WANTED : STANDARD FOR EXCELLENCE

courtesy of m.spin.ph

After three straight defeats, LVPI team notches its first win against Nanjing University of China. Some LVPI supporters are celebrating the come-from-behind victory.

Is the celebration warranted ?

Definitely not.

The victory of LVPI team is actually an insult to LVPI and its team. LVPI officials and players can only manage to score a victory at the expense of a lowly university team.

The problem really is that we, as a nation, do not have a standard for excellence. We do not demand excellence from our teams that whatever victory our teams manage to score, no matter how insignificant, we celebrate and rejoice.

This is the reason why LVPI officials dare to present to us a team that was assembled at the airport. This is the reason why LVPI officials dare to send a team where players hardly know each other. This is the reason why LVPI officials  dare to represent the country with a team that did not practice even once for the tournament.

LVPI officials cultivate a culture of mediocrity among Filipinos that dangerously creeps into every aspect of our lives.

We deserve better.

COACH CHOT REYES AIN'T SO BAD AFTER ALL

courtesy of rappler.com

I am one of those who strongly demanded that Gilas head coach Chot Reyes be removed from the Philippine men's basketball team. His instruction to his players to shoot at the opponent's basket, for me, is just unacceptable.

But with the on-going disastrous performance of volleyball head coach Roger Gorayeb in VTV Cup, I must admit that Coach Chot deserves so much more credit than what I am willing to give him.

For one, Coach Chot prepares his team well for any coming tournament. He really makes sure that his team trains abroad by competing against foreign teams. Despite not getting all the players that he wants to be part of his team, Coach Chot is able to bring out the best in his players to make one formidable unit. The performance of Gilas in the World Cup in Spain is a testament of Coach Chot's professionalism and dedication to his craft.

But more impoortantly, Coach Chot knows very well his responsibility to his countrymen. He knows that he must bring pride and honor to millions of Filipinos worldwide, at all cost. Despite the losses absorbed by his team, Coach Chot can hold his head up high to anyone as his team showed that that Filipinos can compete with the best in the world in a game where Filipinos are not given a ghost of a chance.

Mabuhay ka, Coach Chot Reyes !

OPEN LETTER TO ABY MARANO

courtesy of rivals.ph

Dear Aby,

You missed the entire point of my blog post.

In any case, if you can say that you never called any player to join the LVPI team to VTV Cup, then I will gladly apologize through this blog.

Wishing you and your team the best of luck in Vietnam.

Yours,

Eric

LVPI OFFICIALS THRIVE ON THE IGNORANCE AND GULLIBILITY OF PLAYERS

courtesy of pinoyheadline.com

The incident where Aby Marano calls in the middle of the night to invite volleyball players for the VTV Cup is a shameless display of LVPI officials exploiting the ignorance and gullibility of athletes.

LVPI officials know very well that players are just so desperate to play. So desperate in fact that these players do not mind losing their dignity in the process. Marano acted like she was merely inviting friends to attend her party when she called up several players for the tournament in Vietnam. What she did is not only inappropriate but an insult to all former national volleyball players who worked hard to earn his or her spot in the national team. It is a travesty in the highest order as the formation of a team set to compete in a tournament abroad is reduced to a mere phone call.

The incident clearly shows too the utter lack of respect of LVPI officials for the Philippine team. That LVPI officials see the Philippine team to be so trivial that a player can actually call her fellow players to form the team. It is such an insult to the players, team and country as a whole. This is what players must realize. LVPI officials reduce players to mere pawns in a cruel game that they play. Players must think and analyze to better understand the manipulation, exploitation and disrespect that they are being subjected to.

Nearly everyone in the volleyball community has taken a strong, well-thought of and defined stand in the current problem involving PVF and LVPI. Why can't volleyball players do the same ?

MAY PANANAGUTAN ANG MGA PLAYERS SA GULO SA PHILIPPINE VOLLEYBALL

Nananatiling bulag, pipi at bingi sa katotohanan ang mga players kaya nanatiling masalimuot ang kaganapan sa Philippine volleyball.

