SAN SEBASTIAN’s Playtime Cares Filoil Preseason Cup debut under new head coach Rob Labagala didn’t go entirely as planned.
Fouls and poor execution spoiled Labagala’s coaching debut, as San Sebastian succumbed to Jose Rizal University, 70-59, to give another newly-hired tactician on the other side in ex-Heavy Bomber Nani Epondulan the win.
While the two teams squaring up in the Filoil Ecooil Arena are both in the rebuilding stages, unfamiliarity impacted San Sebastian more, at least that’s how Labagala sees it.
“On the technical side, kailangan namin matuto sa execution. Knowing it and playing against JRU, may mga areas kami doon na natututo talaga—kasi may mga ginagawa sila na schemes na bago pa para sa amin, especially since bago kami na team,” Labagala said.
Still, the unfavorable outcome didn’t completely rain down on Labagala’s parade.
“On my part, talagang excited ako,” Labagala said. “Sarap sa feeling na from player, you’re now coaching college basketball,” he said.
Never Say What?
Though he’s coming in without much experience as a coach, he’s got plenty of those as a player – something he plans to impart to his young students.
He played six years in the pros, four of those came in the country’s most popular league in Barangay Ginebra and he plans to bring that patented Never Say Die mantra with him to the team.
“Talagang dala-dala ko 'yan. Even noong nandun ako sa Ginebra, talagang 'yung spirit na 'yun, dala-dala ko. So gusto kong ma-impart 'yung ganun dito rin,” he said.
“That’s why even up to the last second, ganun ako ka-intense, ganun ako ka-passionate — because hindi ako naggi-give up hangga’t hindi pa tapos ang game.”
With all the challenges the Recto squad has faced, Labagala’s presence is a well-needed breath of fresh air.
And if San Sebastian wants to return to its winning ways, the proper mindset has to be instilled in everyone, even the coaches.
Luckily, their tactician is setting the tone.
“I love how our guys was able to sustain the effort and energy in spite of mga ganung challenges dun sa loob ng court. Hindi rin ako naggi-give up sa isang game lang. We’ll get through all that, and our time will come.”
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