UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

Bachelor of Arts in Communication Research

Julio Danilo P. Silvestre

Driven By Words:An Ethnography of Communicating Motivation in the University of the Philippines

Men's Basketball Team

Thesis Adviser:Professor Randy Jay C. Solis

College of Mass CommunicationUniversity of the Philippines

Date of Submission

October 2012

Permission is given for the following people to have access to this thesis:

Available to the general public YesAvailable only after consultation with author/thesis adviser NoAvailable only to those bound by conidentiality agreement No

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Julio Silvestre

October 2012

DRIVEN BY WORDS:

AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF COMMUNICATING MOTIVATION IN

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM

JULIO DANILO P. SILVESTRE

Submitted to the

COLLEGE OF MASS COMMUNICATION

University of the Philippines Diliman

In partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the degree of

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN COMMUNICATION RESEARCH

4

October 2012

DRIVEN BY WORDS:AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF COMMUNICATING MOTIVATION IN

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM

by

JULIO DANILO P. SILVESTRE

has been accepted forthe degree of BACHELOR OF ARTS IN COMMUNICATION RESEARCH

by

Professor Randy Jay C. Solis

and approved for theUniversity of the Philippines College of Mass Communication

by

Professor Rolando B. Tolentino

6

Dean, College of Mass Communication

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

PERSONAL DATA

Name Julio Danilo Perez Silvestre

Permanent Address 29A Times St., West Triangle, Quezon City

Mobile Number/Landline +63917 561 81 07 / +02 374 21 56

E-Mail Address jdp.silvestre@gmail.comjuliodanilo2002@yahoo.com

EDUCATION

Tertiary Level BA Communication Research, University of the Philippines-Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila

Secondary Level Ateneo de Manila High School, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Metro Manila

Primary Level Ateneo de Manila Grade School, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Metro Manila

ORGANIZATIONS AIESEC Philippines, Interdependent Student Activism (ISA), UP Men's Basketball Team (UP Fighting Maroons)

WORK EXPERIENCE

Intern Harrison Communication, Inc. (HCI), McCann-Erickson WorldwideSummer 2010-2011

Intern Larc&Asset PRSummer AY 2011-2012

8

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank everyone, my family and friends, who have expressed

support and encouragement to one of the biggest challenges I have encountered in my life

so far. Without their vigilant persistence (and constant nagging) I would never have been

able to finish this... on legitimate time.

To my thesis adviser, Prof. Randy Jay Solis, thank you so so much. Without your

support, encouragement, guidance, and most of all, patience, I would not have made it

alive out of this. If it weren't for you, sir, I would never have made it this far. Thank you

Sir Randy for patiently keeping up for my lack of effort at the beginning of this thesis, the

greatest challenge I have ever encountered on my academic journey so far. I would also

like to thank Dr. Elena Pernia, for accepting me as a student under the department of

Communication Research years ago, and to Ate Vi, for also being patient and comic

about my academic endeavors.

To my friends: D2007 (RJ O., Tim, Kit, Jordan, Tyrone), B-Wil (Betti, Ria, Arvic,

Machi, Duck, Ardi, Vero, Pauline) and Co. (Migoy, Matt, Nikko, etc.), Ateneo “TR”,

SVH-A, ISA, AIESEC, etc. I love you all.

To my Family: Mom, Dad, Cesca, Ana, Carlo, Sophie, Joaq. I love you all and

thank you for being patient with me. I have finished this at last!

To the UP Fighting Maroons: Tiwala lang. Mabuhay!

DEDICATION

To my family.

To the University of the Philippines.

To the Fighting Maroons.

Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan.

ABSTRACT

Silvestre, J. (2012). DRIVEN BY WORDS: An Ethnography of communicating motivation

in the University of the Philippines Men's Basketball Team. Unpublished Thesis,

University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication.

Basketball is no stranger to communication and motivation. Coaches and players

are always seen to be talking or signaling one another whenever they are playing.

Whenever a player is not performing the best he or she can be, there will always be

someone on the team pushing them in one way or another.

The researcher approaches this study with a belief that basketball has its own

forms of communication that differs between different teams, and that every team has its

own way of motivating its members through speech and behavior.

The study's purpose then is to find out what communication is and how

motivation is part of the communication involved in the setting of a basketball team’s

games, specifically, the UP Fighting Maroons in the 74th season of the UAAP.

Dell Hymes' SPEAKING Grid, along with Vockell and Pelletier, et. al.'s concepts

on Extrinsic and Interpersonal motivation were used as the scope in which the researcher

observed the UP Fighting Maroons' communication culture and motivation practices.

The team was observed during their pre-game, halftime, and post-game meetings

during the 74th season of the UAAP. The researcher, however, was only able to observe

five out of fourteen possible games due to his attending of his duties to the team as it's

student manager.

Results have found that motivation was communicated in the form of instruction,

direction, and encouragement in the team's observed meetings. Concepts of Extrinsic and

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Interpersonal Motivation was then found (as mentioned in the previous chapter), not only

in a single genre of Dell Hymes' SPEAKING Grid, but in the collective output of the

observations done by the researcher in terms of the different parts of the grid.

The presence of motivation in the communicative practices of the UP Fighting

Maroons in the observed games came mostly in the form of instructions of the coaches,

and the results and outcomes which came from the players' recognition of the coaches'

instructions. The three forms of extrinsic motivation were seen as processes that players

had to understand, perform, and accomplish while they were in the playing in the game

court. The concepts and goals of interpersonal motivation in the UP Fighting Maroons'

communication and interaction, on the other hand, were ultimately addressed as the

team's desire to win and to be recognized.

Communicating motivation was in the context of the UP Fighting Maroons

basketball team looking to improve their standing, and with goals to develop their team

dynamics. The goal of communicating motivation was for the team to excel in their

performance and win the game/s they were playing and participating in.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PageTitle Page i

University Title Page ii

University Permission iii

Approval Sheet iv

Biographical Data v

Acknowledgments vi

Dedication vii

Abstract viii

Table Of Contents xiv

List of Figures xv

List of Tables xvi

I. INTRODUCTION 17A. Background of the Study 17B. Research Problem and Objectives 25C. Significance of the Study 26

II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 27A. Ethnography of Communication 27B. Communication in Small Groups 28

15

C. Communication in Sports 30D. Communication and Motivation 31E. Motivation in Sports 32F. Synthesis 34

III. STUDY FRAMEWORK 36A. Theoretical Framework 37B. Conceptual Framework 41C. Operational Framework 44

IV. METHODOLOGY 45A. Research Design 45B. Units of Analysis 45C. Research Instruments 46D. Sampling 48E. Data Gathering 50F. Data Analysis 52

V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 53A. Summary of the UAAP Season 74 53B. Summary of Observed Games 59C. The UP Fighting Maroons' Communication Practices in Terms of Dell Hymes' SPEAKING Grid

87

D. Motivation in the UP Fighting Maroons' Communication Practices 99

VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 100A. Summary 100B. Conclusion 104

VII. IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 105A. Theoretical and Practical Implications 105B. Study Limitations and Recommendations 108

16

BIBLIOGRAPHY 109

APPENDICES 114

LIST OF FIGURES

Number Title Page1 SPEAKING-Motivation Integrated Conceptual Model 44

LIST OF TABLES

Number Title Page1 SPEAKING-Motivation Observation Matrix 492 Members of the Coaching Staff 943 Players of the UP Men's Basketball Team in UAAP Season 74 95

17

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Basketball has been the most popular sport in the Philippines for decades. There

has been no concrete or scientific reason why Filipinos are crazy about the sport.

Rafe Bartholomew enforced the previous statements in his book (which was also

his dissertation), Pacific Rims, wherein he observed the basketball culture in the

Philippines for around half a decade. In the end, he has found irony in the phenomenon of

the Filipino passion for basketball; a sport in which we are physically at a disadvantage

against taller nations. However, this situation has not dampened the Philippines’ love for

basketball. One would find a basketball court, or a make-shift one, built upon any piece

of flat space, whether or not the floor is made out of concrete, asphalt or soil. Who needs

shoes, when Filipinos can play with their all-terrain flip-flops, or at extreme, yet normal,

cases, with their bare-feet? From simple manifestations such as designing public-utility

jeeps with the faces of professional basketball players and the logos of their teams, to

coliseums filled up to its ceiling with basketball fans for a collegiate game, it is clear that

there is a huge passion for the sport in our country, according to Bartholomew.

Still, there are always people who are not familiar with the game. Despite a great

phenomenon of passion occurring in the Philippine society, there are some who do not

play basketball or who would rather stick to another sport. In some situations, basketball

enthusiasts are asked to explain what basketball is about, and each has his or her own

description to the game.

Basketball is simply a game wherein two teams aim to outscore one another in a

given length of time that depends on the level and rules of the tournament or league the

18

teams are participating in. The standard time for international and Olympic leagues allot

ten minutes for every four quarters. Professional leagues, like the National Basketball

Association (NBA) in the US, usually have twelve minute quarters. Some tournaments,

however, play in two halves of twenty minutes in a game, but this format is now seen

mainly in the US' collegiate level leagues. In cases where teams were able to score the

same amount of points after the four quarters, five minute “over-time” periods were

added until one team outscores the other.

Playing courts are around 95 feet in length, and about 40 to 50 feet wide, with ten-

foot high goals at each end of the court's length. Players can score two- or three-point

field goals (depending on the distance of the shot) during the game. One-point free-

throws are earned whenever players are fouled by members of the opposing team.

There are three popular basketball leagues in the Philippines. The Philippine

Basketball Association (PBA) is the professional league of the Philippines. The PBA is

also the second-oldest professional basketball program in the world, founded in 1975,

next to the NBA in the US. It is also the first play-for-pay league in Southeast Asia. The

teams in the PBA are sponsored by local corporations and are usually named after that

company. The San Miguel Beermen for the San Miguel Corporation, and the Talk 'n Text

Phonepals, under a pre-paid company under Smart Telecommunications, are teams who

follow this naming format.

Most players of the collegiate leagues usually end up in the PBA. For those who

unfortunately do not make it to the professional league in their first try (via the annual

PBA Draft), engage in the semi-professional, amateur leagues that would give them a

chance to mature more as basketball players. Defunct leagues like the Philippine

19

Basketball League (PBL) and the Metropolitan Basketball Association (known as the

“MBA”, a professional league that looked to challenge PBA's popularity) were the once

go-to leagues of those who were not selected to play in the PBA. Financial problems,

however, were the root cause that ended the mentioned leagues.

In an effort to widen the pool of potential professional basketball players, the PBA

constructed its D-League (Developmental) to provide the opportunities that PBL and the

MBA left behind. The D-League had established its first season in the summer of 2011,

and up to now, continues to provide a venue for professional basketball aspirants to

develop their skills and talents.

The two other major/popular leagues in the Philippines are the National Collegiate

Athletic Association (NCAA) and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines

(UAAP). The NCAA consists of collegiate teams, while the UAAP requires schools to be

universities in order to take part in the league’s events.

The NCAA was founded on 1924 and its first member schools were the

University of the Philippines, the University of Santo Tomas, the University of Manila,

Ateneo (situated in Manila then), the De La Salle University, National University, and the

Institute of Accounting (now known as the Far Eastern University).

In 1938, the UAAP was established by the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation

to provide equality in competition amongst the schools. UP, UST, and FEU were the first

(and founding) member universities of the league. The other current member schools, like

the Ateneo de Manila University, the De La Salle University, the National University,

along with the Adamson University and the University of the East, entered the league in

the following decades after the UAAP's establishment. By then, fifteen events were now

20

played, with basketball so far being the most popular and widely publicized due to the

televised games. The top three universities that dominated the men's basketball crown

were FEU, UST, and UE, respectively, with FEU having 19, UST and UE, both with 18.

But amidst the presence of multi-awarded universities in the UAAP basketball

tournament, there were also teams who, for the longest time, have had difficulty in

claiming the gold in the basketball championship.

The University of the Philippines' basketball team, the Fighting Maroons, has won

the competition only once since the establishment of the UAAP. The 1986-1987 squad,

then steered by a “legendary” coach in Joe Lipa, boasted players like the PBA's first

rookie Most Valuable Player, Benjie Paras. Unfortunately, that would be the last time the

Fighting Maroons would ever experience a championship; the closest was a third place

finish in 1996.

For the past decade, the University of the Philippines have been at the bottom of

the rankings. The team's most recent decent finish was back in 2005 when the Fighting

Maroons were able to finish fourth place (with a second round record of six wins and one

loss). With an overhauled team, led by a new coaching staff, it is of interest to all

followers of the UAAP to see how the Fighting Maroons would fare in this upcoming

season.

Coach Joe Lipa (2005) once said that in winning and losing basketball games, one

has to consider all the factors possible that led to whatever result that may have

happened. For countless of times, one would hear commentators during live broadcasts of

the UP Fighting Maroons’ games that the player are having a hard time connecting plays

due to bad passes or turnovers which are usually brought about by what the

21

commentators say “bad or lack of communication” between the players on court.

Members of the basketball blogging world, from basketball enthusiasts like

Favian Pua's “All-TimeFave” blog, up to recognized basketball analysts like Quinito

Henson, have a recurring issue in their articles of saying that the UP Fighting Maroons

looked “lost and confused” during their games in the 73rd UAAP season, adding that the

team should take out the “Fighting” part of their moniker since they clearly do not see the

fight in the team's players. Different factors and premises have been made by analysts

and basketball enthusiasts but not one of them can really make a concrete explanation to

why the team has performed poorly.

The researcher comes into play, in hopes of finding the chink in the UP Fighting

Maroons' basketball armor through the scope of communication and motivation.

Communication is a very basic human action. It is innate in every human being to

speak, to laugh, to call out, and to perform whatever form of communication be it with

his or herself, or with other human beings. Social happenings, wherein people are able to

interact with other people, produce communication that is dependent on the situation

within those events.

According to Hobson (1949), basketball is a sport that requires a lot of

communication from both the coaches and players.

Head coaches have the biggest responsibility in promulgating team

communication in what Prudden (2006) describes good communication as a, “product of

head coaches being an effective communicator not only to the players, but to his or her

assistant coaches, other team personnel, and other personal figures that are related to

the team and its functions”.

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Joe Lipa, a respected basketball coach in the Philippines, (2005) wrote that a

coaches have a huge responsibility in imparting their philosophies of basketball to the

players in a team. Furthermore, he said that coaches should motivate their players to play

the best they can while having the right mental attitude. The players are then expected to

follow their coach's lead, and at the same time, help each other by “pushing” each other

to achieve the level of play their coach demands from them.

In another basketball guide book by NBA Hall of Famer, Bob Cousy, and an

American coach, Frank Power (1983), they call the head coach of a basketball team as a

prime influence on the players. The coach, according to the authors, assumes the roles of

“a teacher, a leader,” with an obligation to his or her basketball team. Personality-wise,

the coach is a figure that inspires confidence in those around him. Like making plays,

coaches have different approaches when it comes to their jobs. Some approach their

players in gentle way of recognition and praise, while others take the role of a

disciplinarian, who mainly uses continuous criticism.

Williams (2005) wrote that teams, “play as they have trained,” in which he said

that player communication is as a skill, like other skills needed in the specific game, that

should still be continued after practices. Communication then is as important as the

physical skills that players perform and bring out in the basketball court.

Figuring out the best instances to communicate in a team is also an important step

for coaches according to Singer (2009). One way of keeping a team in check and focused

is by having proper interaction and agenda-sharing via pre-game preparations and in-

game speeches and huddles. Accomplishing these actions, for Singer, would help in

developing stronger links between coaching insights and the instructions the players

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needs. Prudden (2006), further adds that coaches adjust styles and personalities. An

example is an open-door policy within the team. Bound by the coach’s rules, it is a

strategy that would teach the players the practice of right and well-timed communication.

Physical team sports, athletic meets and games are events in which

communication are always present. One would see that during competitive play, the

different participants are far from being silent. May it be volleyball, soccer, baseball,

cricket, sepak takraw; players of these different sports need communication not only to

be able to work as a unit, or more appropriately, as a team, but to also help teammates

encourage each other to go beyond of what they can do. One would not hear only the

sounds and signals made by the participants of the sport. Far from these athletes, one

would hear words of encouragement; cheers and jeers that aim to push them to perform

better. From the lowly fan up the rafters, down to the desperate head coach, one would

see them cheering and motivating the athletes to go beyond their abilities.

Motivation is described as a, “driving force by which humans achieve their

goals.” (Seligman, 1990) It is no different from inspiration when it comes to

interpersonal communication. A simple pat on the back can be possibly translated into

praise, while a “thumbs up” can simply be another way of saying, “Good job!”

Motivation gives people a drive to work and perform at a certain level or state to achieve

a desired outcome.

Basketball, then, is no stranger to communication and motivation. Coaches and

players are always seen to be talking or signaling one another whenever they are playing.

Whenever a player is not performing the best he or she can be, there will always be

someone on the team pushing them in one way or another. Basketball is a “noisy” sport,

24

in terms of the constant interaction of criticism, push, and praise between the players and

coaches within teams.

For months prior to the 74th season of the UAAP, the UP Fighting Maroons have

been working on basketball related skills in order to achieve a better outcome at the end

of the season. Coach Ricky Dandan has been endlessly instructions at the players during

practices and tune-up games. The players have been cheering each other on seriously,

casually, or both.

The researcher then believes that basketball has its own forms of communication

that differs between different teams, and that every team has its own way of motivating

its members through speech and behavior.

Thus, the researcher would like to find out what communication is and how

motivation is part of the communication involved in the setting of a basketball team’s

games, specifically, the UP Fighting Maroons in the 74th season of the UAAP.

25

B. Research Problem and Objectives

1. Research Problem

How is motivation communicated by the members of the UP Fighting Maroons?

2. General Objective

To describe how the coaches and players of the University of the Philippines

Fighting Maroons motivate one another through communication during official games in

the University Athletics Association of the Philippines’ 74th season.

3. Specific Objectives:

1. To describe the UP Fighting Maroons communication practices according to:

a. The setting, or where and when the team makes use of communication;

b. The participants, or who are involved in the interaction and communication;

c. The ends, or purpose of communication for the team;

d. The act of exchanging messages in the team's communication practices;

e. The key, or manner in which communication is presented;

f. The instrumentalities, or how communication manifests and is acted out;

g. The norms, conventions or rules in which communication takes place; and

h. The genre, or the context and situation communication is structure.

2. To discover how motivation is present and is manifested in the interactions within the

UP Fighting Maroons based on the setting, participants, ends, act, key, instrumentalities,

norms, and genre of the team's communication practices.

a. To identify the communication concepts in which motivation is practiced and

present.

b. To explore the intended outcomes of the communicated motivation within the

team.

