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MANILA, Philippines – Being a team captain in sports is oftentimes a thankless job, much less so on feared powerhouse squads with lofty title-or-bust standards.
Such is the case for La Salle setter Julia Coronel, who is now not only tasked to lead the Lady Spikers’ title defense in UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball, but also acts as an extension of head coach Ramil de Jesus on the taraflex.
As such, she has often bore the brunt of the coaching staff’s constructive criticism, with De Jesus setting social media abuzz with entire timeouts dedicated solely to point out Coronel’s mistakes.
The fifth-year veteran, however, is keeping stone-faced under the coaches’ spotlight, bravely rising to the challenge of improving her skill set with each passing game.
“On their tough love, I think I’ve gotten used to it in a way, and I think it’s good for all of us,” Coronel said in Filipino after La Salle routed FEU, 25-19, 25-21, 25-18, on Saturday, March 23. “The more they are tough on us, the more it means that they still want to see more from us, and they want to push us more.”
“So us as players, we just absorb everything because the more the coaches talk to us, that means they want to see us improve. If they go silent, that either means you’re a hopeless case or you’re already playing well,” she continued after tallying 16 excellent sets against the Lady Tamaraws.
Assistant coach Noel Orcullo validated Coronel’s rise, praising her steady improvement as a byproduct of their constant guidance.
“Her growth is there. She has a string of good performances. Hopefully, she sustains it,” he said in Filipino. “We see it in every training, every game, she keeps on improving. Hopefully, we sustain it until the end of the tournament and she keeps on adding and elevating her great performances.”
Coronel, intent on making the most of her final playing year, is just relishing every ounce of experience she can get moving forward, even if it means her coaches grilling her more for her own benefit.
“I guess what I’m drawing strength from are my past experiences. This is my fifth playing year now and I’ve always been the second setter. My coaches tell me now, this is it, this is my opportunity. So either I grab it or let it go,” she continued.
“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, so this is always my source of motivation every time I’m on the court, even though it means going through more difficult times.” – Rappler.com
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