ONLY a handful of people can say 'Mother Lily' and mean it literally.
Among those is the University of the Philippines head coach Goldwin Monteverde, the youngest of the Regal Films matriarch's five biological children.
'Mother Lily' had her curtain call on August 4, less than a week after husband Leonardo 'Father Remy' passed away on July 29.
READ: Lily Monteverde, Regal matriarch and showbiz icon, dies at 84
Of course, the Fighting Maroons' champion coach could only admit that the past two weeks had been emotional for him and his family.
Monteverde was actually in Korea for State U's training camp when his mother passed, prompting him to immediately book a flight back home.
But as tough as this ordeal was, the brilliant tactician was nothing but grateful to have his UP players, as well as staff and management, by his side.
“Sinasabi nila sa akin na, ‘Coach, I’m here.’,” he shared, in a rare sneak peek inside the heart of the softspoken, media-shy yet bonafide 'Regal baby.'
“Sabi nga natin, 'di tayo pwedeng 'pag masaya lang. Minsan, may malulungkot na sitwasyon din talaga na nagkakasama tayo at doon mo nakikita yung true bonding ng team. And ever since the start naman, tina-try talaga naming mag-build nang ganoong kind of relationship with our players.”
UP Fighting
While Monteverde tended to his family, his players stayed the course and continued their training in Korea.
For coach Gold, keeping that mentality and razor-sharp focus despite the unfortunate incident in his personal life somehow eased his burden, especially considering that the Fighting Maroons' UAAP Season 87 campaign commences on September 7 at the Araneta Coliseum.
READ: Mother Lily Monteverde: A lookback at the Regal matriarch's legacy
“They helped me in a way na kahit wala ako doon, they really practiced hard and every game, they played it 100 percent pa rin. In that way, naipakita nila sa akin na they have my back, na para bang sinasabi nila na, ‘Coach, kahit wala ka dito, alam namin yung goal ng bawat isa sa amin.’,” he said.
And just as nothing changed with State U's overall determination to make another regal run following back-to-back runner-up finishes, Monteverde's personal motivation will also stay the same: having his parents on his mind.
“Ever since naman, even when they were living, lagi naman silang inspiration ko to work, hindi lang sa basketball, but for all that I’m doing. Ngayon na wala na sila, ganoon pa rin naman,” he said.
“They’ll always serve as inspirations for me.”
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