Patuloy na ipinagkikibit-balikat ng mga volleyball players ang kawalanghiyaang ginawa at ginagawa ng LVPI sa PVF. Kaya naman, namamayagpag ang baluktot na sistema ngayon sa volleyball. Patuloy na sinusuportahan ng mga players ang mga ganid na LVPI officials. Kaya naman, patuloy na isinasantabi ng mga LVPI officials ang kanilang mga mahahalagang tungkulin na walang kita. Patuloy na pinipili ng mga players ang wag makialam at kumampi sa PVF. Kaya naman, nalalagay sa bingit ng alanganin ang kinabukasan ng volleyball at mga atleta nito.

Maituturing na malaking pagpapala na marami ang humahanga sa ilang mga volleyball players. Isang malaking karangalan sa mga volleyball players na marami ang umiidolo sa kanila. Kaya marapat lang na suklian ng mga players ang pagpapala at karangalang ito ng tamang desisyon at aksyon. Responsibilidad ng mga players ang manindigan sa tama at maging ehemplo lalo na sa mga kabataan. Ipakita sana nila ang pagpapahalaga sa katwiran at di lang ang pansariling kaligayahang makapaglaro para sa bayan. Isaalang-alang sana nila ang pangmatagalang kapakanan ng volleyball at mga manlalaro nito. Huwag sana silang magpagamit sa mga sports officials na walang hangad kundi palitawin na sila, mga sports officials, ang magaling kahit malayo ito sa katotohanan.

LVPI SHOWS THE WORST AMONG FILIPINOS

The actions of LVPI officials with regards to the country's participation in the VTV Cup in Vietnam show the worst in every Filipino :

1. The culture of mediocrity is being flaunted by LVPI without shame. Instead of sending the best possible team or not sending one at all, LVPI chooses to send a ragtag team that has not practiced even for a single day. Chances are, the team will end up dead last and LVPI officials are not worried a bit about the shame it will bring the country.

2. Filipino crab mentality is at its best with LVPI officials. Instead of allowing PVF to send its own team to the tournament in Vietnam, LVPI officials told the organizers not to accept the entry team of PVF at all cost. Indeed, crab mentality at its finest.. Incidentally, China has two teams entered in the tournament to underscore the possibility of a country being represented by two teams.

3. LVPI officials feel a sense of entitlement that is unwarranted and unfounded. LVPI officials requested the passport renewal of six of its players according to the office of PSC Chairman Richie Garcia. The request involves the renewal of passports in one day. Obviously, for the passports to be renewed in such an unimaginably short period of time, LVPI must use the padrino system. Every ordinary Juan dela Cruz waits for at least one week for passport renewal. Why can't LVPI officials and players go through the normal process like everyone else ? Why the sense of entitlement ?

All these, should make every Filipino shudder with the thought that these are the type of officials that the country has for volleyball.

THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE PHILIPPINES NOT SENDING A TEAM TO VTV CUP

courtesy of manilastandardtoday.com

The inability of Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. (LVPI) to send a team to VTV Cup in Vietnam tells a lot about the men running the federation.

1. LVPI officials are inutile. Despite boasting of having UAAP, NCAA, Shakeys VLeague and Superliga as "members", LVPI officials cannot get the players to play for the tournament in Vietnam.

2. LVPI officials are deemed corrupt by major sponsors. To this day, major sponsors refuse to be associated with LVPI. These companies only know too well where their money will go once they come in as sponsors for the LVPI team.

3. LVPI offivials are liars as they continue to insist that LVPI is now the recognized and acknowleged NSA for volleyball. Truth of the matter is, PSC does not consider LVPI the official NSA for volleyball. As a result, LVPI teams are not funded by PSC which prevents full participation in tournaments abroad.. Likewise, LVPI players do not enjoy the benefits die national athletes like monthly allowance, travel tax exemption, terminal fee exemption and free use of government facilities.

4. LVPI officials are inept. They cannot even submit the requirements of PSC and COA. The submission of the requirements would allow PSC to fund LVPI team to Vietnam.

5. LVPI officials are so delusional that they think they can do a better job than PVF officials. LVPI can't even send a team to Vietnam while PVF is only too willing and able to send one.

But what all these really amount to is the absence of love of LVPI officials for volleyball and its athletes. LVPI officials cause so much damage to the sport and players because they, LVPI officials, are only after their selfish interests than anything else.