Sonny Boy attends the grade school basketball varsity tryouts

Basketball is the country’s national past time. Everywhere you see some makeshift courts where kids and adults alike play from morning ‘til sundown, even to the late hours of the night. My kids are no different. Especially when school’s out, all the boys are either playing basketball with our small ring inside our driveway or in a neighbor’s house or in our street where there is a new court set up. Everyone has his own team in the collegiate level, the local pros and in the NBA. I’m a die-hard Celtics fan while my third son, Sonny Boy roots for the Nets. He used to be for the Timberwolves but I guess he thought the Kidd/Carter combination was more championship caliber.

At any rate, last June 9, I accompanied Sonny Boy to his school Mater Carmeli in Novaliches, Quezon City. He was trying out for the grade school’s varsity team in basketball. He was an incoming sixth grader this school year and since many schools in the country didn’t require a seventh grade, he was looking at high school next year. I believe this was a dream he really wanted to realize before leaving the primary level. Just last month he underwent summer camp in basketball in a nearby school sponsored by my mother-in-law. These series of tryouts would be a good indication whether his skills have substantially improved in the last month or so.

The practices didn’t start on time. Originally, I only planned to accompany him to the school and just allow him to go home on his own. Eventually I decided to just wait for him and observe the tryouts. Looking back, I’m glad I did.

When the coach finally started the tryouts, he instructed the boys to undergo a series of drills that showed their dribbling, passing and shooting skills. Later they were grouped for a whole court tryout game.

During the skirmish, Sonny Boy started to stand out. He made ten points (topped scoring for all players) from around 12 attempts (approx. 42% field goal percentage), 1 rebound, 1 block and 1 steal.

Of course, he still had areas to improve. I thought Sonny and the rest of the kids didn’t move the ball well enough, but that should improve through time. His defense was decent, although he wasn’t able to convert off his steal. He definitely could do more, especially when they come up with good transition plays.

Still, not bad for a budding basketball player. Not bad at all.

Last week, the verdict was out. After at least five tryout sessions, the coach had chosen the twelve boys who will hopefully continue the grades school winning tradition. Sonny made the cut.

It’s now official. Sonny Boy is the Mendoza family’s first varsity player in basketball!

I’m proud of you, son. May God continue to bless you and your whole basketball team!


P.S. Now if only by some great miracle Portland or Seattle would eventually trade Oden or Durant for Szczerbiak, Olowokandi, Scalabrine and a future draft pick of the Boston Celtics.

I'm a godfather!

I must be getting old.

There was a time when people asked me to be the godfather of their children in baptism or confirmation. Of course, fellow St. Mary’s College (SMC) alumni Mark Manipon and Sheila Pantino got me as one of their sponsors during their civil wedding in 2004.

This time, I was really asked to be one of the godfathers not for one but two couples in a mass church wedding held last May 26 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Church beside Claret School in UP Village, Quezon City.

I guess at the back of my mind, I’ve always had this (wrongful) image, notion and association that wedding godfathers had to be from the rich and famous AND meant that you were very old.

The loving couples who were joined in holy matrimony were Jack and Tess Canicon and Joseph and Roselyn Ental. Joseph and Roselyn were among the many residents of Botocan who lost their former homes in a recent fire. They live in a different part of the area now still trying to make ends meet. But Gawad Kalinga and the Couples for Christ community has given them renewed hope in life, facing challenges with support from brothers and sisters and more importantly, drawing strength from the Lord.

No, they are not my godchildren!

This lovely couple are North B5 - A Unit leaders Bro. Rhollie and Vicky Alino

10 couples had their church wedding that day -

9 of which came from GK Botocan

Bro. Jack and Sis Tess Canicon - one of the two couples that asked me to be their godfather

The wedding couples receive Holy Communion

Best wishes to the Canicon family!

The wedding reception was done at one of the church's function rooms

North B-5 leaders pose for posterity

I really don’t know why they chose me as one of their wedding godfathers. But I’m mighty glad and blessed that they did.

This picture with the Ental family was taken after a Kapitbahayan Membership Training (KBMT) talk I delivered last June 17. On the background is the area of GK Botocan.

Sheila Manipon visits the country!

Sheila (second from left) is back for a vacation from the Middle East

Sheila Manipon was back in town for a short vacation early this month of June. We had a mini-reunion with other friends last June 9 in the afternoon. Sheila invited us during the house blessing of several constructed apartment rooms at the back of the Manipon family’s old house in San Miguel Subd., Tandang Sora, Quezon City.

Present that day were Charisse Calingasan and Melanie Paggao, who I have not seen for a long time. I met for the first time other friends of Sheila like Leah Navarra-Lucero who came with husband Jojo, and perky Janeth Jose.

I wasn’t able to witness the actual blessing but was able to talk and catch up with what’s new in the lives of these SMC High School ’97 batchmates.

Sheila and husband Mark (who unfortunately could not come home at this time) are both alumni from St. Mary’s College. While we didn’t belong to the same batch, this couple at some point in time was active members of the SMC Alumni Foundation where we became good friends.

(From left to right) Sheila, Melai, me, Charisse, Janeth, Leah and Jojo

I was honored by the two when they chose me as one of their sponsors during their civil wedding at the Quezon City Hall of Justice, way back in 2004 before they left to work in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I know the couple has definite plans for their future. I wish Sheila and Mark well in their worthy endeavors. I hope that when the time comes, I will also be able to witness their forthcoming church wedding. By all indications, it’s a match made in Heaven! God bless them!