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C. Significance of the Study

The researcher believes that there has been a few studies regarding

communication’s role in sports. Gordon Williams, a rugby development coach, (2005)

stated that he has had a hard time in searching for articles, whether web-based or not, on

how coaches can train their players to improve communication throughout a game. For

one, the study could reveal a certain angle of communication (in the realm of motivation,

as mentioned) in sports teams, particularly basketball.

Aside from showing how the UP Men’s Basketball interacts and motivates one

another, the study looks to form the findings as examples for coaches who would want to

look for more ways to improve their teams via motivation; if not for the purpose of being

a “handbook”, then as a reference for future studies on the subject.

The study looks to enhance, in terms of coaching, more understanding in the

aspect of a basketball team’s dynamics and how communication works as a tool for

motivation that may aid in a team’s climb to the top of the rankings. The researcher finds

it interesting to study the communication within the UP Fighting Maroons in the different

physical and social environments the members of the team will engage in.

The study then looks to verify whether communication and motivation do occur

and, indeed, have important roles in the interactions between the coaches and players.

The study then wishes to find out who in the team makes use of communication to

motivate and how they use it in interacting with one another.

The researcher was somewhat new to the setting of being a member of the

coaching staff and management of the UP Fighting Maroons, a collegiate basketball team.

However, the researcher was able to engage in the high school level of UAAP basketball.

27

The researcher, until now, is curious and interested in understanding whatever dynamics

basketball teams had in a higher level, especially, in understanding how the team would

pick itself up and encouraged themselves to keep on playing after a season not worth

remembering.

On a theoretical level, the study on the UP Fighting Maroons aims to provide a

view into a small group's interactions and communication practices under the scope of

sports and athletics. The study hopes to usher in a movement in research that looks into

the dynamics of sports teams when it comes to communication. The observations the

study looks to produce aims to bring forth data for future studies that would look into

communication in terms and relation to team sports.

The researcher's study also looks to bring a glimpse of how communication and

motivation is a constant presence in sports groups and teams; to how these concepts can

be related to performance and outcome of competitive sports and tournaments.

This study on the practices of the UP Fighting Maroons on communicating

motivation within the team and its individuals ultimately looks to explore a culture that is

assumed to use interactions and communication in playing basketball; assuming that the

Fighting Maroons as a community that has its body of culture and behavior.

Finally, the UP Fighting Maroons could use this study as a basis of how they

would form the messages they communicate to one another in order to present a better

and more effective way of communicating tasks, instructions, and encouragement.

Following up on basketball analysts criticisms on the team's lack of focus and apparent

confusion, the team could pick up lessons from the study's findings to further improve

how they interacted on and off the court.

CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The study aims to discover how motivation occurred in the context of

communication within the Season 74 UP Fighting Maroons. Once again, according to

Hobson (1949), basketball is a sport that requires a lot of communication from both the

coaches and players.

The study assumes that this setting within the team has similarities with other

cultures that share the same phenomenon of communicating and motivating in a small

community.

A. Ethnography of Communication

In a similar study of communication practices conducted by Rodriguez (2006) in a

setting of a flower market, she was able to uncover a general culture of communication in

that setting. With the framework of Dell Hymes' SPEAKING Grid in mind, she was able

to describe the setting of Dangwa, Manila as a flower market whose speech participants

consisted of the vendors and their interactions with their customers, in which the goal of

these interactions were to gain profit. The act of communication occurred in instances

where the vendors were selling their wares, wherein they engaged in casual, serious and

formal conversations. She concluded that interaction and communication in Dangwa,

Manila occurred as cyclical activities that are under a genre of a specialized market

setting.

The study aims to make use of the framework Rodriguez used to uncover the

communication culture of the UP Fighting Maroons. Instead of exploring the setting of a

flower market, where the vendors make use of communication to achieve profit, the

researcher would observe the occurrence of communicating and interacting motivation in

29

the setting of a basketball team who shares a goal of winning as many as they can in a

tournament.

In another ethnographic study, Dagohoy (2004) explored how individuals'

identity, communicative styles and work ethics are affected in the call center industry.

Identity was defined by Dagohoy's study as the individual's self-concept: his or her

awareness of knowledge, and other values and beliefs that the individual lives by.

Communicative styles were seen to be shaped through the everyday interactions the call

center workers faced during their work hours. In an industry that relied mostly on

communication and interaction, the call center workers developed a work ethic that was

adaptive to the situation of the communication event.

The study on the UP Fighting Maroons, however, assumes that the individual

members are aware of their presence and participation in the team. Therefore, they have

their own identity, and share values, principles and rules amongst one another. Still, the

study explores the communication practices of the UP Fighting Maroons in a setting

where communication is used in the situation of a basketball game.

B. Communication in Small Groups

In his study of the communication patterns and group dynamics of celebrity fan

clubs, Parungao (2008) found that the primary reason these individuals formed the clubs

and came together was their shared admiration for the celebrity, Nora Aunor. Subjects of

interaction and communication among the members of these fan clubs were mostly issues

regarding the actress. The members made use of cell phones and landline telephones in

interacting with one another since the members cannot regularly meet one another

personally.

30

Despite huge differences between the setting of a fan club and a basketball team,

the study looks at the UP Fighting Maroons as a team of individuals who share the same

passion and knowledge for collegiate basketball. However, the researcher assumes that

communication between the members of the team will be solely through verbal means.

Communication mediums, such as cell phones and landline telephones, will be of no use

in a setting of a basketball game.

In Catapang and Mendoza's study on the sex “cyberculture” (the communication

and interactions) in the sex channels of the UnderNet Pinoy website, it was concluded

that communication culture in every community is created and produced through the

participants' convergence and constant interactive behaviors. It was also established that

although each culture has their own features, they end up intertwined with each other,

which follow the same principles that came with basic communication patterns that apply

to both; that both are cultures have similarities but are modified by environmental

differences. They also conclude that participants within the cybercommunities go through

processes and negotiation to establish their cultural and personal identities on the

channels.

What this study on the motivational communication culture of the UP Fighting

Maroons finds interesting on the mentioned study about sex cyberculture is that Catapang

and Mendoza's study stated that communication culture is created by its members'

interactions. Their study observed a wider community compared to a basketball team, but

was able to conclude communication phenomenon that could apply to the UP Fighting

Maroons' culture. The UP basketball team's participants, also, could be seen like the

individuals in the cybercommunities; that they create their identities through the constant

31

motion of communication and interaction. However, the researcher's study limits the

scope to within the UP Fighting Maroons, the men's varsity basketball team of the

university, unlike Catapang and Mendoza's study which equated the different channels in

UnderNet as different communities.

C. Communication in Sports

In a study on the value of communication skills in the outcomes of interactive

sports conducted by Sullivan (1993), sports teams and its members awareness on the

importance of communication increased as the observed teams were injected with

communication exercises and drills; the more that they made use of these exercises, the

higher increase in the effect of the perceived value of communication in the outcomes of

the games they participated in.

The study assumes that communication is an ever present phenomenon in

basketball, wherein teams would have to interact in calling out instructions and tasks.

With this premise in mind, brought by Sullivan, the study on the communication culture

of the UP Fighting Maroons will also look whether the team places high value in

communicating with one another during games. Presence of communication exercises

and drills, will not be covered by the study, however.

In a previous undergraduate thesis by Mayrina (1997) on communication’s role in

within the UP Junior Maroons, he stated that communication plays an important role in

cohesion formation of teams. The better communication there was, the stronger cohesion

there will be. Frequent interactions in the team thus led to higher familiarity among the

members.

With this premise in mind, the study will also try to look at how familiar the

32

members of the UP Fighting Maroons are to each other in terms of their verbal

interactions and how they present themselves in the interaction. The results of the study,

though, could be considered as data in the future studies that could correlate team

cohesion to game outcomes.

D. Communication and Motivation

A study by Neil, et al. (2009) regarding the relation of a coach’s communication

strategy and style to an athlete’s performance and motivation categorized strategies as

democratic, autocratic, situational consideration, and positive feedback. Their findings

showed that coaches who approach their players with a democratic communication,

situational consideration and positive feedback strategy resulted to the player being

motivated.

The study on the Fighting Maroons will use this premise in observing how the

head coach, Ricky Dandan, would address the players during interaction. However, this

premise will also be considered in observing not just how Coach Ricky interacts with the

players, but also in the interactions of players amongst themselves, and also to situations

where coaches communicate with one another. This will be in terms of the tone and

manner in which motivation is communicated to the intended receiver.

Heisel's (2000) study on the effects of strategic verbal aggression on the

enhancement of motivation in the environment of a classroom found that high intensity

levels of verbal aggression resulted to high levels of motivation. However, if the source

of verbal aggression was perceived by the recipients as someone who cared for their

conditions in the classroom, the recipients had high levels of motivation along with

approval for the source of verbal aggression.

33

The researcher, prior to the study, has seen verbal aggression being delivered by

the coaches of the UP Fighting Maroons whenever the players weren't able to follow

proper instructions during the team's practices. The study then would incorporate this

premise during games where it would be observed whether the players would follow up

on the verbal aggression used by the coaches during interaction. The study would also

look whether the players would use verbal aggression amongst themselves. However, this

would still be under the scope of how communicated motivation is delivered within the

team.

E. Motivation in Sports

In Klint and Weiss' (1987) study on the motives of participation in youth sports

where child gymnasts were surveyed, they found that affiliation, or identification as a

member of the gymnastics groups, was the source of motivation within the child

gymnasts.

This premise can be applied to the observation of the UP Fighting Maroons'

culture of communicating motivation. The study looks to explore how coaches and

players communicate motivation and this premise is a form of motivation that would be

uncovered by the study. However, this premise needs to discuss deeper the implication of

being a member of the Fighting Maroons.

Vallerand (1983), in his study of the effects of different amounts positive verbal

feedback on intrinsic motivation of hockey players, believed that sports are representative

of intrinsically motivating activities. He stated that intrinsic motivation is increased when

there is positive feedback as it gives the athlete a feeling of competence towards what he

does on the playing field. He also found out that the amounts of positive feedback is

34

irregardless to the increase of intrinsic motivation. Athletes then use positive feedback as

a gauge of how they are performing.

Feedback is not a stranger to the UP Fighting Maroons. In tune-up games prior to

the UAAP, the researcher has seen the team's members providing feedback and solutions

to each other. The premise enables the study to take not of feedback as motivation during

the communication and interaction of the members of the Fighting Maroons.

In a study done by Pelletier and his associates (1995) on the different

determinants of motivation in sports, Extrinsic motivation was defined as varieties of

actions that serves as a catalyst to a certain goal and not just for a personal gain. They

also presented in their study the different kinds of extrinsic motivation: External

Regulation, Introjection, and Identification. Their research revealed that when athletes

were extrinsically motivated, they perform the minimum effort required to earn the

reward they desire. Intrisic motivation, on the other hand, was the desire to learn, to

achieve a personal accomplishment, and to experience stimulation, whether it be sensory

or aesthetic.

These concepts on motivation Pelletier et. al. found will be one part of the what

the study will use as concepts in its framework in studying how the UP Fighting Maroons

communicate motivation to one another. Further discussion will be tackled in the

following chapter of this study.

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F. Synthesis

In general, the study looks to identify the communication practices of the UP

Fighting Maroons; where communication is the medium that brings motivation to the

team.

Communication, according to the mentioned studies, serves as either factors of

outcomes and cohesion among a team's collective and individual mentality. These studies

look at communication as a factor, a presence that could affect outcomes of the games

and sporting events. The study on the Fighting Maroons communication practices look

more on the culture of how the members of the team interacts individually and

collectively as they participate in the official games of the UAAP.

Most of these studies have taken motivation in the sense that there is a reward,

whether or not it be material, physiological or psychological, in all actions undertaken

due to experiencing a state of being motivated. These studies look at motivation as a

reason why an individual performs a task. In turn, the study looks at motivation in the UP

Fighting Maroons as a message from an individual that encourages and enables their

intended audience to bring out their full potential in order to achieve an outcome on the

basketball court. The study's pattern of motivation is more on how motivation is present

and communicated in the setting of the observed basketball team.

The researcher has found that there has been little study that looks at the

relationship between communication and motivation. Despite Neil and his associates

being able to uncover a relationship of motivation in a coach's communication styles

towards his players, the study on the UP men's basketball team looks to identify how

motivation is communicated by the whole team, without looking at the individual

36

communicative styles used by its members.

By the end of this study, the researcher aims to uncover the presence of

motivation in the UP Fighting Maroons for the UAAP's 74th season given the premises

that the mentioned studies have speculated.

CHAPTER III. STUDY FRAMEWORK

In exploring the motivational communication patterns within the UP Fighting

Maroons, the researcher mainly made use of an ethnographic approach.

The ethnographic approach comes into play by determining how the members of

the UP Fighting Maroons speak to each other in the sense of motivating one another. This

approach looks to shed light on how different environmental settings and situations of

games played with the team’s way of communicating motivation.

Dell Hymes’ concepts in the ethnographic study of communication would enable

the study to find out how the UP Fighting Maroons is a team that has their own form of

communicating motivation.

Strategies and styles of motivating by the coaches and players of the UP Men’s

Basketball team would be compared to that of what Vockell and Pelletier, et. al. have

studied; to whether or not the communication is strictly within the different forms of

Extrinsic, and Interpersonal motivation.

The study then aims to show whether these two forms of motivation are found in

the communication of the team's members.

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A. Theoretical Framework

1. The Ethnography of Communication

The ethnography of communication is the application of ethnographic methods to

the communication patterns of the group; wherein the interpreter tries to make meanings

of the different kinds of communication employed by individuals of a certain culture or

community. (Littlejohn, 1992)

A speech community is conceptualized by Dell Hymes (1974) that describes a

community or a culture that uses a common code. He continued by stating that speech

communities are vastly different from one another, and with that generalization would

appear difficult. Littlejohn also enforces Hymes by stating that anything can be a form of

communication as long as the members in that community see it as such.

In order to achieve a method of observing speech communities, Hymes, through

the use of comparative communication, created categories which serve as a measure to

compare different cultures. The categories are:

1. Ways of speaking

2. Ideal of the fluent speaker

3. Speech community

4. Speech situation

5. Speech event

6. Speech act

7. Components of speech acts

8. The rules of speaking in the community

9. The functions of speech in the community

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1. Dell Hymes' S.P.E.A.K.I.N.G Grid

Dell Hymes formulated the S.P.E.A.K.I.N.G. grid (Wharton, 2007) that placed the

speech act, speech event, and speech situation in higher regard compared to the

comparative communication method despite keeping other aspects of the former method.

The speech act serves as the basic unit of interaction, or how the individuals

communicated. The speech event is the “when” and “where” the incident occurred in the

speech situation, or the context and reason to which everything has happened.

These three figures are summarized as the speech act being embedded into the

speech event, which is also in turn embedded into the speech situation.

Every letter in the grid's name represents a certain aspect of communication that is

to be observed and discovered. (Schiffrin, 1994)

S stands for Scene-Setting/Setting, which consists of the physical setting and the

psychological scene the speech community adheres to it. Wherein time and space is the

defining criteria, while cultural setting stands as how it is perceived by the participants.

P is for Participants: the speakers, the audiences; Basically, the individuals who are

involved in the communication situation.

E is for Ends, or the purposes and goals of the communication in the community.

A stands as the Act, or the communication's message.

K is the Key, or the manner in which the communication incident has happened.

I is for Instrumentalities; the verbal and non-verbal channels in which the

communication occurred in.

N is for the Norms of Interaction, or the rules governing when, how, and how often

communication occurs.

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G, finally, is for Genre, or the structure in which the communication is happening in.

2. Extrinsic and Interpersonal Motivation

Different concepts from and findings from studies on motivation were used to

determine what constitutes as motivation in the UP Fighting Maroons' communication

practices.

In Vockell's book, Educational Psychology: A Practical Approach (2001), he

describes motivation, in the simplest terms, as to “getting someone moving;” that in

motivating ourselves, we create conditions that would start or stop behavior. He relates

this to education by saying that, “motivation deals with the problem of setting up

conditions so that learners will perform to the best of their abilities in academic settings.”

Motivation, according to the mentioned literature (Vockell and Pelletier, et. al.) is

composed of three aspects namely, Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation, and

Interpersonal Motivation.

Vockell introduces Intrisic motivation as motivation “to engage in activities that

enhance or maintain a person's self-concept.” It is basically one's initiative and

engagement purely from the satisfaction taken from doing an activity. This form of

motivation, however, will be set aside by the study since it basically is a personal process;

meaning that motivation occurs within oneself. The researcher aims to gather the

communication that happens at face value within the team; meaning that there is an actual

exchange or action that is occurring between two or more individuals.

Pelletier et al., presented three kinds of Extrinsic motivation in their study

namely: External Regulation, Introjection, and Identification.

External Regulation is when one acts in accordance to external sources; the

41

gaining of material rewards, or positive and negative feedback, for example. Introjection

is when the external sources have been internalized and that the physical presence is not

needed for the person to act what is needed. Identification is when the person places

value and importance to the action that he or she chooses to perform that action.

Vockell's Interpersonal motivation took three forms as well: Competition,

Cooperation, and Recognition.

Competition is the self-enhancement of people's self-esteem when they are able to

compare their performance to that of others. Cooperation is when people derive

satisfaction from their group's collective achievement/s. Recognition is the desire for

efforts and accomplishments to be complimented and recognized by others. This requires

the visibility of the work of the person or the people involved.

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B. Conceptual Framework

The study took on Dell Hymes’ concepts and the observations that the researcher

underwent were all under the idea that the UP Fighting Maroons is a speech community

where speech acts occur in speech events under speech situations. Hymes’ SPEAKING

Grid was used as the main gauge of recording the potential data through the observations

made during practices and games. The categories presented by this process (namely the

eight mentioned in the previous subset of the chapter) constituted as gauges during the

on-hand observation of the team's communication.

With regards to Hymes' SPEAKING Grid, observations were made in select

situations (presented in the next chapter, Methodology) in which there is interaction. The

researcher considered interaction and communication as occurrences where members of

the team engaged in exchanging messages with one another. The communication the

study looked at could be between a coach and a player, a player and another player, or

amongst coaches and so on.

Pelletier et. al. and Vockell's definitions and concepts on Extrinsic and

Interpersonal Motivation were then converged with Hymes' SPEAKING Grid.

