects how they will eventually live their lives,” Garcia explained.
The Green Archers donated more than 50 balls: 26 Molten footballs in Don Bosco, another 26 balls were given to Lapaz Foorball Club, and some balls received by San Carlos City.
Giving back to our roots
The program is the Green Archers and Globe Telecom’s way of giving back to the kids what blessings they enjoy from football. The venues of the clinics were specifically selected with the “giving back” theme in mind.
Lapaz, Iloilo is the hometown of Green Archers’ head coach Rodolfo Alicante, while Don Bosco-Victorias is where assistant coach Franklin Muescan honed his football skills. San Carlos City is the home of seven Green Archers.
Lapaz, Iloilo is the hometown of Green Archers’ head coach Rodolfo Alicante, while Don Bosco-Victorias is where assistant coach Franklin Muescan honed his football skills. San Carlos City is the home of seven Green Archers.
“I thought that the friendlies will be the highlight of this outreach program for our players. I am happy to learn that the players have taken warmly to the clinic. After the clinic, they talk about the kids and how they enjoy being with them. The players even remember the names of some kids in the clinic in their conversations,” Garcia beamed.
Upon their return to Manila, the Green Archers will also conduct a football clinic at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa for the kids of prison inmates.
Garcia disclosed that, with the Muntinlupa clinic, he aims to give his players a glimpse of how the poor kids at the penitentiary live.
“It works both ways. Our players will see how the kids of inmates live while the kids can also be inspired by our players that the kids, too, can improve their lots in life through football,” Garcia explained.
Star Team
Interestingly, the Green Archers rooster does not boast of big name players like the other teams in the United Football League where the club competes in the first division. It was at the lower half of the ladder in the recently concluded UFL campaign but the club is eyeing a strong finish in the upcoming UFL league slated to open on September 19.
Garcia shared the philosophy of the Green Archers and Globe Telecom for the club.
“We want to build a star team, not a team of stars. Moreover, we want to build a team with local players at its core,” he said.
He was not discouraged at all by the team’s dismal showing in its recent UFL campaign. The club will build on its strengths and continue with its developmental program to make the team more competitive with each tournament, according to Garcia.
Hans Smit, the technical director of De La Salle University who organized the club about thirteen years ago before it was eventually christened as Green Archers United FC in 2009, was also very optimistic on the club’s future.
“We have Coach Dolfo (Rodolfo Alicante) whose specialty is possession football and we have Coach Frank (Franklin Muescan) who strategizes on incursions and goal delivery. We also have one of the best goalkeeping coaches in Coach Lolong (Florante Valencia),” Smit revealed.
While we were near the cellar during the past UFL Cup, we lost in very competitive, tightly fought fashion. It was never by a blow-out when we lost, added Smit.
True enough, during the friendly against Ceres FC at the North pitch last Saturday, the Green Archers displayed their sting by humbling the local booters, 3-0. With precise passing and disciplined offense, Green Archers blasted Ceres behind the goals of Reynald Villareal, Gabriel Olowoyeye and Ayi Nii Aryee.
True enough, during the friendly against Ceres FC at the North pitch last Saturday, the Green Archers displayed their sting by humbling the local booters, 3-0. With precise passing and disciplined offense, Green Archers blasted Ceres behind the goals of Reynald Villareal, Gabriel Olowoyeye and Ayi Nii Aryee.
Published in the Sun.Star Bacolod newspaper on August 06, 2012.
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