MEAN Girls wear pink on Wednesdays, but Melinda Clarin — or "Mommy Babes," as players affectionately call her — wears pink every single game day.
A loyal fan since Day One, Clarin, 68, is a familiar face just behind the Creamline bench, not only cheering the Cool Smashers on, but also dancing to every beat to hype the girls up.
“I’ve been a supporter since the Ateneo days, especially of Alyssa [Valdez]. I was a member of ALYfinity (one of Valdez' fan clubs) and I’d go wherever she played,” she told SPIN Life on Tuesday.
Valdez, of course, is the beating heart of the Creamline dynasty in the PVL - and it looks like she brought along her fans back from her days as a Lady Eagle to her pro team.
Based in Angono, Rizal, Clarin travels at least an hour each Cool Smashers match day to fulfill her fan duties. What began as a hobby has now turned into a lifestyle for the senior citizen.
“This keeps me young; it helps me relieve stress,” she shared. “At home, I’m busy with work, but when I’m here, it’s all about good vibes and happiness. My family is very supportive of what I do because they know this makes me happy post-retirement.”
‘Mommy Babes’ played volleyball casually throughout her life and is now a mother of four and a grandmother of five.
To this day, she still plays occasionally and has even passed the love for the sport down to her grandchildren.
Keepin' it Cool Smashers
Among the PVL's dozen squads, it's Creamline that holds a special place in Clarin's heart. And that's why she finds purpose in supporting them.
“They’re so down-to-earth, no arrogance or airs. We, as fans, know that we’re part of their family, and that’s one of the reasons why I love Creamline so much,” she continued.
For her part, skipper Valdez, speaking on behalf of the Cool Smashers, shared that they consider fans like Clarin their biggest source of motivation.
As she put it, “For us, it really warms our hearts to have genuine supporters like them. I’ve grown up with them by my side. Our relationship with them is very healthy — we know they’re always there, and we don’t need to look for them. We just know they’ll be there.”
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