Furthermore, the study looked at the communication of two or more members of

the UP Fighting Maroons, and assumed that communication occurred only in the

interaction of two or more people. With that in mind, Intrinsic motivation was not

covered by the study due to its personal setting. It is assumed for the study that

communication occurs between two or more individuals, thus leaving out premises where

intrapersonal communication occurs.

For Pelletier et. al.'s divisions on External Motivation, the researcher assumed to

43

find messages in the UP Fighting Maroons' communication practices that related to the

three kinds of the mentioned form of motivation. For External Regulation, wherein an

individual acts in accordance to an external source or outcome, could be in terms of, for

example, a coach telling a player to play better in order for him to gain the respect of the

team. For Introjection, or where further presence of the external source is not needed for

the individual to act, an example could be when a player tells another player to do what

he needs to do without further reiterating details (phrases like, “You know what to do”

and the like.) Identification, or when an individual places value to the action that he wills

and chooses to do that action, can be seen when a coach reminds the player the

importance of doing a certain task in the game that could help the team win (given that

the player would want to win.)

The concepts of Pelletier, et al.'s Extrinsic Motivation sorted the observations

made on communication done by two or more individuals. Vockell's Interpersonal

Motivation, however, took into context the communication that refers to the team.

Vockell's concepts on Interpersonal Communication related to how the UP

Fighting Maroons communicated collectively from the coaches to the players, or the

players to each other, and so on. On the concept of Competition, where a comparison

occurs as the trigger of a group's self-enhancement, this could be where the coaches (or

the head coach) compare the players' performance to that of the other team's; where the

coaches could say that the team performed poorly and that they should out-do their

opponents. Cooperation, an instance where the group derives satisfaction from their

collective achievements, could be seen as where the coaches tells the players what actions

they have done well in order for them to enter a state where they are satisfied with how

44

the played in the game. Recognition, or a group's desire for their accomplishments to be

complimented, could be seen as when the players tell one another that if they perform

well, they would get the respect that they desire from the other teams, for example.

With all these in mind, the researcher hopes to achieve a model shown below:

Model 1. SPEAKING-Motivation Integrated Conceptual Model

With this projected model in mind, the desired outcome of the study's observation

of how motivation is communicated in the communication culture of the UP Fighting

Maroons will be found in the convergence zone of the two “circles”. The study, through

this framework, assumes that the results of the observed concepts from Hymes'

SPEAKING Grid are key to identifying the situations where Vockell and Pelletier et. al.'s

concepts on Extrinsic and Interpersonal Motivation are found in the communication

practices of the team.

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C. Operational Framework

With the integration of Dell Hymes' concepts with Pelletier, et. al. and Vockell's,

the study will identify the operations and indicators of these concepts from the findings

and observations done by the researcher. Thus, this study on the UP Fighting Maroons'

communication regarding motivation aims to be a step in studying the relation of

communication and motivation in sports, specifically, basketball.

The study will be inductive in nature, thus an integrated operational framework

and model will therefore come as a result of this focused ethnography.

CHAPTER IV. METHODOLOGY

A. Research Design

The study used an ethnographic approach in exploring the communication within

the UP Fighting Maroons that involved the motivation of its members.

The study was qualitative in nature since the method of acquiring data in

identifying the communication within the Fighting Maroons was mostly via participant

observation (wherein the data was recorded by an observational guides) and conducted

focused interviews with the main members of the team.

The researcher is a current member of the Fighting Maroons management and

coaching staff and is present in most, if not all, of the team’s practices, games, events and

functions.

B. Units of Analysis

The UP Fighting Maroons, the study's main unit of analysis, is the official

basketball varsity representative of the University of the Philippines to the UAAP.

The Fighting Maroons has not tasted Basketball glory since the 1980’s. The last

“successful” season of the Fighting Maroons was back in 2004, where they picked up

from win-less first round performance and won six out of seven games in the second

round of the UAAP Basketball season. For the last three seasons, the UP Fighting

Maroons had won only three games.

The team for the incoming 74th season of the UAAP was the subject of the study.

The team had a roster of 15 players who were selected by the coaching staff months prior

to the start of the season.

This season showcased a revamped UP Fighting Maroons system and coaching

47

staff. Taking over the reins from Aboy Castro and Boyet Fernandez is Frederick “Ricky”

Dandan. Highlighting his staff are former UP varsity basketball players, Joey Mendoza,

Jojo Villa, Rey Madrid, Bob Noriega and Duane Salvatera, who were all members of the

Fighting Maroons back in the 1980’s. Mark Dandan, Coach Ricky Dandan's son, is also

part of the coaching staff along with Vic Bartolome, a former referee in the PBA, who is

in charge of the technicalities and rules of the game. Julio Veloso and Ronnie Dizer are

the conditioning coaches of the team. The researcher, Julio Silvestre, and Ron Anthony

Bartolome served as the team's student representatives to the team management and staff

and worked as occasional statisticians for the team.

With Coach Ricky Dandan’s arrival to the UP Fighting Maroons, a new system

was implemented that was patterned to his coaching style and philosophy in running a

basketball team.

With that in mind, the team's members and their interactions were the main units

of observation in the study since they were the source of communication throughout the

research process and data gathering.

The points of focus of the study were the characteristics and actions of the

coaches and players that were seen during games where observations took place during

the pre-game, half-time, and post-game meetings. The researcher believes that these three

events are essential due to the high level of communication and interaction within the

team that took place during those moments.

C. Research Instruments

Questionnaires were used in order to obtain the demographic characteristics and

profiles of the team’s members. (Refer to Questionnaires in Appendix A)

48

Questions profiled the coaches and players; first by identifying their names and

how they were called and addressed by each other during the observed periods during the

UAAP games the UP Fighting Maroons played in. By having an idea of the names and

nicknames of the team's members, the researcher was able to identify who the

interactions and messages were addressed to.

The coaches' legitimate positions on the team was also asked to identify hierarchy

and authority among the team's mentors. The researcher was interested in finding out

whether hierarchy was a factor in indicating how frequent coaches spoke up during the

observed team meetings during the games. In the case of the Fighting Maroons' players,

their academic year level and their status in the team served as the hierarchy amongst

themselves.

The questionnaire finally asked for languages the team members of the UP

Fighting Maroons spoke and understood. This part of the research tool aimed to identify

and assume if the people involved in the interactions and communication within the team

understood the meaning and context of what was being said during the meetings.

The researcher then ultimately made use of a matrix in observing, identifying and

describing the motivational communication events and details between members of the

UP Fighting Maroons during team functions. The matrix served as checklist during the

observation phase of the study. The following table (Table 1) below was the observational

guide the researcher used during the data gathering period of the study.

49

Table 1. SPEAKING-Motivation Observation Matrix

Setting Participants Ends Act Key Instrumentalities Norms of Interaction Genre

External Regulation

Introjection

Identification

Competition

Cooperation

Recognition

This matrix was able to contain notes and messages from the recorded data from

the interactions and communication during the observed meetings of the UP Fighting

Maroons during the UAAP games. This matrix also aided in identifying the physical

environment the team had to communicate and speak in, along with the key components

of Dell Hymes' SPEAKING Grid, Vockell and Pelletier et. al.'s concepts on Extrinsic

Motivation and Interpersonal Motivation, respectively.

Recording of data was made through the use of this matrix that served as the

study's observational guide. An audio recorder was used to gather the full messages (and

the interactions the researcher failed to write down) of the communicating and interacting

members of the Fighting Maroons during the selected events of the season.

D. Sampling

The study used purposive sampling, in general, to select the situations in which

the researcher would conduct the observations needed to come up with the results the

study desired.

Observed games were selected purposefully since the period of the UAAP season

followed a schedule, and every game of the UP Fighting Maroons were held on a specific

50

date. The study chose select games throughout the season where the data was more

efficient in terms of the researcher's availability.

The chosen games were on a basis of convenience. The researcher had planned

before the season the games in which he would take a more passive role in order to

conduct the study. By doing so, the team was able to find replacements that would take

the duties of the researcher to the UP Fighting Maroons during the selected games.

However, the selected games were short of the pre-planned number of games to be

observed since the researcher's replacements would have sudden commitments prior to

the games in which they were supposed to fill in for the researcher's tasks to the team.

Selected games, then, consisted of the following: the first round win against the

University of the East (a situation where the UP Fighting Maroons won a game after

almost two years, and where the team considered a “sure win”), second round games

against the University of Santo Tomas (a team the Fighting Maroons were prepared to

face), Ateneo de Manila University (the defending champions), the De La Salle

University (a game that was decided in the final seconds), and finally, the last game

against the University of the East, again (where the team considered the event a

“championship game”, also with the fact that it was one of the players' last games).

Within those selected games, the researcher chose, once again via convenience, to

observe the communication and interactions of the UP Fighting Maroons in the pre-game,

half-time, and post-game meetings.

These meetings had the best opportunities for the researcher to observe since the

setting of the chosen meetings was very focused to the game the Fighting Maroons were

competing in. The study assumed that motivation would be present in the communication

51

and interaction by the team's members under the situation of the game at hand; thus

providing the events and acts that the study looked to explore and describe.

E. Data Gathering

In the first-hand observation of the motivational communication of the UP

Fighting Maroons, the researcher recorded the pre-game, half-time, and post-game

meetings between the coaches and players via note-taking through the observational

matrix that was used and through audio recordings of each meeting. The meetings were

carefully observed since the coaches and players actively participate in interactions with

the whole team.

The study, however, encountered problems when it came to observation and the

recording of data. Not all games of the season were covered due to the researcher's

attention to his team duties on certain games. Technical problems encountered were times

when the audio-recorder malfunctioned or was not able record the verbal interactions

clearly. The lack of manpower was another encountered problem since the study needed

more researchers to fully grasp every moment of communication the study intended to

observe.

The researcher addressed technical problems by taking notes and the ideas with

the help of the observation matrix. Important details (the subject of the occurrence of

communication, the message of the speaker, for example) were then taken down as notes

also. Though it did not give a thorough recording of communication as what audio-

recorders could provide, by taking important details as notes, the researcher was able to

“record” by this method, the ideas and situations where communication occurred.

On the issues of manpower and the times where the researcher had to attend to his

52

duties to the team, the researcher was able to plan out before the season the games that

would be observed for the study. To make up for the lack of manpower, the researcher

observed three chosen events during game days, namely, the pre-game, half-time, and

post-game meetings. (For more details regarding the chosen games and team events, refer

to Sampling on page 34.)

At the start of every meeting, the researcher looked for a section in the meeting's

venue where there would be no obstruction to the observation the researcher conducted.

The audio-recorder was placed in whatever middle ground the room had between the

members of the team. The researcher needed a clear area in order to efficiently observe

the meetings in order to be able to achieve the results that the study wanted to find.

Once the meeting had gone underway, the researcher took into context the scenes,

events, messages, and utterances that were deemed useful and related to the study

through the recording device and via observation through the guiding matrix the study

formulated. The team members' behavior were observed as well as the tone and manner

in which they interacted and spoke to one another. Every form of behavior that the

researcher considered as interaction and communication were taken note of during the

period of observation; from the coaches' briefing of the players regarding the upcoming,

current, or past game, up to the small individual conversations between the team's

members.

Data that was in accordance to the concepts that the study looked to find were

gathered until the end of the observed meeting. Once the meeting ended, the researcher

archived the gathered and recorded data and organized what was taken note of into digital

form on a laptop computer. The audio recordings were also transferred from the recording

53

device and onto the computer.

Once the data was interpreted (via the data analysis method used by the study)

from notes, journals, and audio into transcribed digital form, the researcher sorted the

findings according to the games in which they were observed from. The researcher then

sorted the findings into three sections: pre-game, half-time, and post-game meetings.

Once sorted in these sections, the study then looked for the conveyed and

conversed motivation messages that were present in interactions and communication

observed in the UP Fighting Maroons meetings. These findings that were in-sync to what

the study aimed to bring out were then described from the beginning of the meeting up to

its end.

The format of these meetings were then summarized by the study that gave the

researcher a picture to how they go about.

Overall, these meetings ranged from five minutes up to twenty minutes at the

maximum. Pre-Game meetings were the longest of the three, while the Half-Time and

Post-Game meetings ranged about the same time. There were instances, though, that the

meetings ended minutes too short, or too long, but it will be shown in the next section of

this discussion.

The observed official UAAP games for the UP Fighting Maroons were all held at

the Smart-Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City. The meetings took place in the

“dug-out” (locker room) the UP Fighting Maroons were assigned to by the UAAP

organizers. These rooms had cubicles where the players stationed themselves during the

meetings. The coaches and other members of the staff, on the other hand, situated

themselves usually across (without their own cubicles though), facing the players. Head

54

coach Ricky Dandan would then take his place in front of the players; usually where the

whiteboard stand was situated in the room. The rooms were spacious and did not have

much obstruction between the members of the team, thus preventing muffled

communication within the “dug-out”.

F. Data Analysis

The data at the end of the observations done by the researcher was analyzed

through the qualitative method of classification wherein the observed actions and

messages that were communicated by the UP Fighting Maroons during game meetings

were inclusively categorized into the different concepts of Vockell and Pelletier et. al.'s

Extrinsic Motivation.

Through the aid of the observational matrix, the observed instances during UAAP

games were broken down according to the study framework's concepts. Once the findings

were broken down, observed moments and interactions were interpreted into the different

concepts. Specific communicative actions, behavior, and interactions that were performed

and practiced by the team's members were aligned to the concepts of motivation. By

doing so, the study was able to form a foundation of summarized data that was due to be

interpreted according to the study's goals and objectives.

CHAPTER V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

After observing and recording the games in the duration of the UP Fighting

Maroons' UAAP season, the researcher deemed it necessary to provide a summary of

what happened to the team throughout and at the end of the tournament. The researcher

believed that this would shed light to the idea and themes of the motivational

communication that occurred during the team's observed moments.

A format and summary of every observed game was also deemed necessary by the

researcher as to provide a more focused evidence of the motivational communication that

occurred between the team's members.

A. Summary of the UAAP Season 74

After 14 elimination games in two rounds, the UP Fighting Maroons finished at

last place once again with two wins and twelve lost games. Francis Maniego, the longest

tenured player in the UAAP (having played nine years total for the UP Fighting Maroons,

four years in high school, five in college), also bid farewell to the team due to his

graduating status.

The team's winning two games were all from the first round that included an

“upset” victory over a championship-caliber team, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws.

The other win was over the University of the East Red Warriors, which was the first game

won by the Fighting Maroons for over two years.

Coach Ricky summarized the season when he told the team that there was

improvement, referring to the two won games. but the team still had a long way to go.

Despite the two wins, the team still placed last in the rankings after the two rounds of

elimination. However, throughout the season, he kept reiterating that the UP Fighting

56

Maroons was still a team undergoing a process to improve and develop in the following

years. Season 74 was that season of work, where there had no guarantees of the gold

coming from the team, and that they were aiming to win as much as they can. The UP

Fighting Maroons had nothing to lose, but everything to gain.

He ended Season 74 by giving the players a long break from basketball (after nine

months of preparation), and by telling the players that the next season, placing in the

Final Four will be the goal.

If motivation was considered as how one colloquially defines it, it was definitely present

in how the UP Fighting Maroons communicated. Simple words of encouragement, from

cheers of “Let's go!” up to phrases like, “Do what it takes!”, could be considered as

motivation since the objective upon saying the words and phrases was for the players to

be driven to succeed in their performance in the game. In the study's findings,

communication was observed in the interaction of the team's members, the coaches and

players, during the three meetings they encounter during official games of the past UAAP

season.

When it came to attendance, the meetings start if all the members of both the

coaching staff and the players of the UP Fighting Maroons were present in the dug-out.

Coach Ricky sometimes would start the meetings despite not having members of the

coaching staff and management at full attendance. Meetings, however, would not start if

any one of the players were not there. The meeting then starts when everyone had settled

in their respective places in the room.

The meetings end with a prayer and a “huddle cheer”, or when the team assembles

themselves at the center of the room and cheer altogether whatever Coach Ricky had

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assigned in his speech. The coaches, usually Coach Jojo (Villa), led the prayers at the end

of these team meetings during games. Once the prayer has ended, everyone assembles in

the center (or whatever common ground in the room where everyone has access to).

Coach Ricky then leads the team in the “huddle cheer”, thus dismissing the team meeting.

As mentioned previously, the study observed the three team meetings that

occurred during the season's games, namely: the Pre-Game meeting, the Half-Time

meeting, and the Post-Game Meeting.

1. Pre-Game Meeting

The Pre-Game meeting is all about preparations for the games the UP Fighting

Maroons would compete in the following moments. These meetings are held twenty to

thirty minutes before the game starts, and lasts for ten minutes at minimum. This event is

more of a briefing session of what the team should expect to happen in the game and

what the team should do during the game.

Coach Ricky starts the meetings by proceeding to analyze and discuss the team

the UP Fighting Maroons are about to face. He then discusses the opponent's strategies

and plays; first, the opponent as a team, and then to the other team's individual players'

movements and tendencies. He usually points out the advantages the UP Fighting

Maroons over the other team, and vice versa. Identifying strengths and weaknesses are a

necessary part of these meetings.

Once all these points about the other team were tackled, Coach Ricky then talks

about the UP Fighting Maroons' movement and dynamics during the game. He often

starts pointing out descriptions and criticisms of the team in relation to what they have

done in the past game (or in terms of the season's first game, last season), and then what

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they can do to make up for what they lacked in that previous game or season. He also

asks the players, or sometimes address them individually, whenever he wants to point out

something important to the team.

Coach Ricky then moves on to the UP Fighting Maroons' defensive patterns,

practices, and plays. He reminds the players of what they have done in practices in

preparation for the game. Specific points are then included when it came to certain

situations the players could encounter on the court during the game. After discussing

defense with the team, Coach Ricky proceeds to brief the Fighting Maroons' offensive

plays and the different situations and moves the players could do on the court when faced

with a certain situation (for example, “double team” situations).

After discussing game strategies, Coach Ricky proceeds to hype up the team and

rallies them together for the Pre-Game meeting's ending prayer and “huddle cheer”. Team

members start to cheer each other on with clapping hands while complimenting or

encourging one another.

2. Half-Time Meeting

After the first two ten-minute quarters of the game, both teams playing are given

ten minutes to meet and discuss the first half of the game in their respective dug-outs.

Whoever was closest to the entrance of the “dug-outs” got to enter that area first.

Half-Time meetings by the UP Fighting Maroons lasts for, more or less, five

minutes after the team has settled down inside the “dug-out”.

The team's mood depends on how they performed in the first half of the game, but

still, the situations varies. This will be taken more into context in the final sections of this

study.

