THE MACHISMO IN THEM

By: Christian Edezon B. Lopez

Cliché as it may sound, but I would still like to forward that ‘behind every man’s success is a
woman’ to compliment two 2011 MIMAROPA RAA Meet women whose passion, dedication,
commitment and life in sports are astounding and worth emulating that led to hullabaloos from
celebrating teams.

Who asserted that baseball is solely a boy’s stuff? Not in MRAA Meet 2011, where the
diamonds were dominated by batters manned by unequivocally dazzling Eves: Ms. Karen Gapilango, PPC
Whiffers coach and Ms. Melanie Chavez, Occidental Mindoro Catchers’ coach.

Who would have thought that these two untarnished ladies would lord over the knights of the
other divisions both in elementary and secondary baseball men’s competition? With their deceiving
timidity and charm, they were able to surpass the deemed superiority of the male coaches as easy as
the falling of the log, until the last inning in the championship matches, unbeaten.

What made them outshine guys in their own stuff? You should never underestimate a man who
overestimates himself; moreover, never belittle the power of passion. Generally, Coaches Karen and
Melanie, ruled baseball men because they had the perfect heart for the game. Admittedly, they were
novices in handling baseball teams in RAA; however, they took every chance to love the game and to
acquire coaching skills beyond men’s capacity. No doubt, they added thrill in the diamond for the
spectators whenever they circled with their players to pray before and after the game and most
especially whenever they shouted, called for a time-out and stood near the hot corner to reiterate
winning tactics.

Coach Karen, former coach of the PPC Table Tennis Team, is an epitome of true beauty, strength
and passion. She manly coached her players but her beauty astounded everyone in the bleacher
whenever she was on duty. Never, the illegal tactics of the opposing team passed her game without a
word said and an action done. Her composed spirit in the verge of defeat enlivened her disheartening
batters to finish the game mightily with celebration. Though a champion, she humbled herself to pass
on the credit to the men who trusted her all the way and handed her the coaching skills that can go
beyond Palarong Pamabansa. They were Mr. Dodie Viray, PPC Sports Development Officer and Mr.
Ernesto Madamay Jr., one of her great trainers. She has learned to love baseball and decided to stay in
this game for decades or centuries that would pass yet. This is how her passion for the sports dictated
her. She loves the game as she loves her player. PPC batters testify the love that Coach Karen has for
them, to the extent of calling them “mga anak”.

Coach Melanie of Occi catchers is also a quintessence of a passionate and committed woman
who lurked in mannish posture around the puddled diamond coaching evenly or better than the five
male coaches of the other divisions. Though she has been handling a baseball team for three, it was her
first time in MRAA. And her first time was a fruitful one, sending most of her “mga anak”, as she also
calls her players, to a higher level competition. Her patience in training her players in the afternoon
forced her to love baseball for she knows that a heavy yoke is laid upon her shoulder, despite the fact
that this is for boys. Now, she loved baseball more than any other sports. Like Coach Karen, she’d
continue to train potential baseball players and put on the pedestal of success.

Things in sports are not a matter of gender; it’s a matter of how one loves the sports and how
he puts himself on it. Like Coaches Karen and Melanie who geared mannishly but retained the
femininity, everybody can succeed and get into the lead by leaving the comfort zone and venturing a
less trodden track.