| Having a coach to see and guide you through a | | | | trainer patiently raises up "sons" to |
| competition is not enough to be an ace | | | | continue his calling, or pass down his |
| athlete. | | | | mission to succeeding generations. He knows |
| | | | too well that champions come from a relay of |
| Someone must coach you until you reach | | | | skills and wisdom, or a technology transfer, |
| mastery. That someone ought to be a real | | | | and not from those who start out from |
| athlete himself, coached or "fathered" | | | | scratch. |
| through a long process by a qualified | | | | |
| "father" in athletic training. | | | | You cannot train yourself, or train alone, |
| | | | and come out champion. You cannot also have |
| A "father" in training is a battle-hardened | | | | amateur coaches train you to be champion. You |
| master armed with a wealth of experience in | | | | have to feed from the experiences of those |
| his chosen field. He is not only | | | | who had been there before, saw real tough |
| knowledgeable in it; he can be considered an | | | | actions, and really made it to the top. They |
| epitome in the field. He has seen lots of | | | | may be likened to a lighthouse that points |
| actions and has been part of them, and he | | | | out what is right and what is wrong, |
| knows every nook and cranny of the arena. | | | | separating fact from myth. |
| | | | |
| He is so familiar with the "feeling" of being | | | | An athletic player acquires knowledge and |
| out there where the action is. He knows that | | | | skill mostly from his own experiences. He may |
| real sports encounters are alive; meaning | | | | upgrade that by joining competitions and by |
| anything can happen out there, and no pattern | | | | wearing colorful uniforms, and subjecting |
| or formula can compare to live, on-the-spot | | | | himself periodically to coaches. He |
| events. | | | | occasionally reads books about the game. He |
| | | | may even be awarded best player. However, he |
| It is only the accurate judgment and | | | | does not make a career out of it. Eventually, |
| experience of the wise that can cope up with | | | | he drops out from the scene and the sport |
| live events. He is also so sensitive to the | | | | altogether. He will have good stories to tell |
| right and wrong forms, including the | | | | about how he used to be this and that, but |
| executions of a technique, the timing, and | | | | people may not be able to trace his stories |
| the right effects. All these can only be | | | | because of his now bloated physique due to |
| available to a real "father" of sports | | | | the absence of training. |
| training. | | | | |
| | | | An ace athlete, on the other hand, is a |
| Some coaches are mere P.E. teachers, or at | | | | "son." He has a "father" who raises him up, |
| best, athletic players once upon a time. They | | | | and this athlete is aware that he is not just |
| can help some; but at times, they can be more | | | | being raised up to win an event or a couple |
| of hindrances than wise guides for trainees. | | | | of events; he is being raised up to be a |
| | | | father to raise up other sons someday. Unlike |
| They will tend to be bookish and stick to | | | | the athletic player who would point to rusted |
| "what the book says," or to what they have | | | | trophies and medals and photos of victories |
| learned in school, or to what they have | | | | as his proof of being once in the sport, real |
| experienced in amateur contests. Without | | | | athletes point to actual "fathers" who have |
| mastery (through real, professional sports | | | | trained them and from whom they have received |
| encounters), they lack the sense to know that | | | | "trade secrets" for success. They also point |
| aside from mastering basic forms or moves, | | | | to actual athletes and champions they have |
| you have to be flexible and adaptable to | | | | personally trained and "fathered" to pass on |
| unexpected things that are likely to happen | | | | the heritage for generations to come. |
| out there in the actual arena. Only seasoned | | | | |
| sports "fathers" will be able to divulge | | | | An ace athlete not only aims to be a |
| these details and wisdom to trainee-"sons." | | | | champion, but lives to develop other |
| | | | champions as well. |
| In his skills and experience, a "father" | | | | |