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Before entering the “dug-out”, the coaches have a short meeting at the room's

entrance where they discuss what should be pointed out to the team during the meeting.

Inside, Coach Ricky starts the meeting after taking a look at the game's statistics

UAAP officials provide during the half-time break. He first discusses the team's

performance basing on the on-paper statistics, and what the UP Fighting Maroons could

do to improve or maintain their team's statistics.

Once that is settled, he proceeds to discuss the team's actual performance and

output on the court in regard to how their opponents plays. He starts with how the

Fighting Maroons should adjust and implement their defensive plays on the actions of

their opponents. On offense, he reminds the players of the game-situation strategies that

they have prepared for. If the other team is leading, Coach Ricky asks and imposes that

the team should play harder. If the UP Fighting Maroons are leading (no matter how

many points), he tells and reminds the team to sustain the way they played to get that lead

and to keep themselves composed in order for them not to lose the lead they worked for.

Everything that was talked about is then summarized and the half-time meeting

proceeds to Coach Jojo's end prayer. The team then assembles for their “huddle cheer”

led by Coach Ricky. The Fighting Maroons would then make their way back into the

playing court for the next half of the game.

3. Post-Game Meeting

Once the game ends, the teams sing their respective school hymns before

proceeding back into their assigned lockers or “dug-outs”.

The team quickly settles down inside the room, with all members of the players

and coaching staff there ready to assess the finished game. Meetings after the games are

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usually not as long as the pre-game meetings, but depending on the situation, there are

games when the coaching staff, especially Coach Ricky, had a lot to say.

In a loss, Coach Ricky proceeds to criticize the Fighting Maroons' performance in

the game. Along with the other coaches, he points out what the team lacked in

performance, whether it be effort or good judgment, usually. All this, however, is still

under a case-to-case basis wherein there are different situations where these formats are

followed.

On defense, he talks about what the players could have done in order to limit their

opponents' offense. He points out certain situations where the team was out-maneuvered

by the opposing team's offense. On the Fighting Maroons' offense, it is all about

judgment and usually how the ball was distributed to the players of the team.

Off winning games, as mentioned earlier, Coach Ricky either praises the team or

still criticizes the performance. This analysis would be in a lighter tone, and he does not

dwell on the team's short-comings as much compared to when the team loses games.

Once the game has been summarized, Coach Ricky mentions the next game the

UP Fighting Maroons would play in and presents a few points on what they will expect

and prepare for the next opponent they would face. He then calls Coach Jojo (if Coach

Jojo is not present, Coach Joey Mendoza takes his place. In some scenarios during the

pre-season, Coach Ricky led the prayers) for the final prayer. The team then huddles

together after final instructions and reminders by the coaching staff and proceeds to their

“huddle cheer” to end the meeting.

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B. Summary of Observed Games

Once these meetings' formats were uncovered, the researcher proceeded in

observing the communication and interactions that occurred in the UP Fighting Maroons.

The next section provides the summarized results of the observations, sorted for

every game, and again sorted into the three observed meetings that happened during the

official UAAP games.

1. First Round, Against the University of the East (July 14, 2011)

The team was very anxious to play the first game against UE this season. Critics

and basketball analysts have deemed the game as the only “winnable” game for each

team (but at the end of the season, both UE and the UP Fighting Maroons proved them

wrong by beating heavily favored teams like DLSU and FEU). This would also be the

first win the UP Fighting Maroons would claim since Season 72 back in 2009.

The UP Fighting Maroons ended up winning this game, 69-61, over the UE Red

Warriors.

1. Pre-Game Meeting

The team settled down in the “dug-out” after warming up and stretching on the

basketball court of the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. The practice was routine for them in

order for them to get the feel of the ball for the upcoming game in a moment's time. This

also happened before meetings and it was Coach Ricky who told them to come inside

when it was time for the first meeting of the UP Fighting Maroons in Season 74 of the

UAAP.

“Ano meron?” (“What's the matter?”) was the first question Coach Ricky asked

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the players, in a light way. The locker room was silent, first games were always big

games for any team. He broke the anxiety the team had after that comment.

Coach Ricky then proceeded to discuss strategies, with some additional points

given by the other members of the coaching staff. The “dug-out” suddenly had a

“classroom” feeling where Coach Ricky was the teacher, and the players were the

students who were being constantly taught and reminded of what to do in the game. On

offense, particularly, he reiterated the phrase, “Let things flow!” and by doing so, the

offense would come to the Fighting Maroons' desire to win. By letting things flow on

offense, better passes would be made that would open up the area for the players to make

their field goals.

“If you can go (open), attack! Go take your lay-ups! We will create our own

chaos.” By that, it was an extension of letting things flow in the game. The team's

offensive strategy was basically continuous movement, henceforth called, “motion” by

the team. By creating “chaos” via “attacking open spaces” to the basketball court's goal

(the ring or hoop), the Fighting Maroons were able to “let things flow” by sustaining the

“motion”. With every attack to the basket, open spaces were created that led to open

shots. That was the goal of the strategy Coach Ricky had prepared for the players of the

UP Fighting Maroons.

Once he had discussed game strategies, Coach Ricky exclaimed, “watch out for

each other and we'll be fine.” He referred to the team trusting one another since the roster

was a relatively new team who had four rookies in Alinko Mbah, Paolo Romero, Anjelo

Montecastro, and Robby Wierzba, plus three returning players (they didn't play for the

past two seasons due to academic load and personal reasons) in Michael Gamboa, Julius

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Wong, and Don Fortu. Almost half the team wasn't there in the last season, and most of

the players coming back from Season 73 didn't have that much playing time during that

season, except for Michael Silungan and Mark Juruena, who were regular members of the

starting five back then. They were playing in a new system and Coach Ricky wanted

them to trust each other in order to achieve the system they needed to let things flow in

the game.

Before dismissing the, Coach Ricky told the players to calm down and to, “Enjoy

the moment. Live for this moment. Play for each other.” The players entered the locker

room in anxiety, and Coach Ricky had to take that feeling away from them. By saying

these things, he reminded the players that after all this, it was all just a game wherein they

had to play properly as a team.

Coach Jojo Villa then proceeded with his end meeting prayer, with members of

the team (mostly Coach Bob Noriega) clapping their hands and cheering, “Let's go!” and

“Start strong!” The team then cheered in the final huddle, which was led by Coach Ricky

shouting, “UP!” to which the team responded to. The Fighting Maroons then marched

onto the court for their first game of their season.

2. Half-Time Meeting

Heading inside the “dug-out”, team members were clapping and cheering the

players on. The members were smiling and a positive mood filled the room. Once

everyone was settled inside the “dug-out” after the first two quarters of the game, Coach

Ricky only reminded the players to continue to let things flow. The team was ahead

several points over UE. He told the players to “sustain” what they have been doing for

the first two quarters. By sustaining the tempo the UP Fighting Maroons performed in the

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first half the game, the team would be able to finish the game with a win.

When it came to individual movement, Coach Ricky spoke to Jelo regarding his

performance. He encouraged the rookie point guard to continue what he was doing and

to, “not hold back.” Jelo, at that time, made the offense move in its motion by attacking

the basketball goal. “Sa takot ni Coach Jerry (Codinera, UE's head coach), limang tao

bumabantay!” (“Coach Jerry is so afraid he has to make five of his players guard

Jelo!”) Coach Ricky added in his address to Jelo.

Once the Half-Time meeting was over, everyone started clapping once more; with

coaches shouting, “Sustain!” Coach Bob was barking, “Strong third! Strong third!”

which pertained to the team starting off strong in the second half.

3. Post-Game Meeting

The room was filled with the sound of laughter and clapping hands as everyone

entered. The UP Fighting Maroons had finally won its first game after two long years.

Cheers ranged from, “Nice one, boys!” up to, “Let's go, let's go!” was heard as everyone

was settling down. The room fell silent when Coach Ricky started speaking.

“Sorry to burst your bubble, guys, but we have done nothing yet. Just one game.

Reality bites,” he told the team. It was the first of thirteen more games in the season and

Coach Ricky was just there to remind the players that season had not ended with just one

game. There was still a lot to do, a lot more opponents to play, he told them, and that they

would take one game at a time. “We're out to win as many as we can,” he continued,

reminding the team to not settle for that one game.

He then congratulated the team on its first win of the season by saying, “Natural

lang matuwa. (It's natural to be happy.) Celebrate it, enjoy the moment. Celebrate it with

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yourself, with your teammates, with your family and friends. Pero 'pag labas niyo ng

dug-out, walang mayabang. (But when you go out of this locker room, no one acts cocky

and arrogant.)” The team, indeed, won but the value of humility was still a virtue Coach

Ricky upheld to the UP Fighting Maroons.

End prayers were again led by Coach Jojo, and the team ended the day with the

final huddle cheer.

2. Second Round, Against the University of Santo Tomas (August 14, 2011)

After finishing the round with a record of two wins and five losses, the UP

Fighting Maroons looked to start anew in the second round. This first second-round game

was against the UST Growling Tigers, the team who gave the Fighting Maroons their

fifth loss (that game was also the last game of the first round). The Fighting Maroons

were prepared for UST, since they had the opportunity to face the same team for two

games in a row. UP lost to UST, 66-49, in the first round. UST was a team looking to

make it to the final top four teams of the UAAP tournament, while UP was a team who

wanted to bounce back and win.

Unfortunately, the UP Fighting Maroons lost this game once again to UST, 77-70.

The game had a close score deficit throughout and it was one of the games where Coach

Ricky acknowledged that the team played with a lot of effort.

1. Pre-Game Meeting

“'Pag sinabing gagawin, gagawin!” (“If you're going to say that you're going to

do it, you better do it!”) Coach Ricky shouted as the team settled in. It was not a shout of

anger but more of trying to push a point to the players. He was referring to instances in

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the last game against UST where the players of the Fighting Maroons were unable to

follow a defensive movement that Coach Ricky called. “Whoever I put on him (referring

to UST's point guard, Jeric Fortuna), when I say you do it, you do everything!” Since the

players failed to follow Coach Ricky's instructions in the past game, Jeric Fortuna was

able to score sixteen points, which led UST to the win.

Coach Ricky continued the pre-game meeting by pointing out the individual

tendencies of UST's main players and how the players of UP could have contained them.

Aside from Fortuna's sixteen points, he was also able to get nine rebounds in the last

game. Coach Ricky pointed it out by asking the players who would defend Fortuna,

“When he doesn't have the ball, what do you do?”

Jelo attempts to answer with, “Locate?” to which Coach Ricky responded that

Jelo didn't have to locate. “Ina-asawa mo na 'yun eh! (You have to hound him!) If he

doesn't have the ball, you're still chasing him. Katabi niyo pa rin 'yan! (You should

always be beside him!)” to which he told everyone as a reminder of how important it is to

keep up with the man they were defending.

UST was a taller team compared to the UP Fighting Maroons thus Coach Ricky

spent more time discussing how the players would deal with the bigger opponents. Karim

Abdul, UST's Cameroonian import, was then the focus of Coach Ricky. Abdul had

fourteen rebounds (UST out-rebounded UP in the last game), to which Coach Ricky

asked Alinko, MJ, and Martin, “What does it take?” He proceeded then to explain how

the rotation should move in case a UST player penetrates that could make Abdul open for

a shot near the goal. “He's big. When the shot is up, you're taking him AND you have

your hands up. You initiate contact first. Malaki 'yan, isang ganito (Coach Ricky

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motioned a “box out” move) lang sa inyo 'yan (He's big. He can create with a single

motion). Initiate contact, hold your ground.” That was his directions to the UP players

who would match up on Abdul on defense and rebounding. In initiating contact, the

players will be able to contain the bigger man, thus having a greater chance to get the ball

and the rebound.

The reason why rebounding was important to the UP Fighting Maroons was that

they were second in the rankings in terms of fast-break points at that time of the season.

With that, Coach Ricky aimed to utilize that advantage of the UP Fighting Maroons by

pointing out the mentioned instructions. Good rebounding would then fuel the fast-break,

thus giving the team more opportunity to score. He addressed the team's rebounding

tendencies by adding these additional instructions, “When the ball is up, bam, bam, bam!

(motioning on the whiteboard where the players should be located on the court) You hit

somebody down! 'Pag bola nasa taas, wala kang pag-asa makuha (If the ball is too high

and you have no chance to get it), don't even jump! Look for somebody to block out from

the ball's path!”

To further point out the importance of getting the ball off the opponent's missed

shot and relating it to the fast-break opportunity, Coach Ricky said, “When the ball is

tapped, and is going down... Natapik 'yung bola at bumaba (When the ball is slapped and

falls down hard), what do you do? Malapit na 'yung bola kahit wala pa sa iyo sa baba.

(The ball is near you but it's not with you yet.) Mo?” to which Moriah Gingerich, an

American shooting guard for the team answered with, “Chase.” to which Coach Ricky

added, “You go pursue and dive for that ball! That will fuel our fast-break! Something

that has not been with us the past two games. That fuels our fast-break.” With all those

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said, Coach Ricky ended that part of the meeting by telling the players to, “do what it

takes!” By doing so, the team would be able to, indeed, utilize their advantage and

strength.

Coach Ricky then addressed the players of the Fighting Maroons next once he

wrapped up all the needed points on the main players of UST.

“Okay. This is a very important word for us today. SUSTAIN.” In the last game,

the UP Fighting Maroons were not too far behind UST's lead for the first parts of the

game. It was only in the fourth quarter then where UST pulled away and increased the

deficit of the scores. “We need to sustain everything that we do for forty minutes

regardless of all the situations. We need to sustain everything we do.” referring to the

effort the Fighting Maroons lost at the latter part of the previous game that cost them the

win. Coach Ricky then pertained to their last couple of losses to where the Fighting

Maroons, “...looked like we could not sustain anything.” For the team, sustaining the

right amount of effort would give them positive outcomes and opportunities in the game.

Sustaining effort could have led to the team's fast-break offense.

On offense for the game, the team was told to not be contented with taking jump-

shots. As mentioned previously, when the players of the UP Fighting Maroons were

attacking the basket, it led to open teammates and better motion for the team's offense.

“Guys, sinabi ko naman sa inyo eh (Guys, I kept on telling you); If you're wide, wide

open, you shoot. But if it's an early shot and you're tempted to take it, read the situation,”

Coach Ricky reminded. He then mentioned several situations the players could take into

account when selecting their shots. Jett Manuel (a sophomore shooting guard) and Mike

Gamboa (a returning point guard) were then reminded to not rush the offense without

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reading situations. “'Wag kang magmamadali. (Do not be in a hurry),” Coach Ricky told

them.

Coach Ricky told the players how much he trusted their shooting abilities after

making good shot selections. “Bombs away,” he kept on saying. He then shared an

instance where an analyst came up to him and criticized Mike Silungan's volume of shots

for every game to which he answered, “what do you want me to tell the boy? Not to

shoot?” With that, he showed the team how he much he trusted their abilities and

capabilities in the game. However, he backed up his trust to the players by telling them

that they were responsible then of the choices they make throughout the game. “With the

license I give you to shoot, comes responsibility,” he reiterates. “Do not abuse that trust.

Shot selection should always be in your minds.” He then ended the discussion on

offensive tendencies and moved on to the team's show of effort.

In basketball, when one talks about a player's “heart”, it is all about how much the

player would give to perform his best. It is the extra effort that is needed in winning

games. Coach Ricky asked the questions below since he wanted to push the sense of

“heart” into the UP Fighting Maroons.

“Guys, ask yourselves this: Do you really care of what happens to us? And have

you been playing with your heart?” Coach Ricky then referred to the last two games in

the first round to which they lost to Adamson and UST due to being out-hustled and out-

played by the opposing teams.

“Gusto ko sagutin niyo ito. 'Wag lang pakita sa salita. Pakita niyo nalang

mamaya. (I want you to answer me. Don't be all talk. You show me what you need to do

later.)” Coach Ricky challenged the players to show him their “hearts” for it would drive

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them to take that extra step of effort in order to win the game.

Coach Jojo's prayer then ensued after which Coach Ricky led the team's huddle

cheer. For every game's situation, it changes, and for this UST game, he wanted the

players to sustain throughout the game. “UP!” he shouts.

“Mind-Strong!” the team answers. With that, they proceeded to the court for the

game.

2. Half-Time Meeting

At this point of the game, the UP Fighting Maroons was still beyond reach of the

win with UST leading 38-33 after the first half of the game. Once he had seen the

statistics of the first half, Coach Ricky then starts the break's meeting.

“So far, we are doing really well on Fortuna,” he started off, commending the

players' effort on defending that player. However, he points out then that it was Karim

Abdul who was playing well for UST. Coach Ricky then proceeds to discuss defensive

strategies the Fighting Maroons should utilize for the next half of the game.

“We're talking of precision here pare ah. Let's be very precise with everything.”

Precision in actions, according to Coach Ricky lead to better team dynamics, he said then

after. He further points that everybody should hustle to get loose balls, as mentioned in

the pre-game meeting. He told the players that he needed every one of them to do what it

takes in order to achieve the team's collective advantage and strength in the game.

Coach Ricky then talked about the fast-break opportunities the team had in the

first half. “Sa fast-break, nagmamadali tayo. 'Wag tayo magmamadali, okay?” (“We're

rushing things on the fast-break. Let's not rush things, okay?”) He addressed the point

guards and the shooting guards on this. He then spoke to Jelo on the opportunities Jelo

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had in the first half. “'Pag tutuloy mo, papasa mo. 'Pag may tatlong taong naka-defend

sayo, pipilitin mo,” (“If the lane's wide open, you're going to pass. If there are three guys

defending you, you're going to force the shot,”) talking of Jelo's wasted opportunities to

make a shot and/or make a good pass, respectively. The good thing Jelo was doing,

according to Coach Ricky was that he was, “attracting all of them.” Jelo was attracting

the defense of UST to him thus creating open spaces for teammates to shoot or to run the

motion of the team's offense. Coach Ricky then pushes the team to take advantage of the

opportunities, “We're getting it but we're not being able to exploit! We're getting the

opportunities, but we haven't really scored on it yet.”

Despite the team's short-comings, the team was just five points down after the

first half. “We're still in the game,” Coach Ricky said. Furthermore, he repeats what he

had been saying in the pre-game meeting, which was the team being able to sustain

themselves, and the effort they were giving. By sustaining the effort, “Kung magawa

natin ito, ang laki ng problema ng UST sa atin,” (“If we're able to do all these things,

UST would have a hard time playing against us,”) he told the players. The team needed

to sustain their “mind-set” and “hearts” to give UST enough “problems” so that the UP

Fighting Maroons could take advantage. “Madami akong nagamit, walang pagod sa

inyo,” (“I let everyone play, no one's tired.”) thus giving the players no reason to slack

off on effort and energy. And to add to that, Coach Ricky told the players that they

needed to be eager to sustain. He then motions the team to huddle for the end of the

meeting.

