NOT too long ago, Justine Sanchez used to be the kind of player that Benilde coaches had to keep in check and keep in line.
Now, though, he is the Blazers' captain - and the one those same mentors trust to take charge.
Sanchez admitted he was once a headache for the green-and-white, often finding himself going left and right when the coaching staff simply wanted him to play straight and stay aligned with the team.
The good news is somewhere along the way, the Benilde veteran wing grew up, and his transformation has been on full display in the ongoing NCAA Season 102, where he has taken more of the scoring load while they deal with injuries to multiple players.
READ: High time for Justine Sanchez to step into spotlight for Benilde
Without a doubt, Sanchez credited the coaching staff for helping him mature into the player he is now.
“Dati kasi, sorry ha, sakit kasi ako sa ulo eh,” said the 25-year-old forward.
“But ayun, thankful ako, siyempre. Parang one day lang, nagising din ako na sabi ni coach Charles [Tiu] sa akin, ikaw mag-take charge, ikaw mag-captain ball.”
Sanchez realized that being handed the captaincy meant leaving behind the habits that once made him difficult to handle.
“Paano ko ire-react yun kung sa akin manggagaling lahat ng mga gagawin na puro mali na wala sa hulog, 'di ba? Dapat, maging aligned lang kami,” he said.
The next generation of Blazers
This, he hopes, will teach the younger Blazers how to avoid the pitfalls he himself once fell into.
“Actually nag-uusap kami ng mga coaches, especially coach Pao [Layug], na kailangan kaming mga seniors, ipakita namin na mas pukpok kami sa ensayo para makita ng mga rookies and mga kasama namin and ma-motivate namin sila,” he said.
“We tolerate always the good habits.”
Indeeed, for Sanchez, leadership starts with himself.
“Sine-set kong example lagi yung sarili ko kasi kapag ako mismo, hindi ginagawa yung tama, siyempre paano mo mapapasunod yung teammates mo,” he said.
That straight path has now turned Sanchez into one of the voices that have to be heard in Taft Ave.
But instead of just imposing his own ideas, Sanchez also learned to listen - and that has been how the Blazers have continued playing well even as they wait for the return to full strength of Allen Liwag, Matthew Jucom, and Irele Galas.
“Dati, 'pag nagsalita ako, pasok dito, labas sa kabila. Ngayon, talagang nag-uusap-usap kami as one. Naging open-minded lang ako sa mga kasama ko,” he said.
“Yun yung sikreto, pinapakinggan namin yung isa’t-isa, kino-combine namin yung maganda naming idea and yun yung finu-fulfill namin.”
And so, from being the player who used to give his coaches headaches, Sanchez now wants to be the leader his younger teammates can follow.
Now that is character development we will always get behind.
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