The Brain of the Game: The Man Behind UP’s Fighting Maroons

“Let’s go get this done!”
Amidst squeaking sneakers and the smell of sweat from perspired and exhausted ballers, amidst the glare of the spotlight, amidst the cheers and the boos, amidst all the wreck and the havoc under the basket, amidst the missed jumpers, amidst the last second three pointer, amidst all of it, is Coach Aboy Castro’s order.
“Let’s go get this done!”
The brain of the game behind University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, Coach Aboy Castro is as hot and energized in practice drills as in the hard court of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) basketball tournament.
He prepares the Fighting Maroons for battles in the basketball tournament of UAAP season 73. The pressure is on his shoulders to train the Maroons, and orchestrate the moves, the play, the defense. With his hands on his waist standing as a brave commander watching over his troop of hoop warriors, he directs them to achieve the goal: stop the other team from scoring and get that ball home.
In the heat of the practice, Coach Castro remains calm and cool-headed. Saluting every obedient execution of a play by his troops, he yells “Good! Good!” When players are finally able to orchestrate the plays he draws on his white board, he claps his hands. The hoopsters, like an army, learn to move as one. One team, one move. One team, one play.
There are no individuals on the court. There is no me, only we. There is only the team. Like a troop of cavalry ready to attack and spoil enemy territory, they practice shooting and offense. Like a fleet of navy ships guarding the coast from enemy invasion, they learn defensive tactics to keep the opponent’s basket from swallowing the ball.
Others, even players, never see the game the way a coach sees it. He sees the whole dance of the game. He sees the team as one. He treats them as one: an army of orchestrated blocks, passes, shots. He knows every player’s strengths and weaknesses. He matches them and blends them together the way one blends different fruits to make four seasons shake.
In the end of a practice, he gathers his players around for last minute instructions and to utter a prayer. He picks up his bag and looks up his cellphone to read messages he missed. He leaves the arena first and stops at the crucifix, looks up at the Lord’s statue, touches his knee and makes the sign of the cross.
“(We need) better defense. 12 more games to go,” he said. The Maroons are up against University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers tomorrow.
And with his hopes and prayers, he goes home.
Tomorrow will just be another day at the gym.
“Let’s go get this done!”