The team's members clapped as they moved towards the huddle and into the end

prayer of Coach Jojo. Coach Bob Noriega then shouts, “Strong third! Sustain!”

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reminding the players to play hard after the half-time break.

Once Coach Jojo had finished his prayer, Coach Ricky added a few reminders and

instructions to the players. He talks about what UST would talk about during the break,

mimicking Coach Pido Jarencio (UST's head coach) telling his own player, Fortuna,

“Maglaro ka! Maglaro ka!” (“Start playing! Start playing!”) With that he reminded the

players (Jelo and the other guards of the team), to not let Fortuna get away on offense,

lest he scores, giving UST plenty of advantages and more opportunities to further

increase the lead.

On UST's pressure break play that involved throwing a baseball pass to Abdul,

Coach Ricky told the players that it was all hustle that they needed since, “...limang araw

niyo nakikita 'yung bola... Ang bagal, kitang-kita niyo kung saan mahuhulog 'yung

bola!” (“The ball is in the air for five days! It's moving so slow, you'll know where it'll

fall!”) Players then who were matched up on Abdul were given instructions by the other

coaches to how they would deny Abdul the baseball pass. Once the talking had settled

down, Coach Ricky led the huddle cheer; this time, he called upon the team to shout

“Sustain!” as a reminder to what they had to in the next half of the game.

3. Post-Game Meeting

Heads were down, team members were staring blankly inside the “dug-out”.

Coach Ricky entered the room and situated himself in front of the players. UST beat the

UP Fighting Maroons, 77-70, wherein UP almost got the lead but it was quickly taken

back by UST after two fouling errors committed by the players. UP got close as much as

two points.

“Kasama sa proseso 'yun. (It's part of the process.) It's part of learning to win.

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Composure.” Sustaining the effort was not enough, but to be composed was another part

of playing properly. Coach Ricky's loud voice then echoed all over the “dug-out”.

“Atin na 'yun eh! (That was our game!) Anong ginagawa niyo!? Two points

nalang 'yun ah!” (“What did you do!? That was only two points!”) He referred to the

sequences where Mike Gamboa fouled Karim Abdul, which resulted into free throws that

increased UST's lead from two plus giving them momentum.

“You were doing everything the right way! We were making them pay, fine! But it

was down to two points! Ano 'yung foul mo G (What was that foul about, Mike

Gamboa)?” he continued. He translated Mike's fouling of Abdul as an act of losing

composure. Losing composure meant losing opportunities for the Fighting Maroons.

“These lessons are very difficult. Pero dadaanan natin. (But we'll have to move on.)

Whatever it takes. Lahat ng dadaanan natin, dadaanan natin. (What we'll encounter, we

will encounter) But we need to learn from that. You were playing so well! You were there!

The game was ours, but then we gave them a break by losing it.” And UST did get the

momentum with the players of UP losing composure, but Coach Ricky made sure that the

team will learn from what happened by repeating what he had been saying in meetings.

Coach Ricky then calmed down and started to talk about the game and what the

team had done in this loss. “These stats (game statistics) mean nothing. These won't

matter. You guys gave it your all, I know. But we're not done. Life doesn't stop. We have

six more games.” The team and the players needed to understand that they had to learn

from this game in order to not make the same mistakes for the next games. “You showed

that you were heart-strong and mind-strong. Except for Mike G. and Paolo,” taking note

of the fouls they committed that turned the game around for the UP Fighting Maroons.

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Coach Ricky then mentions that it was Mike and Paolo who got the score close. He

pointed out to them that they had to keep composure. “Hindi lang puro rah rah rah. You

have to keep yourselves composed,” (“It's not all about chaos,”) he added.

Coach Ricky then summarized the game as a game where the Fighting Maroons

lost composure when it mattered the most. He motioned for the huddle with Coach Jojo

leading the prayers once more.

“Think about all the good things we did; we brought it down to two points. That

was the highlight of our game. Think about these things and do not be discouraged.” The

team was sulking after the prayer but Coach Ricky provided them something to think

about that would improve the spirits and morale of the team. He leads the team in the

huddle cheer once again, “Mabuhay ang UP. Malakas ang 'Mabuhay'.” (“UP lives.

Shout 'Mabuhay' loud.”) And he shouts, “UP!” to which the team members respond with

“Mabuhay!” (“To live!”)

No one clapped, no one cheered. Everyone went back to their places in the “dug-

out” and packed up.

3. 2nd Round, Against the Ateneo de Manila University (September 1, 2011)

In 1986, the University of the Philippines won the basketball championship in the

UAAP over the Ateneo de Manila University. Back then it was the members of the

coaching staff who were playing. Coach Joey Mendoza, Coach Bob Noriega, and Coach

Rey Madrid would always recall their playings days whenever they came up against

Ateneo. That championship game they won started the small rivalry between UP and

Ateneo that was dubbed, “The Battle of Katipunan.” This season, the coaching staff

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wanted to revive that rivalry by pushing the players of the UP Fighting Maroons to be the

one who will end Ateneo's unbeaten record (12-0) at that time.

Joe Lipa, the head coach of that championship team (and for a brief moment, the

head coach of Ateneo back in the late 1990's until the early 2000's), was invited by Coach

Ricky to deliver a speech. Something that aimed to inspire the players to play their

“hearts” out.

Coming into the game, the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons were

the dark horse that would go against the defending champions in the Ateneo de Manila

University Blue Eagles. Unfortunately, UP would come up short once again, losing 58-

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1. Pre-Game Meeting

“What is the plan of Ateneo? Ateneo will force us to play half-court. They'll take

away what we do best, which is score off defensive rebounds.” Coach Ricky opened up

the briefing by talking about the Fighting Maroons' opponent in the next few moments.

Ateneo had been first in fast-break scoring, to which UP was the next in line. However,

Ateneo played more on the half-court. They relished on the half-court offense.

He then asked the team, “What will they allow us to do?” to which he followed

by saying that Ateneo would make the team shoot from the outside. The UP Fighting

Maroons had the worst field goal and three-point field goal percentage, and Coach Ricky

knew that Ateneo would exploit those statistics into actions come the game. However,

instead of telling the players to not shoot, he said this: “Like I told you, if you're open,

bombs away. You make that shot. 'Wag kayong mag-dadalawang isip diyan. (Don't think

twice.)” If they were wide open, they could take the shot with full confidence and trust

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from Coach Ricky. Despite being the worst shooters in the UAAP for that season, he still

gave them all the freedom to shoot from long range. He still emphasized, though, the

importance of the team's motion offense when he told the boys to not be contented with

just shooting from afar. The motion, as mentioned before, would have opened up driving

lanes and wide spots for open shots for the team.

Offense was then tackled, particularly on how the team could take advantage of

the fast-break and how important defensive rebounds were in fueling the fast-break

opportunities. “Defensive rebounds will allow us to do what we do best on offense, so it

is very important for us to not miss block outs,” Coach Ricky then told Paolo and Alinko,

both the leading rebounders of the team, and then to everyone else. The opportunity does

not end with the defensive rebound, the coaching staff then pointed out that the other

players should read the situation off the rebound and look to pass for the open man on the

open court for the fast-break. “Push the ball forward,” Coach Ricky told the players.

Despite being first in the league rankings on fast-break points, Ateneo was able to

play the half-court set offense due to a literally huge advantage to every team. Greg

Slaughter, Ateneo's Filipino-American center, was 7-feet tall. He was visibly a head taller,

even to the Fighting Maroons Nigerian import, Alinko, who stood six-feet, seven-inches

tall. Coach Ricky, however, had a plan to get Slaughter away from the goal on defense.

“The man of Slaughter sets the ball-screen,” he reminded the team ever since

they started preparing for Ateneo. By taking Slaughter farther from the ring, there would

be open driving lanes and open cutting movement from the screener that could lead to

field goals the team would need for points. The screeners would then be the team's

centers, Alinko and Martin Pascual, and power forwards, Carlo “Kaka” Gomez, MJ, and

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Paolo. On situations the mentioned players would face off that sequence, Coach Ricky

asked Gomez to make good judgments on his individual offense. “Harapan ang tira.

Dahil 'pagka spin mo, one, hindi mo kita teammates mo. 2, dalawang tao lalapit sayo at

pipilitin mo na, (Face the basket when you're shooting. By spinning, you won't see your

teammates. Two defenders will then come at you and you have no other option but to

force things,)” Gomez was indeed prone to those situations due to his use of the spin

move in order to score. Coach Ricky still gave him the green light to continue his

offensive opportunities. “We don't give up on what you can do,” he told Kaka.

Furthermore on offense, Coach Ricky repeatedly instructed the players to attack

the basket despite the situation. “'Wag matakot sa supalpal (block), palagi ko sinasabi sa

inyo 'yan. 'Wag iiwas and try to get the edge by getting fouled and getting the free-throw.

(Don't be afraid of getting your shot blocked; I always tell you that. Don't avoid

contact...)” Attacking straight to the basket would, at times, attract the defense. A player

was only given five fouls before being fouled out. By attacking the basket hard, the

players of the UP Fighting Maroons could fish the defensive player for a foul that could

lead to two-points depending on the situation, plus a chance to get that defensive player

out of the court. “That's part of our offensive philosophy: get to the pain, get to the line,

make your foul shots,” Coach Ricky reminded.

On defense, slacking off or being lazy would lead to the Ateneo players to take

advantage. “You do not slouch off Monfort (Ateneo's point guard). Titirahan tayo niyan.

(He's going to keep on shooting.) I want good pressure on him. Stay close. Play him

straight up,” in order for the team to get defensive stops, according to Coach Ricky.

On mismatches, whether it be a height or a speed mismatch on the Fighting

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Maroons, Coach Ricky told the players to “C”. For the team, it simply meant,

“Contain”. Coach Ricky had been teaching them for the past months of preparation

proper stances and movement when guarding man-to-man on defense in a one-on-one

situation. The instruction was for guarding Slaughter, who had a height advantage over

everyone in the league. If Slaughter was going to score, he would have to work on it. “If

he gets the ball in the high-post, we assume he goes right,” making the players guarding

Slaughter adjust and make Slaughter go the other way, to his weak side. “If he goes

baseline, we're going to double,” where to players would defend and pressure Slaughter

at the same time to be able to cause forced shots and turnovers on Slaughter's part.

Coach Ricky thus ended the briefing on team strategies and proceeded to

introduce Joe Lipa, his coach back in the 1980's, who was also his mentor. Everyone

clapped as Joe Lipa walked towards the front of the players to start his speech for the

team.

Coach Joe then started off by recalling his days as the head coach of the Fighting

Maroons in the 1980's and how they were as a basketball team. In 1985, their first game

of the season was up against Ateneo, to which they lost to by 85 points. “It was a loss

which the UP team long remembered,” he shared. On that season, however, they found

themselves facing Ateneo once more, that time, it was the championship series. They lost

again to Ateneo in that series. “People remembered the way we lost that first game. When

we started winning, everybody was so happy. In that championship game, we lost. And

again, it was sadly long remembered.”

He then moved on to their 1986 championship, to which most members of the

coaching staff were part of. “We finally won the championship, and that was long

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remembered until now.” Indeed, there were a lot of times when the coaching staff

described to the players how it felt to have won a championship then. Losing was part of

the process. It was part of basketball life according to Coach Joe. But they, the team of

the 1980's, persevered and won. “They knew how it feels to lose, they knew how it feels to

win.”

The situation to which UP was the underdog in this game was brought up, to

which Coach Joe told the story of David and Goliath. He pointed out that this was a game

where they were up against the best team in the league. “You remember David when he

slew Goliath? When he was mandated to slay Goliath, he said, 'It is too big to miss.'”

This game was on opportunity for the Fighting Maroons to show league that they were

capable of beating the top teams. He further mentioned that it was UP culture to do well

in a situation of pressure. “Tayong mga taga-UP. (All of us from UP.) We are always good

when we are the underdog.”

It was a feeling of shock when he saw how Coach Ricky trusted the shooting

abilities of the team. Back then, he told his players where to shoot, and when they can

shoot. Only a few players had Coach Joe's confidence back then. “What more can I ask

for from a coach who has the utmost confidence in all of you?” he asked, to make a point

to the team's responsibilities with the confidence Coach Ricky gave them.

He praised Mike Silungan, hoping to boost the confidence of Mike, who had been

shooting poorly throughout the season. “You are one of the best shooters I have ever seen

coming out of UP,” he told Mike S. “This game goes where you shoot, and all of you can

shoot, I watched,” reassuring the team that he, too, trusts the abilities.

To end his speech, he again mentioned David and Goliath. “We like to Davids,

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boys,” he told the players. Instead of being afraid to face the top team, he wanted the

Fighting Maroons to want be the ones who would dethrone the Goliaths of the UAAP, the

unbeaten Ateneo de Manila University.

“Coach Ricky, I'm sure, did not tell you to play rough. But I'm sure that everybody

knows when a player is playing with heart. Play with heart, and I know that you will win

this game. Be like David,” he said as he ended his speech. It had been said for countless

of games of the Fighting Maroons. Play with “heart” and they will win.

Team members clapped as Joe Lipa finished his speech. Coaches were shouting,

“David tayo! David tayo! (We're David!)” to the players as the team got together in the

huddle to the end game prayer led by Coach Jojo.

“Malakas sa malakas. Mabuhay ang UP. UP! (Shout as loud as you can. UP

lives...)” Coach Ricky said as a signal to what the team will respond with when he leads

the huddle cheer. The team answered with a loud, “Mabuhay!” which ended the pre-

game meeting.

2. Half-Time Meeting

After two quarters, UP was far from being defeated, trailing by only four points

against Ateneo.

“Pare, let me tell you this. You're working very hard, hats off to you guys, but it's

not enough! We have been playing well so far but for us beat this team, it has to be more

than that!” Coach Ricky shouted as everyone settled down in the “dug-out”. The team

was playing well so far and had instances where Ateneo was trailing behind the score.

On offense, he just reiterated that the team should keep on getting Slaughter out

away from the goal. He explained this by saying that, “...saksakan ng tamad 'yan si

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Slaughter! Hindi rume-recover! (Slaughter plays lazy, he doesn't recover!) That's why

you have a lot of lay-ups!” he pointed out.

The team did nothing wrong when it came to defense. Coach Ricky then

challenged the players to keep on sustaining that. “Do not be discouraged by the referee's

calls. Keep on doing that.” he told them. The double-team defense they were doing on

Slaughter limited him to just a few points in the first half. “Alam natin saan sila

pumupunta. Kaya natin depensahan 'yan. (We know what they're doing. We can guard

that.) We just have to be more precise with out timing,” he reminded.

Before the meeting ended, Coach Ricky reminded them the importance of

blocking out for the defensive rebound. “When the ball is up, find somebody to hit. When

you hit him, make sure he won't be able to jump. Initiate contact,” he said as he pertained

to the team not being able to utilize the fast-break offense. “Guys, two points pa lang

tayo sa fast-break. (We only have two fast-break points.) We can do a better job. You're

not tired. You're all fresh, okay? Let's do a better job!”

Coach Ricky then calls for everyone in to huddle but before the prayer started Joe

Lipa added something to say for the players, “You did a very good job for the first twenty

minutes. Now it's the last twenty minutes. For you to have a step towards greatness, let's

beat Goliath, boys.” That served as another reminder for the team in playing first games

and final games. As Coach Jojo prepared for his end game prayer, team members

cheered, “Let's go!” and Coach Bob was repeatedly shouting, “We're all Davids!”

Once the prayer ended, the team engaged in the huddle cheer. “UP! Mabuhay!”

3. Post-Game Meeting

The team was able to hang on to the score, keeping Ateneo at bay within a point

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or two within the third quarter until the start of the fourth quarter. However, the UP

Fighting Maroons' offense did not connect as much as Ateneo took advantage and won

the game, 73-58. UP was only able to score again in the last minute of the game but it

was too late.

Everybody had their heads down, no body was talking, and some were crying.

Coach Ricky was visibly upset, but he only had a few things to say before dismissing the

team.

“Let's keep believing. Let's keep on going. Two more games. La Salle on Sunday,

UE the next Saturday. See you tomorrow in practice. Let's pray.” That was all he said

after the game. Everyone then huddled up for Coach Jojo's end prayer.

“Remember this,” Coach Ricky told the team before the huddle cheer. He

immediately walked out after “Mabuhay!”

4. 2nd Round, Against the De La Salle University (September 4, 2011)

The De La Salle University Green Archers were looking to win after being

winless for the second round, looking to get back into the final four. The UP Fighting

Maroons were in the same position, but this time, looked to beat DLSU in order to win as

many as the team can.

The first half was one of the best halves UP has played in through the season.

However, DLSU fought back and was able to avoid an upset by the UP Fighting Maroons

by winning, 73-72. The hard thing for the Fighting Maroons was they were able extend

the lead up to twenty points.

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1. Pre-Game Meeting

The pre-game briefing started by Coach Ricky analyzing how DLSU plays in a

basketball game. “I hope you're wearing running shoes. This is going to be a track

meet,” referring to La Salle's known reputation for the running throughout a whole game.

“If I were La Salle, and I was scouting UP, they will presume na napaka-bagal ng

bigs ng UP,” Coach Ricky said. The reason for this was there were times in the past

games where the centers and forwards of the Fighting Maroons did not exert the extra

effort to sprint back on defense. In order for UP to be able to keep up with La Salle's

running game, Coach Ricky emphasized the actions needed done by the bigs: “Martin,

Kaka, Alinko, MJ, makikipag-sprint-an tayo diyan. (We're going to outrun them) Okay?”

“What do we expect from La Salle,” Coach Ricky asked as he explained the

tendencies of the opposing team. For him, it was obvious. “Even a blind man knows what

La Salle will do. Of made shots, free-throws, and sideline inbounds, they will pressure us

whole court,” he explained. As a solution, he kept on repeating throughout the discussion

that the players should value the alignment of the team's press-break plays.

“...Regardless of what press defense they call is that you get into alignment. Get into

alignment right away. We secure the play by getting into alignment in order for our point

guard to bring down the ball in a one-on-one situation.” The goal of the pressure break

was for the alignment to get the Fighting Maroons' point guards into easier situations in

bringing down the ball.

“We do not want to be passive. We do not just want to cross the half-line,” Coach

Ricky said as the discussion was transitioned into the UP Fighting Maroons' offense. He

wanted the players to be aggressive in the press-break and to attack. “Everytime they

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pressure us, everytime we get the ball on the defensive rebound, we are on attack mode.

