WHILE Shaq delos Santos has been coaching in the game for almost two decades now, an eventful 2025 for Cignal has taken an emotional toll on him.
The year began with his two prized aces in Ces Molina and Riri Meneses finding themselves in a contract row that led to an abrupt exit from the team after three years.
Then came a shock import debacle for the Super Spikers in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference, one that forced their hand into releasing Greek spiker Eva Chantava after losing their first two games.
To this day, delos Santos admits struggling to come to terms with Cignal's bad luck this season.
“Yung mga ganyang bagay, laging dumadaan sa isip ko ‘yan dahil siyempre, wala naman tayong goal every day kapag pupunta sa training kundi pagandahin ‘yung team,” delos Santos shared with SPIN.ph.
“Every time na nag-pray ako, sinasabi ko lang, ‘Lord, tulungan mo 'ko, kailangan maayos namin ‘yung team.’ Kaya I think, ito yung way na kailangan ko munang ma-feel na ganito kabigat bago ko maayos ‘yung isang bagay.”
It has even come to a point in which he questions himself why Lady Luck still can’t seem to smile on him all these years later.
But through it all, he knows that there’s a reason for every downfall - and that he won’t be deprived of chances to turn misfortunes into opportunity,
“Ako, sa tagal ko na rin sa pag-coach, talagang hanggang ngayon, ang daming test para talagang tumibay ka, hindi para ma-down,” he added.
“Pero minsan, talagang mafi-feel mo na, ano ba, nakakapagod lang ‘yung mga bagay na ‘to, ganyan-ganyan. Dumarating din ‘yung point na, ‘Hindi, may reason, may purpose lahat ng bagay na ‘yun.’”
Shaq searches for his whys
When he’s not calling the shots for Cignal, delos Santos makes it a point to breathe and reflect on each and every one of the highs and lows.
But the most important thing for him is to not make it about himself.
Every day, delos Santos is reminded of a greater purpose to serve his team and repay that trust not only with results, but by bringing the best out of his players.
“Mas pinag-iisipan ko bakit nangyayari ‘yung mga bagay na ‘yan. Lagi ko rin iniisip na may mga reason kung bakit nangyayari ‘yan,” the Cignal coach said.
“Pero may mas malaki kang team na hinahawakan. May mga batang kang umaasa sa’yo, may coaching staff ka na pwedeng tumulong sa’yo and may management kami na sobrang supportive at bait talaga sa’min through ups and downs.
“May mga challenges man or something, pero ang good thing kasi, naki-keep namin yung relationship namin at napapaganda pa rin namin kasi part naman talaga ng pagbuo ng team yan eh.
“Mas tinitignan ko ‘yung big picture rather than ‘yung mga bagay na pwedeng makasira sa’kin at sa’min.”
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