ARGUABLY one of the greatest players to ever grace the local volleyball scene, Alyssa Valdez revealed she grew up with no means to fuel her early interest in volleyball.
All she had were two older brothers who played casually.
“I honestly didn’t grow up watching volleyball kasi nga wala masyadong available ways to do so, wala naman sa TV noon," she shared with SPIN.ph. "So, the people I looked up to ay 'yung mga kuya ko lang. Sila lang naman nakikita ko maglaro noon."
That's why she considers today's aspiring players luckier in that respect, since they have more players to look up to and wider access to videos and materials that can help in their development.
On Tuesday after Creamline’s loss to Choco Mucho, Valdez couldn't help but admire the great gains the game has made in terms of the level of play and popularity, as evidenced by the full capacity crowd at the PhilSports Arena that night.
For Alyssa, now, more than ever, is the best time to dream.
“’Yun ‘yung okay ngayon, very available na yung resources, tumataas din yung quality ng games, ‘yung mga bata na naglalaro, gusto maglaro na di alam paano magsisimula, meron na silang i-llook up. Mas masarap na mangarap,” she continued.
READ: Choco Mucho beats Creamline for first time behind stunning fightrback
Aware of her big following as she became the “people’s idol” she never had, Valdez urges aspiring players not to take these opportunities for granted.
“Being able to see this kind of play, it’s something for someone who has an interest. I believe that there’s such a thing as visual learning, and that’s very important, it’s something I didn’t have growing up, so, I hope they make the most of what we have now,” she added.
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