You are not thinking of half-court offense. You are thinking of fast-break lay-ups,” he told

the team.

On the team's defense, La Salle also had a height advantage over the UP Fighting

Maroons. DLSU boasts of two six-foot, eight-inch players in Norbert Torres and Arnold

Van Opstal (both Filipino-Foreigners). La Salle's tactic on offense, according to Coach

Ricky, was to dump the ball inside. On the part of the UP Fighting Maroons, Coach Ricky

told them that they, “...have to battle. Do not allow if they set you up, especially on you

Alinko. Nobody's going to help, you have to battle with them inside.” La Salle was a deep

team, consisting of good shooters and big post players. UP could not gamble by double-

teaming the big players inside since there were shooters waiting for the pass. Therefore,

UP's post players had to exert effort in containing their counterparts on defense.

On Mark Juruena's defense, Coach Ricky recalled a sequence in the previous

game against Ateneo where Greg Slaughter (“...parang elepante bilis ng paa...” or

“...moves like an elephant...”) was able to drive against the much quicker Juruena. Coach

Ricky then told MJ that when he would be defending Norbert Torres, he had to defend

straight up, since Torres was perceived to be as slow as Greg Slaughter.

Coach Ricky then presented his projected starting five for the game. He put Jelo,

Miggy Maniego, Mike Silungan, and Paolo. He left out the center position in order to

address Alinko first.

“I want to ask you, Alinko, will you start strong?” he asked while clutching the

whiteboard marker, as if ready to write Alinko's name along with the four other

mentioned players.

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“Very strong,” Alinko answered, but Coach Ricky was not convinced at the

moment. “You are not to be dominated by Van Opstal this time!” he added.

Coach Ricky then told Alinko to relax and to focus, since he had, “...seen that

look on your face Alinko. You're going to get four fouls right away! I'm going to start

you. You relax Alinko. No big will take a lay-up against you,” he instructed. He further

told Alinko to, “do whatever it takes,” and to not let Van Opstal score on him. If Alinko

played good “C” defense on Van Opstal, he would then make stops that could lead to the

offense UP would want to run.

Coach Ricky finally reminded the team that they needed to compete throughout

the game. “Basketball is played for four quarters,” he said, referring to the last game

where UP played bad basketball in the fourth quarter against Ateneo.

Coach Jojo then proceeds to the huddle and starts the prayer. Huddle cheer was

then led by Coach Ricky to which the team answered with, “Mabuhay!”

Team members clapped as they rushed out of the “dug-out” and into the court.

2. Half-Time Meeting

After going up by as much as twenty points in the previous half, UP found

themselves on top, 35-23, over DLSU.

DLSU was able to adjust however thus bringing down the lead from twenty to

twelve in a few minutes only. The game was down to a test of composure for the UP

Fighting Maroons, according to Coach Ricky.

“We played in this situation before,” referring to their 2nd round game against Far

Eastern University, where UP led for the first three quarters, only to lose at the end.

“You are playing very well, but pag-pumasok sa ulo niyo na kayo-kayo lang, if

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that happens na kayo lang at wala na teammates niyo, magkaka-problema tayo. (...but if

you start playing selfishly and you forget about your teammates, we'll have a big

problem.) Continue what you are doing, together!” The team had to work together in

order to stay composed, in order to sustain the level of play they were performing until

the end of the game.

“Make mistakes your teacher,” Coach Ricky reminded them. The Fighting

Maroons should not suffer the same fate they experienced in that loss to FEU.

End prayer was led by Coach Jojo, and the huddle cheer was led by Coach Ricky.

But before he called the cheer, he told the team, “Let's finish this,” indicating the team to

keep it together and win the game. Once the cheer was done, everybody clapped, and

Coach Bob was shouting once again, “Sustain! Strong third!” to the team on the way

back to the court.

3. Post-Game Meeting

UP found themselves trailing La Salle at the middle of the fourth quarter. In the

last few seconds of the game, UP had the chance to bring the game into over-time. Mike

Gamboa's last second three-point shot, however, didn't make it into the goal.

The team went back into the “dug-out” with heads down once again. Coach Ricky

was in no mood to angrily lecture the team this time around.

“We will not start blaming anybody here. I will not blame you for losing a 20-

point lead. It's not on you. It's on me,” Coach Ricky said with a frown. For that huge

lapse by the Fighting Maroons, he was taking responsibility to why the team lost the lead.

He did not analyze the done game, but instead praised the effort of the players.

“You played your hearts out, pare, but again we fell short. But if you look at our

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stats, mukha pa tayo ang nanalo, (it looks like it was us who won,)” he reassured the

team. The game statistics then showed that UP shot better than La Salle, and had more

rebounds. He then further told the team that they indeed had done well in the game

except for the technical lapses (referee's calls, for example). “Your hearts were all there.

I give that to you so do not be too harsh on yourelves. We still have a championship on

Satuday.”

With that, Coach Ricky started discussing the upcoming last game of the season

for the UP Fighting Maroons against the University of the East.

“UE is not the team we beat last July 14, I'm telling you. They're different now.

It's not going to be easy. If we showed the same effort we had a while ago in the game

next Saturday, then we can make that last win happen,” Coach Ricky had scouted UE

thrice and was convinced that that team had developed through the season, but if the

same “heart” and effort came from UP on that game, the Fighting Maroons would have

no problem getting that last game of the season.

Coach Ricky then added something in relation to the lost game to DLSU. He

again admitted that losing the 20-point lead was his responsibility; something that he

should have adjusted the team to. However, he added this: “When it comes to being

inside the court, kayo 'yung maglalaro... (...you're the ones playing on the court) When

you're on the floor, finishing strong, making baskets, making important stops, that's not

on me,” referring to the players' roles of being the players of the team on the basketball

court. It was up to them to make things happen on the court. “It all counts as individuals.

You are accountable for your stops. If you're beaten on defense and nobody helps you,

that's stopping the team,” he added.

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Coming back into talks about the upcoming UE game, Coach Ricky expressed his

confidence once more that the believes that the team can win come that last game. “We

will make that run on Saturday,” he said, “...And UE is capable of coming back on that

run. Reality makes that run. But we come back. We come back from a run.”

He apologized to the players then for looking visibly upset, more frustrated than

angry. “Pasensya na sa mukha ko. Na-fu-frustrate ako. (Don't mind how I'm looking

right now. I'm still frustrated.) But let's all shrug it off because the most important game

will be on Saturday.”

The meeting ended with that as Coach Jojo proceeded with his end prayer. Before

the huddle cheer, Coach Ricky reminds the team that the coming game was Miggy

Maniego's last game. “It will be Miggy's last game on Saturday. We have one more week

of practice before that game. Let's give all this to him, okay?”

5. 2nd Round, Last Game Against the University of the East (Septemer 10, 2011)

All over the locker room, the team wrote Miggy's name and jersey number on tape

and attached it on their uniforms. This game's theme was winning it for Miggy Maniego,

the longest tenured player in the UAAP, having played nine straight years for the UP

Fighting Maroons (four years back in high school, his fifth and final year for college this

season).

(Due to malfunction with the audio recorder, the researcher was able to take notes

only for the post-game meeting of the team.)

The University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons lost their final game to the

University of the East Red Warriors, 54-68, ending their UAAP season.

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Team members were crying inside the “dug-out”, especially Miggy Maniego, who

had been cheering and shouting for his team to get the lead back throughout the game.

Coach Ricky then summarized the season, “I'll give a long break to the team. We

have been practicing for nine straight months. Focus on your academics. When we come

back on October, we'll be a pool of 22 players. We'll be practicing hard when we come

back. Next year, our goal is the final four.”

The team then proceeded to the prayer led by Coach Jojo. When it came to the

huddle cheer, it was Miggy who led for the first time this season, his last for his collegiate

playing years.

“UP! Mabuhay!”

Thus ended a bitter, yet hopeful season for the UP Fighting Maroons.

C. The UP Fighting Maroons' Communication Practices in Terms of Dell Hymes'

SPEAKING Grid

At the beginning of this study, the researcher formulated objectives under a

general premise in order to better understand and observe the Fighting Maroons' practice

of communicating motivation.

For the purpose of reiteration and clarification, here are the premises and

objectives of the study: First, the study aims to describe how the members of the UP

Fighting Maroons motivate one another through communication during official games in

the 74th season of the UAAP basketball tournament. Specific objectives then followed by

looking to describe the team's communication practices and to identify the characteristics

and the situations of the team's communication process. The other specific objective had

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more weight for the study since it looked to discover how motivation was present and

enacted through the interaction/s of the team's members based on the findings on the

team's communication practices. This second specific objective then was able to identify

the situations to which motivation occurred on to levels: on an individual basis, and on a

collective basis. This objective also looked to explore the intended outcomes of the

communicated motivation of the characters and members in involved in the interaction.

For all the games observed by the researcher, the act of communication was in the

form of a lecture during the events in which data was gathered throughout the season.

Coach Ricky was the main speaker in all events, thus making him the biggest

character in motivating the team. As head coach, he was in charge of reminding the

players all they have practiced as a team for the last couple of months; from offensive

plays and defensive tactics, up to individual skills and mind-sets, Coach Ricky served as

the catalyst in the dug-out meeting communication of the team.

During events where communication occurred, it was mostly Coach Ricky who

was motivating the players to “do what it takes” before the recorded games. The other

members of the coaching staff, the assistant coaches, usually motivated the players after

Coach Ricky spoke. They often would include reminders in what they told the players.

The players were basically audiences, students, in the dug-out meetings; listening

to what Coach Ricky and what the other assistant coaches had to say during the game.

There were instances where they were asked questions by Coach Ricky, and they

answered what was needed and appropriate at the time. An example was when Jelo

Montecastro would be asked by the coaches on what he should do on the court after a

certain play was discussed. Once he answered what the coaches asked for, they would

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resume to what Coach Ricky was talking about at that moment.

Player to player motivation, however, consisted of cheering each other, clapping

their hands, and usually repeating what the coaches told them in the meetings in the dug-

out before, during, and after the games. At the end of each meeting, players would often

shout, “Let's go!” or any similar phrases that served as encouragement to each other.

The events in which the study chose to observe were the three major meetings that

the UP Fighting Maroons participated in as a team during official games in the past

Season 74 of the UAAP. These three happenings were the meetings in which the team

was communicating with one another.

As mentioned previously in this chapter, it was the coaches who were majorly

speaking while the players listened to what the coaches had to say. The players however

responded when they were asked something or when Coach Ricky addresses any of them

in one of his speeches during the three team meetings in official games.

Motivation came in the form of instruction, of how the players should move or

play in order to achieve the team's goals for the game. Motivation in Coach Ricky's

speeches came usually before he starts discussing strategies, and before he meets the

team for the “huddle cheer”.

Again, the researcher was not able to take proper observations on all games

throughout the season. Fortunately, the games in which the researcher was able to obtain

proper data were the ones that counted for the team (sadly, the “upset” win over FEU in

the first round was not documented). When the first round of the UAAP Season 74 ended,

Coach Ricky kept on stating that “the war starts on the second round.”

The researcher was then able to sort these documented games into situations that

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the team adjusted into. These games were but a few of the situations basketball teams can

find themselves in. The documented official UAAP games were the significant situations

that the UP Fighting Maroons faced in this 74th season of the league.

In these different situations, the coaching staff and the players shown different

ways of communicating motivation to one another. In all the observed events and

meetings the team participated in during official UAAP games, it was, as mentioned,

Coach Ricky who did most, if not all, of the motivating. He was in charge of to keep the

players driven to play throughout games.

The following games presented the situations in which the team's way of

communicating motivation adjusted:

1. The team's first win over the University of the East; in which the team won it's

first game since 2009 (UAAP Season 72).

2. The team's 2nd round loss to the University of Santo Tomas; a back-to-back game

situation where the UP Fighting Maroons looked to win after losing the first round

game against the mentioned team.

3. 2nd round game with Ateneo De Manila University; the defending champions, this

year's “juggernauts”.

4. 2nd round loss to De La Salle University; where the team led by 20, only to be

beaten by 1 point at the last few seconds of the game.

5. The team's final game against the University of the East; a game where the

coaches deemed as what “everyone will remember”. This was also the last game

for one of the players of the UP Fighting Maroons.

All these games had brought about unique environments and moods to the UP

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Fighting Maroons during the course of the season. With each different environment and

situation, communication patterns differed.

With observation done in the team's participation in the meetings before, during,

and after official UAAP games, the study was able to form a general speech and

communication behavior that the team followed through the use of the SPEAKING Grid

as a guide in understand the communication culture of the team.

1. Setting

The setting in which communication occurred was inside the “dug-out” (locker

rooms) at the Araneta Coliseum during official game days of the UAAP. Games were

held on three days every week, specifically on Sundays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. For

every game of the UP Fighting Maroons, they were not there to simply play basketball

against opposing teams, but they were there because it was the UAAP. It was the season

they were waiting and preparing for. Despite being in the same locker room for three

periods of every game, the team had a different cause and mind set for every game they

played in.

In the first round game against the University of the East, the team hungered for

the win. Again, it was two years since the UP Fighting Maroons last won a game. In the

second round game against the Ateneo de Manila University, the team wanted to be the

ones who would have tarnished the defending champions' unbeaten record at that time. In

the last game of the season, against UE once again, the game was dedicated to Miggy

Maniego as it was the last of his playing years in college.

UAAP games were not simply basketball games; each game was faced with

different approaches, as seen in the observations done by the researcher.

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2. Participants

1. The UAAP Season 74 University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons: The Coaches

and Players

a. Coaching Staff:

The coaching staff, profiled in the table below, led the interaction and briefing

within the team. They, indeed, followed a hierarchy of authority in which the assistant

coaches and other members of the staff had their own specializations while the head

coach was in charge of keeping all those tasks together. Head Coach Ricky Dandan

initiated most of the interaction and communication in the observed setting of the UP

Fighting Maroons during games, while most of the assistants either added further

reminders or relayed to the players what Coach Ricky talked about during the meetings.

Clearly, in the events that were observed, the head coach spoke frequently compared to

the other members of the staff.

Table 2. Members of the Coaching Staff

Name Position Language/s SpokenRicky Dandan Head Coach English, FilipinoJoey Mendoza Assistant Coach English, Filipino

Jojo Villa Assistant Coach English, FilipinoDuane Salvatera Assistant Coach English, Filipino

Mark Dandan Assistant Coach English, FilipinoVic Bartolome Technical Director English, FilipinoRonnie Dizer Trainer English, FilipinoJulio Veloso Trainer English, Filipino

Robert Noriega Team Official English, FilipinoRey Madrid Team Official English, FilipinoAriel Juliano UP-Diliman Varsity Director English, Filipino

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Ron Anthony Bartolome Student Manager English, FilipinoJulio Danilo Silvestre Student Manager English, Filipino

b. Players:

The players served as the main audience of every interaction and communication

habit in UAAP games. It was their job to do and perform on the playing court what the

coaches told them. The hierarchy found among them was not as established and

organized as the coaches. Everyone could speak up during the meetings, but in most

cases, they were indeed the audience as the coaches briefed them of the tasks that they

needed to do in the game they were about to play, were playing, or played.

Despite having older players, no hierarchy was found in terms of status on the

team. Whoever was spoken to, spoke. All of the members had their share of cheering

each other on but it was Coach Ricky who spoke more than anyone else in the team.

Table 3. Players of the UP Men's Basketball Team in UAAP Season 74

# Name (Academic) Status On Team

Nicknames Language/s Spoken

4 Mike Gamboa (4th Year) Senior, Returning

“Mike G.”, “G” English, Filipino

5 Robby Wierzba (3rd Year) Rookie “Rob”, “Robby” English6 Jose Manuel (2nd Year)

Sophomore“Jett” English, Filipino

7 Ifeanyi Mbah (3rd Year) Rookie “Alinko” English, Nigerian8 Francis Maniego (5th Year) Senior “Miggy” English, Filipino10 Anjelo Montecastro (1st Year, Transferee)

Rookie“Jelo”, “Dog” English, Filipino

11 Vergel Evangelista (2nd Year) Sophomore

“Bangky” English, Filipino

13 Don Fortu (4th Year) Sophomore,

“Don”, “Forts” English, Filipino

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Returning14 Moriah Gingerich (3rd Year) Junior “Moe” English, Filipino15 Carlo Gomez (3rd Year) Junior “Kaka” English, Filipino16 Mark Juruena (3rd Year) Junior “MJ” English, Filipino18 Martin Pascual (2nd Year)

Sophomore“Squeeze”, “Martin”

English, Filipino

19 Paolo Romero (1st Year) Rookie “Pao” English, Filipino20 Julius Wong (4th Year)

Sophomore, Returning

“Julius” English, Filipino

21 Michael Silungan (3rd Year) Sophomore

“Mike S.”, “S.” English

Despite the whole team being active in cheering out, clapping their hands, and

speaking to one another, it was the head coach who spoke majority of the time in all

meetings during a game. In every official UAAP game day, Coach Ricky and the other

coaches were the usual speakers in the team, while the players were basically addressees,

in which the coaches addressed the actions and dynamics they had to do individually and

as a team during games.

Most of the time, the players would just hear out and listen to Coach Ricky's

instructions and whatever he had to say to the team. Sometimes, the audience of the

coaches' directions and instructions were aimed at individual players of the team. In

general, though, during the meetings, the players were addressed collectively.

3. Ends

The study found that the purpose of communicating instruction and motivation

was for the end goal of winning. The speeches and utterances of the UP Fighting

Maroons and its members were usually for instruction on the players' team dynamics on

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offense and defense. The purpose of the communication within the team was for the

improvement of the players' actions during the game.

By telling one of the players, for example, to “do what it takes”, it could lead to the

player exerting extra effort in his actions inside the court that could lead to positive

outcomes for the team.

Within the instructions came encouragement and motivation, but over-all, these

speech events happened because the team had set the goal of “winning as much as we

can” (which was instilled by Coach Ricky), thus they needed to prepare before the game,

adjust during the game, and analyze after the game (in order to learn from it.)

4. Act

The actual speech act was more of a lecture presented by Coach Ricky during the

meetings in games. Instructions were presented in English and Filipino since some

players understood English only, while others understood Filipino. However, when the

team members speak to each other during these meetings, Taglish dominated as the

“language” mostly used. There were times during instructions where Coach Ricky

repeated the same lines in both languages in order for Alinko Mbah (who was Nigerian

and understood very little Filipino) to understand what he was talking about.

