Above the Noise

Above the Noise

They may not hear the deafening cheers, but this basketball team still plays to win...
By ANGELO G. GARCIA
November 7, 2010, 10:37am

MANILA, Philippines – Communication is one of the most important aspects in a team sport like basketball. How the team players talk to one another, through both verbal and non-verbal cues, can make or break the game.

But what if all the players in the team are deaf?

The Philippine Institute for the Deaf (PID) believes that anything is possible with the deaf, including putting them in an all-deaf basketball team who goes up against regular, hearing players.

Coming from an oral school like PID, the 12-player team knows how to “speak’’ and lip read to be able to understand speaking and hearing people.

TEAM FIGHTERS

The team was formed by the PID staff in 2009 when the school realized that their students were lagging behind other special schools when it comes to sports. With the support of the parent-teacher association and other individuals, the school formed the SEM (Sergia Esguerra Memorial Foundation) Fighters.

PID assistant director and officer-in-charge Evelyn Cataga says they chose the players even without tryouts and just based the draft on the students’ potential.

The school’s staff then worked together to train the team composed of players from ages 16 to 20 years old. It was a seemingly impossible task then but this did not stop the school from pursuing their goal, which was to see their team compete against hearing players, and not just play exclusively with the deaf.

They also did not have an official coach yet so the team got most of the training from videos. The training staff would demonstrate first every move so the students could follow. “We showed them videos on how to play basketball,” Cataga shares. “We showed what they should do before playing like jogging and improvised practices, kami-kami na mismo, ipinapakita namin through the internet.’’

ON LOSING AND WINNING

The SEM Fighters have joined several competitions already, one of which was an inter-school league among regular schools. Since they were the only deaf players in the competition, the team’s mettle was put to a difficult test.

“In the tournament, kami lang ang deaf. Kulelat kami at nakita na hindi pa sila talagang magaling. Their endurance was also not strong because they could only practice on half a court,’’ Cataga recalls.

The dismal showing however didn’t deter the students from playing further. Last year, they joined the intramurals at Paco Catholic School, and armed with so much confidence, they actually won several games! “And it was a close fight that you could not say that the game was given to them because they were deaf. They tried their best to win the game,” Cataga proudly says.

Incoming coach Ron Colmenar helps the team regularly and checks the players’ progress. Colmenar even plans to train the SEM Fighters with his son’s teammates at the San Beda seniors basketball varsity team.

FOR LOVE OF THE GAME

Even before the team was created, the school was often visited by basketball greats like Alvin Patrimonio, Ronnie Magsanoc and Norman Black to teach the students the basics of basketball.

“I play because I love it,” says Michael Bulalacao, 17, SEM Fighters team captain and a fourth year high school student.

Michael can speak, hear through a hearing aid, and understand by lip-reading. He started playing when he was in Grade 6, learning from his idols in the NBA, namely Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. He has never been afraid to play against hearing players because he knows they can win.

Lance Jason Go, 17, also a senior high school student, has had a bad experience while playing but never thought of abandoning basketball.

“I got mad before when some players would push me. Sometimes I fought back. But that was before, not anymore,’’ shares the aspiring photographer. Lance plans to continue playing and hopefully play for De La Salle University in college.

On the other hand, Mico Miguel Raphael Chua sees no problem in playing with regular players. “In fact I want them to see us play. I invite them to watch us play basketball,” the 19-year-old senior says with pride.

Never mind that they do not hear much of the shouting and the cheering around them. The SEM Fighters stay focused on one another’s move and play. Through intensive practice, they have learned to be attuned to one another’s cues, adjust, and all work towards the same objective – a basketball goal, a victory, a win!

Article Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/286254/above-noise




Comments

Comment Guidelines: The SportsTG Network is made up of players, families and passionate sports followers like you who have a strong opinion about sport. That's great - we want you to have your say and share your thoughts with the world. However, we have a few rules that you must follow to keep it fun for all. Please don't be rude, abusive, swear or vilify others. Apart from some pretty serious sport sanctions, we also can ban you and report you if things get out of hand. So play fair and have fun, and thanks for your contribution.

Turn your favourite sports memories into

A FREE NFT!

Use code: GAMEDAY

GameDay Splash Screen