MONTALBAN, Rizal — For many years, it's been a "boys only" club in the PVL when it comes to coaching. In eight years since the PVL was founded, only three women have had the opportunity to call the shots for a PVL team as head coach.
Last Saturday, Tina Salak became the fourth when she finally took over as chief bench tactician of Akari, thus adding another crack to the glass ceiling that has hovered over the league for nearly a decade.
READ TAKA to TINA: Salak named to replace Minowa as Akari coach
To llustrate just how rare her ascencion to the job had been, she is only the fourth woman of the 47 people that had been named head coach in the PVL, a league founded to open a new era for women's volleyball.
The 48-year-old Salak takes over Akari while not giving up her job as head coach of Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws in the UAAP.
She said it was an offer she could not refuse despite the long hours she also would spend at FEU which is hoping to improve on its Final Four outing in last season's UAAP, a league with its own cut-throat women's competition.
“Yung opportunity kasi, minsan lang 'yan dadating, so why not grab it today instead of parang maging regret na lang siya soon,” Salak shared with SPIN.ph.
“Kung naging part ako ng coaching history ng PVL, I'm very grateful na nagkaroon ako ng chance na mapunta dito at magkaroon din ng mark yung presensya ko dito sa PVL as a female coach.
Her debut as Akari coach was delayed after she went on a US vacation and she missed the team's first two games of the ongoing PVL on Tour. But when she finally handled the reins, the result proved gratifying as the Chargers beat ZUS Coffee in five sets, 26-24, 25-21, 17-25, 17-25, 17-15.
She said being a female coach in a male-dominated environment is big step towards gender equality, specially in a league primarily played by women. She said coaches like her are not wanting in talent or skill, they just need opportunities.
“Yung coaching naman is for everyone. Medyo sa Philippines lang hindi masyadong na-enhance yung mga women's coaches because hindi lang din sila nabibigyan ng chance.”
Salak also made it clear that when such an opportunity presented itself, in her words, ‘there was no reason for me to say no.’
“Dream ko ‘to eh. Malaking factor sa’kin nu’ng naglalaro pa lang ako na mapunta ako sa stage na ‘to and maturo ko sa kanila yung mga naging experience ko nu’ng naglalaro ako,” Salak said.
“Thankfully, nandito ako sa stage na nagagawa ko na ‘yun. Mas nag-eenjoy ako kasi nashe-share ko na ‘yung talent na pwede ko i-share sa kanila, ‘yung ideas, ‘yung knowledge.
“And also yung hindi lang more on 'yung technicals. It's more on kung paano rin maging compassionate at maging passionate sa laro at sa ginagawa.”
Next woman up
Salak’s appointment follows the path earlier opened for female head coaches Lerma Giron, Regine Diego and Air Padda. But that path had rarely been opened wide to allow more women to come in.
“’Yung coaching naman is for everyone. Medyo sa Philippines lang hindi masyadong na-enhance yung mga women's coaches because hindi lang din sila nabibigyan ng chance,” Salak said.
“Maraming kinailangang i-consider pero yung trust kasi na binigay sa akin ng management, hindi lahat ng management, nagbibigay ng trust sa isang tao especially na mag-handle as head coach.
“There's no reason for me to say no kaya trabaho tayo.”
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