When the coaches talked to the players, language varied depending on who they

were talking to. If they knew that the player understood English only, they would speak

in English for that player (in the case of Alinko Mbah, Robby Wierzba, and Mike

Silungan). If they player knew Filipino, or both English and Filipino, coaches would

rather speak to the in Filipino (to most of the players aside from the three mentioned

above). The same applied when players were talking with one another. The coaches,

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when talking amongst themselves, talked in Filipino, with additional English whenever

they were discussing technical terms.

The team used assigned codes during basketball games that denoted plays,

strategies, and movements. For plays, examples were the team's “thumbs-up”, “5-

Cross”, while for movements, like guarding a person on defense during height or speed

disadvantages, coaches would shout “C!” which meant basically meant “contain”.

5. Key

The tone and manner of the members of the UP Fighting Maroons differed on the

situations that happened during games.

When talking to players, Coach Ricky would sometimes shout at them in order to

prove a point. There were games when he was sarcastic when pointing out instructions. It

depends on the situation of the game in which he was speaking to the players. A negative

form of motivation, via sarcasm and insult, (“Ang bagal mo [you are too slow]!”)

occurred when a player was not playing up to his potential, or when a player was seen not

putting effort in his actions on the court. Praises and positive tones came whenever

players were doing well, and were needed to be pushed further to exert more effort to

achieve good outcomes for the team's play. An example was when Coach Ricky would

say, “You played well in the first half,” that would be followed by him shouting at the

players, “...but it's not enough!” or that the team had to be precise with small aspects of

their play on the court.

For the whole team, in general, anger and frustration was easily felt in losses. No

one cheers when coming inside the locker room after a loss. Losing was not acceptable

for the team unless Coach Ricky said it was okay, but it is highly unlikely that he would

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say that a loss was a good one. In lost games, Coach Ricky would be visibly upset

(exception during the second round game against DLSU in which he was visibly upset

but the tone in which he spoke in was in a calm demeanor.)

When the team won, however, everyone was in high spirits. The players talked

about significant moves and moments they had in the game, coaches and players were

joking around; laughter filled the air, and there would be much chatter heard inside the

locker room. In won games, Coach Ricky would be in a good mood, cracking jokes and

making fun of a team member every once in a while.

6. Instrumentalities

In communicating motivation, the UP Fighting Maroons made use of

comparisons, cause-and-effect situations, encouragement and criticism to get each other

moving.

Coach Ricky would often compare the team and its players to how the opposing

team played. He pushes the players to play better than the other teams during the

meetings. For cause-and-effect situations, he only needed to tell the players what they

have to do exactly in order to achieve what they want, and what the team needed.

Encouragement communicated motivation easily whenever Coach Ricky told the players

that he had all the confidence for them. He motivated players by criticizing something

about them that they lacked in order for them to improve and achieve their goals to

improve and play better.

7. Norms of Interaction

Interaction occurred during the three meetings the Fighting Maroons participated

in every game. During meetings, the team's players cannot speak at the same time as

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Coach Ricky, unless he was a coach pointing out instructions to the players also. In

instances where Coach Ricky was interrupted by players talking about something other

than what was being talked about for the game, he was quick to call their attention and

reprimand them. It was due respect in the team that whenever someone was speaking,

everybody else listens. When someone would shout words of encouragement, or a single

word, like “Puso!” (“Heart!”), it was tolerated. If words uttered in interrupting someone

speaking was essential and related to what was being talked about, it was heard.

Players mostly stay quiet and listen whenever the meetings happen unless they too

were pointing situations to Coach Ricky, asking a question regarding what was being

briefed, or when they were asked a question by the coaches.

When the team members were approaching the huddles at the end of meetings,

clapping and cheering for one another while Coach Ricky was adding reminders was

tolerated.

8. Genre

The team's practices of communicating motivation came in the sense that it

happened in an environment of a basketball (sports) team looking to win its games. The

game meetings were a mix of lectures and sermons. During these meetings, the coaches

prepare notes on the whiteboards found in the “dug-outs” in the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

Coach Ricky would only then had to follow what was written on the board as he

discussed and pointed out whatever was written there. Instructions were then

communicated as if they were important values the team's players should instill in

themselves. It was all about teaching the offensive and defensive game plan the team had

prepared throughout practices coming into the official UAAP games, and making the

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players understand how important it was to follow the game plan the coaches had

prepared for the match.

D. Motivation in the UP Fighting Maroons' Communication Practices

Given the description of the communication process brought about by the study's

use of Dell Hymes' SPEAKING concepts on the observed moments of the UP Fighting

Maroons. Given that accomplishment, the researcher was able to uncover the interactions

and communication situations that had and included the concepts of motivation that the

study introduced in the previous chapters.

For Vockell and Pelletier et. al.'s concepts on Interpersonal and Extrinsic

motivation, respectively, the Fighting Maroons' communication practices did show that

the concepts were present in the interaction between the team's members during the pre-

game, half-time, and post-game meetings.

The study found that the UP Fighting Maroons were often motivated as a team

collectively. In times where individual players were addressed by the coaches, it was

through instruction that motivation came into play. There were more instances that the

different concepts of Interpersonal motivation occurred than those of External motivation.

The presence of Interpersonal and Extrinsic Motivation, however, was not found

present only in single, certain concepts of the SPEAKING Grid. These concepts of

motivation were found in the collective result of the observational matrix used by the

study. For example, if External Regulation was identified in the observed interaction and

communication during one of the team's meetings, it cannot be delegated only into the

concept of Setting or any single concept of the SPEAKING Grid. In order to identify the

different concepts of motivation in terms of the grid, the collective result of the concepts

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of ethnography was needed. One single concept, like Setting or Instrumentalities, was not

enough. The concepts were needed to be observed and analyzed has a a single system.

With the team's goal of “winning as much as they can” under a situation of a

process of development, the ultimate goal of motivating players was in order for them to

transcend their performance that would, overall, help the team win.

The following sections then provide the locations of Extrinsic and Interpersonal

Motivation in the communication practices of the UP Fighting Maroons.

1. Extrinsic Motivation

This type of motivation was described previously as a variety of actions that are

catalyst to certain goals. The categories under Extrinsic motivation were found in the

individual instructions during the observed meetings. The study then took into mind the

UP Fighting Maroons' set aim to win as many games, in other words, winning, which

became the goal of the communicated form of motivation within the team. The cycle then

turned out as Coach Ricky delivered his instructions, the goal of those instructions were

for the players to do a task that would help the team's performance. When the team's

performance was acceptable (on acknowledgments and compliments given by Coach

Ricky and the other coaches), that could lead to winning the game.

However, as the data was analyzed, Extrinsic motivation became the result of

what had been communicated in the pre-game, half-time, and post-game meetings the

team participated in.

In the context of the UP Fighting Maroons, the three concepts were more of a

resulting process that was created by a communicated motivational speech. This created

process can be inferred in the three meetings the study observed.

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External Recognition was explained earlier that it is when one acts in order to gain

an outcome; whether it be as positive as earning a reward or praise, or if done poorly, a

negative result in getting reprimanded. As seen in the observed games, there were times

when Coach Ricky just told the players to “let things flow”. As explained in the pervious

chapter's results and interpretation, the term meant that the offense would get into a form

that allowed the team to have advantages over the other team.

An example then was when Coach Ricky told the players in the first game against

UE to keep on “...attacking the basket” to “...create our own chaos” in which creating

chaos meant that they keep the game advantageous to the Fighting Maroons by driving

straight to the goal at all opportunities they find.

In another instance, in the second round game against UST, Coach Ricky started a

meeting by calling out several players (mostly the guards who were in charge of

defending Jeric Fortuna, one of UST's “star” players), to “...do everything it takes” in

containing him when the Fighting Maroons were on defense. In this case, Coach Ricky

gave them instructions on how players would move on defending someone who could

create advantages for the opposing team. The exact result would then be containing that

player they were defending, thus preventing the opposing team from making advantages.

This form of Extrinsic motivation was shown by the team to lay on the basis of

cause-and-effect, where a specific instruction was given by the coaching staff to the

players in which the players must accomplish by doing their best (in the team's context of

good performance), in order to get the outcome of winning. With winning will come the

rewards like praise and acknowledgment from the coaching staff onto the players who

they considered to have played to their standards.

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Introjection is described as when the external source has been taken in by the

person, and thus, keeps on performing well despite not having the that external source

exactly present to the person.

For the UP Fighting Maroons, this occurred in the reminders Coach Ricky

presented to the players. He would often tell the players to “...do whatever it takes” in the

observed games in order to win. But it was usually related to the team's defense, on the

players' doing things that needed to be done in getting opportunities and advantages for

the team to win.

This happened in the half-time meeting's analysis of upcoming second half

situations of the season where all the team needed to do was continuing the level of play

they had shown in first half of the games. Coach Ricky told the players to “...sustain the

mind-set” that they had followed in the first half, which told them to keep in mind the

instructions that the coaches have briefed upon them in the pre-game meeting.

Reminders and reiterations of instructions were the basis upon finding the

Introjection form of Extrinsic motivation. Messages that contained phrases like,

“...do(ing) whatever it takes” and terms starting or had the context of sustaining, were

connected to this form of Extrinsic motivation where the players were motivated via

reminder what they needed to do in order to gain the outcome of winning. There were

instances where Coach Ricky told the players that there would be situations that he won't

be able to shout instructions to them on the court, thus telling the players situations to

sustain mind-sets through the next half of the game.

The communicating of importance of mind-sets and instructions were seen in the

Identification aspect of Extrinsic motivation. The best example of this that occurred in the

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team was when Coach Ricky mentioned again the themes of “Sustain” and “Doing what

it takes” in the post-game meetings. In the second round, the team wasn't able to win any

games. It was not exactly said that sustaining and doing what it takes was important, but

the gist of it was seen in the analysis of the coaches of the game.

When the team lost to UST in that observed second round game, Coach Ricky

pointed out that the team did play well throughout the game. Towards the end of the

game, however, they lost composure, thus failing to sustain and keep the mind-set the

coaches briefed upon the players for the first two meetings of the game. He told the team

to “...learn from it (their mistakes)” and in the case of the observed second round game

against Ateneo, he told the team to also “Remember (this)”, thus telling the players to

value the mistakes they made of not sustaining and not keeping the mind-set as lessons to

be learned.

2. Interpersonal Motivation

This aspect of motivation is related to addressing groups of individuals

collectively. Despite the UP Fighting Maroons having its own individual members in the

players and the coaches, they were a speech community in terms of that they were their

own group within the league that shared their own way of communication.

In the study's observation of the UP Fighting Maroons as a group, the three

concepts of Interpersonal Motivation were seen in the team's bid for coming back off a

win-less season, to win as many games as they could, and the process for them to be

considered as contenders in the UAAP once again.

Coach Ricky often compared the team's performance and descriptions (via

statistics) to the opposing teams, thus motivation the team through the concept of

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Competition.

During pre-game meetings, he often compared rebounding statistics of both

teams. The UP Fighting Maroons were did not average a high number of rebounds per

game; they were second to the last ranked Adamson University in terms of rebounding.

There were games against UST and Ateneo where team rebounding was emphasized in

the meetings' instructions, that by having the same number of rebounds would result to a

better performance that would lead to a win.

Comparing the team's performance with the opposing team's was also under this

form of Interpersonal motivation. When the Fighting Maroons were playing well, Coach

Ricky would point out that it was due to the team's collective effort, or “heart”, that

would help them sustain that level of good playing. When the team was performing

poorly, he pointed out what the other team was doing over the Fighting Maroons' poor

level of play. In one loss, he compared the team to the team themselves in a them of

sustaining when he told them that it “...looked like we could not sustain anything” in the

past lost game.

In one half-time meeting, he challenged the team to keep on sustaining the good

play. If they were able to do so, “ang laki ng problema ng UST sa atin, (UST would have

a lot of problems against us,)” he said. Playing well as a team would result into growing

problems for the opposing team in containing the Fighting Maroons.

Cooperation was found when the team won its first game over UE, the first in two

years, as mentioned. Coach Ricky told the team that it was natural to be happy after

winning the game, (“...natural lang matuwa. [...it's only natural to be happy.]) The team

was told to be satisfied, to “...celebrate it with yourself, with your teammates...”. By

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winning, they were entitled to celebrate for their achievement.

As observed, however, the team's satisfaction does not always come from

winning. In the game against La Salle, where the UP Fighting Maroons lost by a single

point after leading as much as twenty points, he told the team that they “...played their

hearts out...based on the stats, mukha pa tayo ang nanalo. (...it looks as if it was us who

won.)” The coaches continued to encourage and motivate the team despite the loss, it was

a manner of keeping up morale coming into the last game.

Recognition was best seen in the pre-game meeting of UP's loss against Ateneo in

the second round, where the team had a guest speaker in Joe Lipa.

In that speech, the situation of the UP Fighting Maroons against the Ateneo de

Manila University was compared to that of David and Goliath, where the game was

described by Coach Joe Lipa as “...too big to miss.” He then told the team that

recognition of the achievement would be remembered in the first and last games of the

season. He cited the UP basketball team of the 1980's as an example. By playing well, as

one united team, in the first and last games, they would be remembered, as Coach Joe

explained. Recognition came in the form of how the team would play for the last couple

of games.

However, a combination of Competition and Recognition was also present in that

game when the team was likened to David, while Ateneo was to Goliath. The coaches,

Coach Ricky, Coach Joe, Coach Bob, etc., kept on telling the players that UP has been

known as the under-dogs in the competition for the past seasons. With that, they were told

that, “...we like being Davids” and to be recognized, “...for you to have a step towards

greatness,” the team had to, “...beat Goliath.”

CHAPTER VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

A. Summary

From the beginning of this study, motivation was assumed to be, according to

Seligman, “driving force by which humans achieve their goals.” In a country where

basketball (for now) is considered as the most popular sport, the researcher was curious

and, at the same time, interested in uncovering how a culture of communication

cultivated and thrived in a basketball team's setting. As a member of the UP Fighting

Maroons, a team who was constantly at the bottom half of the rankings, the researcher

automatically chose to study as there was a personal interest in how motivation was

communicated in a team looking to improve their standing in the tournament they were

participating in, and to develop its identity as a competing member of the UAAP.

The study then set a premise and specific objectives that would uncover how the

Fighting Maroons communicated motivation. Through Dell Hymes' concepts on the

ethnography of communication, the study would observe the specifics of the team's

communicative practices within.

Through Vockell and Pelletier et. al.'s concepts of motivation, the researcher was able to

find a scope in which the study, through the aid of that “scope”, would observe the

presence of the different concepts of motivation that occurred in the environment of the

team's interactions.

Past studies have used and looked at communication as a factor of outcomes and a

result of team behavior; while motivation was subjected to being simply a mental,

physiological and psychological concept that had resulted in rewards and outcomes for

the targets of motivation. The researcher then aimed to uncover the presence of

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motivation in the UP Fighting Maroons for the UAAP's 74th season given the mentioned

studies' premises in mind, while having speculated further additions and narrowing of the

scope of communication, and the concepts, presence, and desired outcomes of motivation

in which this ethnographic study would observe.

Through the concepts of Hymes, Vockell, and Pelletier et. al., the researcher was

able to come up with a framework that would aid the study's observation of how

motivation occurred in the communication of the UP Fighting Maroons. For the

ethnography of communication, Hymes' SPEAKING Grid was put to use in order to

identify the setting, context, and practice of communication in the team. The concepts of

motivation were then identified and singled out in accordance to the messages and

interactions that were observed through the SPEAKING Grid. Since the study was

relatively new, given that the researcher was not able to find previous ,or even similar,

studies, the framework had reached a conceptual level that sought to uncover the

indicators that complimented and related the concepts used by the study to understand the

culture of communicating motivation within the UP Fighting Maroons.

Data gathering for the study relied on the researcher making use of the participant

observation method on the chosen meetings during the UP Fighting Maroons' official

UAAP games that featured interaction and practices of communicating motivation. In

order to further profile and to provide individual backgrounds of the study's units of

analysis, questionnaires were distributed to the team's members with the idea that the

participants of the communication were members of the speech community that the study

assumed the Fighting Maroons to be. An observational guide was used by the researcher

to efficiently observe the chosen events and moments where the team's members were

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involved in communication practices that involved motivation.

The researcher then resorted to two actions to observe the communication events

of the Fighting Maroons. To record the events with a high amount of communication, the

researcher took down notes that were deemed relevant to what the study wanted to

explore. To further understand the observations, audio recordings were used to serve as

concrete data sources that would aid in interpretation of the data.

Team meetings for five official UAAP games were observed to gather sufficient

data for the study. The five games were chosen on the basis of convenience since the

researcher had to attend to his duties as a student manager of the team.

Once the data was collated and interpreted via the method of classification, the

researcher was able to break down the data that led to the relation and categorization of

the interactive situations of the UP Fighting Maroons to the aspects of communication

culture by Dell Hymes, and Vockell and Pelletier et. al.'s concepts on Extrinsic and

Interpersonal Motivation.

The team communicated in the environment of where the UAAP games were held

and conducted; in the Araneta Coliseum's locker rooms where the team's meetings were

held.

The head coach, Coach Ricky, was the main communicator, speaker, and

motivator for the team. The members basically followed suit to what he had told them in

the meetings. He was the main communicating character in all the meetings and was the

one who formulated the tasks the players would need to do to win and perform

accordingly during games. The other coaches followed his lead, and would often add

reminders or repeat what Coach Ricky had said. The players would only speak to answer

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questions in the meetings. However, everyone was committed to encouraging one

another, a form of communication the researcher believed to be motivational.

Communicating motivation was in the context of a UP Fighting Maroons

basketball team looking to improve their standing, and develop their team dynamics. The

goal of communicating motivation was for the team to excel in their performance and win

the game/s they were playing and participating in. The act in which motivation was

communicated was through a lecture of tasks, objectives, and active goals during the

game itself. These were briefed upon the the players by Coach Ricky.

The manner and tone in which the team communicated in depended on the

situation. Some examples were the following events and situations the team found itself

in during games: if they were behind the opponent by a large deficit, they were

reprimanded in the meeting by the coaches and were called upon to be alert and have a

sense of urgency in the situation they were in. If the team was leading, or if the team won,

everyone was in a good mood and spirit during interactions; discussions were light,

instructions were less, but straight to the point; usually calling for the team players to be

consistent on their performance in the court.

Communication was always verbal through the lecture and briefing of tasks

Coach Ricky engaged in during the three meetings in official games. Everyone was

indeed silent unless spoken to, and until the meetings ended, no one would speak

amongst themselves.

