Vicente says Arado’s RoY award ‘erased’ UE’s 0-14 season
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR. Kathleen Arado takes home a trophy for the UE Lady Red Warriors. Photo by Josh Albelda/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – It’s amazing what recognition and appreciation can do.
For UE Lady Red Warriors head coach Francis Vicente, Kathleen Arado’s Rookie of the Year honor was enough to eclipse a disappointing 0-14 season.
“Nawala yung 0-14 e,” the champion coach said. “Parang naging masaya ako in spite of ganoon yung standing, we had an award tapos nakita ko yung stats mataas at the end.” (It’s like the 0-14 was erased. I felt happy in spite of our standing, we had an award and I saw the stats were good at the end.)
After the Lady Warriors dropped their 14th straight game at the end of the UAAP Season 77 women’s volleyball tournament eliminations, Vicente was understandably upset considering he is not accustomed to losing.
But the young libero’s award is solid proof that all was not lost in a winless season. His team somewhat improved, and Vicente hopes the award is the beginning of a turnaround.
“Very happy ako kasi meron nang sinisimulan. Sunod sunod na siguro yan,” he said.
“I always tell them na bakit ganoon, lahat ginawa yung training pero bakit ganyan pa rin yung result? Ano kaya nagiging problema? Yung award na yun, malamang yun yung mag-break.”
(I’m very happy because we already started something. Everything will follow. I always tell them we did all the training yet how come we keep getting the same result? What’s the problem? That award, it’ll be probably break that trend.)
The 5-foot-4 out of Iligan City National High School shared the award with EJ Laure of the University of Santo Tomas and, being a libero, whose entire role is to defend, the recognition says more about how far she can go in the coming years.
“Super hindi ko talaga ine-expect na makukuha ko ‘to na goal. Kasi first year ako so sinabi ko po [sa sarili ko] na mas marami pa mas magaling sa akin,” Arado gushed with her trophy in hand.
(I super did not expect to achieve my goal. I’m just in my first year so I told myself that there are many others better than I am.)
La Salle’s Melissa Gohing was the last libero to win Rookie of the Year back in Season 71.
“Gagawin ko po itong motivation para mas umangat pa yung team namin tsaka para sabay sabay kami umangat.” (I will use this as motivation so our team will continue to rise and push the rest of the team up too.)
After previously declaring that this season’s UE roster will be overhauled for next year, Vicente assured he will be keeping Arado. But it’s not just because she won an award.
“She’s safe. Because she’s a caliber player,” Vicente explained his decision to retain her. “Ang sinasabi kong (What I mean by a) caliber player is somebody who wants to win, not just somebody who wants to play.”
Being feted also does not mean that Arado will be relied upon to carry the team next year as it bids to arrest a 3-season long losing streak.
“Actually ang style ko kasi (my style is) everybody should work hard,” said Vicente. “Pag nagka-award ka dapat mas angat mo pa laro mo. Pag bumababa ka that’s a different story na.” (If you win an award it means you must get better. If you don’t improve that’s a different story.)
Vicente shared he is in the thick of his rebuilding program for the Lady Warriors with new recruits already coming in. He said he scouted the new players from various provinces and has yet to see how they will play together.
The team starts practice on the first week of April.
“Hopefully by next year we will see many new faces.” – Rappler.com