The presence of motivation in the communicative practices of the UP Fighting

Maroons in the observed games came mostly in the form of instructions of the coaches,

and the results and outcomes which came from the players' recognition of the coaches'

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instructions. The three forms of extrinsic motivation were seen as processes that players

had to understand, perform, and accomplish while they were in the playing in the game

court. The concepts and goals of interpersonal motivation in the UP Fighting Maroons'

communication and interaction, on the other hand, were ultimately addressed as the

team's desire to win and to be recognized.

B. Conclusion

For the sake of further understanding and reiteration, at the beginning of the study,

the researcher approached this study on the University of the Philippines' Men's

Basketball Team with this question in mind:

How is motivation communicated by the members of the UP Fighting Maroons?

To answer this question generally, the study was able to conclude that

communicating motivation in the events that the UP Fighting Maroons participated in

during official UAAP games came in the form of instructions, direction and

encouragement. By instructing and guiding the players to do their best and to exert extra

effort during the game (along with specific technical directions), the coaches initiate

motivation by providing situations wherein the players could reap desired results and

outcomes through better performances and playing on the basketball court. However, the

messages that were communicated within those meetings differed depending on the in-

game, and over-all situations the team experienced throughout the observed periods in the

team's games during 74th season of the UAAP.

On a more specific basis, based on the concepts of motivation (Vockell's

Interpersonal Motivation, Pelletier, et. al.'s Extrinsic Motivation) the study used, they

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translated to having the drive, a “push”, to gain a certain outcome. In the communication

practices within the members of the UP Fighting Maroons, motivation came in the form

of instructions and directions. These were thus concluded through the study's application

of Dell Hymes' SPEAKING grid as a matrix and scope to identifying the speech and

behavior, and the context in which communication occurs in the UP Fighting Maroons'

identity as a speech community. By identifying the communication acts that occurred in

speech events in the context of speech situations in relation to what the team experienced

through the course of the study, the researcher was able to find instances and events that

complemented the concepts that the study applied.

Concepts of Extrinsic and Interpersonal Motivation was then found (as mentioned

in the previous chapter), not only in a single genre of Dell Hymes' SPEAKING Grid, but

in the collective output of the observations done by the researcher in terms of the

different parts of the grid. The concepts of Setting, Participants, Ends, Act, Keys,

Instrumentalities, Norms of Interaction, and Genre acted as a system of observation in

which a single concept on its own would deem the analysis incomplete. These

characteristics of a communication culture provided a situation in which the concepts of

Extrinsic Motivation's External Regulation, Introjection, Identification, and Interpersonal

Motivation's Competition, Cooperation, and Recognition, occurs. The intended results of

the study were found in the concepts of communication that acts a single working system

of analsis.

As the coaches, mainly Coach Ricky Dandan, instructed the players on playing

within the team's system, they also generated motivation into the players. It was not

really the case of motivating the players directly through what the coaches say, but more

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of telling the players to be motivated in order to transcend their way of playing inside the

court via instruction, guidance, and direction. In motivating the players, coaches used

whatever language they needed in order for the player to full grasp and understand what

the coaches were trying to say. Most understood Filipino, but for the players who were of

foreign or mixed lineage, the coaches used English when they addressed them. Players

who understood Filipino were spoken to in Filipino. However, the coaches did not choose

any language whenever they were making a point to the players. The language that best

suited their purpose of speech was used.

Players motivated each other by cheering for each other and clapping for one

another. They would often repeat what the coaches have told them but they mostly

encourage each other to do their best, and give everything they have on the basketball

court. Coaches, however, did not motivate one another on the basis that they were the

ones who delegated themselves to motivate and instruct the players.

Throughout the study, it was seen that it was mostly Coach Ricky Dandan who

was motivating the players. The other coaches took off from what Coach Ricky told the

players during the observed meetings. He thus followed what known experts on

basketball (Lipa, Cousy, et al.) have written, that the head coach must take on the task of

being the main motivator towards the team's players. Secondary motivators were found in

the asssistant coaches, like Coach Bob Noriega, and through a guest speaker in Joe Lipa.

Motivation within the Fighting Maroons then occurred in situations that the team

was trying to achieve their goal of winning as much as they can in the 74th season of the

UAAP. On a smaller scale, the team's members communicated motivation during the pre-

game, half-time, and post-game meetings in order for the team's players to have the drive

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to play more than what they can, or to play with “heart” or “puso”.

Messages ranged from specific offensive and defensive actions and movements

(garnering more rebounds than the other team by boxing out, for example), to reminders

of the importance of following and performing those actions (doing whatever it takes and

putting “heart” whenever on the court), up to comparisons between the Fighting Maroons

to their opponents by the coaches (the “David and Goliath” situation). Messages differed

on the situations that called for them, the way coaches used language to push a point to

the players. Some situations called for the coaches to compare how the team performed to

how the opponents out-played them, while some situations created messages that

motivated the team by providing recognition and satisfaction from the team's

achievements.

The tone and manner in which motivation was communicated also depended on

the context of the situation that took place. A tone of anger was used when the coaches

saw that the players were not putting effort in the things they did on the playing court.

However, an angry tone and demeanor was not entirely locked on poor performances by

the UP Fighting Maroons. An aggressive tone was also used in making points to the

players, or when the coaches felt that the players were still not giving their full effort,

despite the players showing a good performance. A positive demeanor, a pleasant

disposition, usually meant that the team was doing the right things that led to a win (if not

a win, a performance deemed acceptable by the coaches). That positive tone then showed

that the team and its players should be satisfied with how they played that helped them

achieve a win or an exceptional performance during the current game.

For the UP Fighting Maroons this past season, there were games that could have

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brought out a positive demeanor from the team's members due to an all out effort and

performance by the players; as if a win was a sure outcome at the end of the game.

Unfortunately, those games fell short and the team lost, thus leading to a sorrowful and

frustrated disposition in the meetings after official games.

The team may have lost over and over, but never did it happen that the team, its

coaches and players, stopped motivating one another. In all the games witnessed and

observed by the researcher, like the positive mind-set of the team believing that they can

win as many games as they can compared to the past season, motivation was never absent

despite the incoming game situation, team analysis during half-time breaks, and winning

or losing outcomes. Motivation was the fighting spirit the team called upon throughout

the season.

CHAPTER VII. IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A. Theoretical and Practical Implications

This ethnographic study on the UP Fighting Maroons' communication of

motivation was able to uncover the premises and themes in which this cultural

phenomenon occurs. Thus, the researcher identified theoretical and practical premises,

what limited the study, and future recommendations in relation to this study.

On a theoretical level, the research's findings was able to identify a basketball

team, namely the UP Fighting Maroons, as a speech community where speech acts occur

within speech events under the context of speech situations. Aside from that, they had

their own way of communicating motivation. As the team's communication practices

functioned and were categorized via observation, the concepts of Extrinsic and

Interpersonal Motivation (Vockell's and Pelletier, et. al.'s) were put into play and further

classified the data specifically into what the research sought for. These concepts and

theories then meshed as a scope where the researcher was able to observe and analyze the

ethnography of communicating motivation in a basketball team. The study, then, was able

to find that motivation can be communicated in the context of a sports team.

Dell Hymes' SPEAKING Grid organized the factors, situations, and contexts of

the communication culture of the UP Fighting Maroons. The different characteristics of a

speech community was applied through the mentioned grid to the study's subjects'

communication behaviors, patterns, and events as a community. Thus, the study's

findings in terms of Hymes' grid was able to showcase the unique factors of the team that

shared a culture of communicating motivation.

Furthermore into the concepts of motivation by Vockell and Pelletier, et. al., the

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study was able to show that it was possible for motivation to be observed and classified in

the setting of a speech community's communication culture. The concepts of Extrinsic

and Interpersonal motivation were fit in classifying the context of the messages

exchanged and interacted among the members of the UP Fighting Maroons.

The study, however, had difficulty in searching for specific theories, or at least

similar research, on communication in sports and motivation's presence in the

communication practices of sports teams, organizations, or groups. With this in mind, the

researcher hopes that this study start a movement of research on how communication's

presence in sports teams affects performance and outcomes in competitive tournaments.

On a practical level, the study could also serve as a guide to aspiring coaches or

sports teams who would want to look into how an organized collegiate team

communicates motivation in processes of development. The UP Fighting Maroons have

been known as a “cellar dweller” in the UAAP rankings. However, no team would like to

be in the bottom end of the rankings forever. Thus, the Fighting Maroons are also a team

who is now known to be under a process of achieving its former glory and this study

provides a glimpse to how a team could motivate themselves back into the top of the

rankings.

As a member of the UP Fighting Maroons, the researcher had planned to make a

study that would help the team in any way. This study, however, was able to achieve an

“outsider's” view of the communication and motivation practices of the team. The study

could serve as a basis of evaluation for the coaches and the players in terms of how they

communicated and motivated one another. With the results of this study as evaluation of

their communication practices, the coaches and players will then be able to look for ways

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to improve their communication and motivation practices in order to achieve whatever

goals they have in store for the team to succeed. The researcher believes that with better

communication, comes better understanding; if the coaches and players knew how they

communicated from an outside point-of-view, they would be able to evaluate themselves

free from whatever internal factors, intentions, or bias they have in mind.

With what the study has found, that motivation is present not only in

encouragement but also in instruction, directions, and even criticisms during games, the

coaches could provide more specific instructions and possible outcomes (due to those

instructions) to the players in order to achieve the goal of performing better during

games. The coaches should motivate by putting more emphasis on the players'

accomplishment of specific instructions in-game that would lead to specific positive

outcomes that would lead to a win.

With all these in mind, that the team should enter programs that would enhance

and improve communication with one another. Aside from just attending team-building

activities that aids in team cohesion, team practices should add more physical drills to

improve both the coaches' and players' communication skills and practices on and off the

court. For game days, the coaches could provide hard copies of game-related notes and

directions that would aid in achieving the goals the team has for any upcoming game.

Furthermore, the team could engage in longer pre-game and post-game meetings (half-

time meetings are set only for ten minutes for all teams) in order to fully grasp exchanged

ideas when it comes to the games the UP Fighting Maroons would play in.

Looking back, if the team is able to clearly communicate ideas and instructions

that are needed in order to win, then there will be clearer understanding of what they need

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to perform and do during the games.

B. Study Limitations and Recommendations

As much as it would help the study if all games of the UP Fighting Maroons in the

UAAP's 74th season were observed, the sole researcher of this study had to attend to his

team duties. The lack of man-power and time availability needed in order to get a full

grasp of the whole season limited the gathering of data for the study. Not all interactions

were observed by the researcher. The team compiled of almost thirty members and with

that, not all conversations were seen and observed.

Future research on the subject of communicating motivation could also take note

of the results of this study to show that there is a specific phenomenon that occurs in the

social idea of a group, specifically a basketball team, on how the presence of motivation

is correlated to a team's success and cohesion, as a suggestion, since the study had only

found motivation's use was for goals of achieving a better over-all performance by the

team during games. Future research on this could also consider the Intrinsic Motivation

that occurs within the players to understand deeply how communicated motivation affects

their mindsets and psyche, whether the type of communicative behavior is successful in

instilling a motivational mindset. The study was only able to show how motivation was

externally communicated to two or more individuals, or to a group of individuals.

Furthermore, the researcher encourages future studies on how external and interpersonal

motivation establishes and manifests itself within an individual. Future research could

also take an in-depth look of how the individuals take motivation in an intrapersonal

level; how individuals motivate themselves despite the external motivation that comes

from their peers within the team.

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The researcher admits that the number of games observed was not enough to

completely uncover the communication practices of the UP Fighting Maroons in regard

to motivation occurring amongst the team's members. The researcher generally believes

that to fully grasp and understand a culture, specifically a shared communication culture,

there should be at most an over-excess of data in order to look for deeper roots into the

meanings and contexts of interaction within a community; may it be a small or a large

group of communication-capable beings. Limited observations were conducted due to the

researcher's duties to the team. The researcher then recommends future studies and future

researchers to have a full role of observing a team's communication practices, especially

in situations where a lot of speech and interactions occur since these two actions are

considered as the figures of measurement in a total qualitative research.

Technical problems and liabilities also limited complete and proper observation of

several meetings in official games. There were moments in which the researcher wasn't

able to record and observe the interactions of the team members in the meeting due to

switching the storage memory of the audio-recorders. There were instances where the

recording device malfunctioned or lost battery power, thus leaving out a portion of

observed meetings. The researcher recommends that in observing fully the

communication practices of a basketball team, an audio-visual recording tool should be

used in order have a better look at the non-verbal behavior of the team members during

interaction and speech. The study could also make use of multiple researchers in order to

thoroughly observe the communication and interactions of the team.

The researcher believes that the three meetings that were observed weren't enough

to bring out a total study of the UP Fighting Maroons' communication practices. Aside

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from these meetings during official games, a lot of communication occurs during the

game itself, where the team is on the court competing against an opposing team. Time-

outs also had a vast amount of communication, and the researcher thinks that

communication dynamics of the team is altered in these periods since there was only a

short period of time that was allotted for teams to regroup and talk about what transpired

on the playing court.

The researcher believes that studying a speech community's communication

culture in a span of several months is not enough to conclude a complete and thorough

generalization in how that community works. Rafe Bartholomew, an American author

who observed the “basketball phenomenon” in the Philippines, spent two to four years

following the Alaska Aces (a professional basketball team in the country, member team of

the PBA) in order to gain knowledge of the phenomenon. The researcher recommends

that future studies, that would share similar objectives as this study, should allot a year

(or more even) in identifying a sports team's communication culture. If future research

would follow, for example, the UP Fighting Maroons' schedule in preparation for the next

UAAP season, the gathering of data should start on October or November, or the period

where the team starts its training camp once more.

Finally, for the UP Fighting Maroons (Men's Basketball Team), the researcher

recommends that the team should enter programs that would enhance and improve

communication with one another. Again, the researcher believes that with better

communication, there is a better, clearer exchange of messages and ideas that would lead

to better understanding of what the individuals involved are trying to say. This

recommendation comes from the researcher's intention of helping the UP Fighting

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Maroons achieve a better performance and record in the following seasons of the UAAP

that they would participate in.

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APPENDIX A

Questionnaires for Coaches' and Players' Profiles

Coaches' Profiles

Full NameAgeUniversity/College Attended and Year of GraduationHometownLanguages SpokenPhilippine Dialects Spoken

Players' Profiles

Full NameAgeYear and CoursePositionYears Played in the UAAPHometownLanguages SpokenPhilippine Dialects Spoken

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APPENDIX B

Transcripts of the Observed UAAP Games

July 14, 20111st Round UE Vs. UPNotes Taken on Journal

Pre-GameCoach Ricky:

• “Ano meron?” (Referring to team being quiet at the start of the pre-game meeting)

• “Let things flow.”• “If you can go, attack! Go take your lay-ups! We create our own chaos!”• “Watch out for each other and we'll be fine.”• “Enjoy this moment. Live for this moment. Play for each other!”

Half-TimeCoach Ricky:

• To Jelo: “Sa takot ni Coach Jerry sayo, limang tao bumabantay!”

Post-Game*Environment was light, everyone was pleasant and clapping.Coach Ricky:

• “Sorry to burst your bubble, but we have done nothing. Just one game. Reality bites.”

• “Natural lang matuwa. Celebrate it with yourself, your teammates, your family, and your friends pero pag labas niyo ng dug-out, walang mayabang.”

Coach Duane:• “Stinky balls!” (Referring to the team's needed effort in the next game against

NU)

*Coaches lead the prayer and team huddle cheers during games.

*UP won over UE, 69-61, having won its first game since 2009.

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2nd Round Vs. UST August 14, 2011Pre-Game Meeting @ Dug-Out, Araneta Coliseum

Coach Ricky:

'Pag sinabing gagawin, gagawin! G (mike gamboa)! Julius (wong), Robby (wierzba), maybe moe (gingerich). whoever i put on him (jeric fortuna), when i say you do it, you do everything! malinaw yan?

next. 9 rebounds, 2 of them offensive. so what does that mean? when he doesn't have the ball, what do you do? jelo (montecastro)?

Jelo:

locate?

coach ricky:

hindi mo kailangan i-locate 'yun dahil ina-asawa mo yun eh! pag binitawan niya bola naka-chase kayo eh. dapat katabi mo pa rin yan! hindi mo kailangan lumocate dahil katabi ka dapat nun!

when the ball is up, we shouldn't be even standing! diba julius, robby? so no reason at all for him to get 10 rebounds! no reason at all; dalawa pa ang offensive rebounds. (referring to fortuna)

next. afuang (another ust player), masyado natin minaliit ito. who will be my last stop on afuang? if they start three bigs, uhh, you (mike silungan) will be on (chris) camus, pao (romero) you will be on afuang. 5 rebounds, 1 offensive, 13 points yan. that is way above his average. ilang minutes yan? 23 minutes, same as fortuna. yun ang kompiyansa (confidence) ng coaching staff sa kaniya. mataas ang kompiyansa ngayon niyan so when the ball is up, what do we do here? kaka (carlo gomez)? afuang. he is out. what do we do? we got out- he has the ball outside, what do we do? we close out. high hands; that'll be a jump-shot. and you'll be ready for him to penetrate; stop the penetration. pao, kaka, malinaw yan?

okay now. next, abdul (UST's cameroonian import, Karim Abdul). 14 rebounds, 6 offensive. alinko (UP's nigerian import, alinko mbah), mj (mark juruena), martin (pascual). so what does it take? take away 14 rebounds, 6 of them offensive. what does it take, martin? abdul will not attack you straight up. he will not attack you straight up. he will get his points from offensive rebounds and drop passes. now remember this, when there is a penetration, fortuna has the ball, C (contain) tayo diba? there is a penetration, our bigs will help. whoever rotates on abdul, when you lead well, when you rotate, you're not thinking of anything else. but you should be ready to block out (box out) face on, not this way (proceeds to show the team how to block abdul out) because he's big. shot is up,

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you're taking him. and you have your hands up. and you initiate contact first. malaki yan, isang ganito lang sa inyo yan. initiate contact, hold your ground. okay? initiate contact and hold your ground.

when it's a scramble situation, pinakita ko sa inyo sa tape, camus, i showed you from the tape yesterday, when ball is up, bam, bam, bam (motioning on the white board where the players will be located when somebody shoots the ball). you hit somebody down! pag bola nasa taas, wala kang pag-asa kunin yan, don't even jump! look for somebody to block out! ball is tapped, and ball is going down, natapik yung bola at bumaba, what do you do? malapit na yung bola kahit wala pa sayo yung bola, what do you do? what do you do moe?

moe:

chase.

coach ricky:

you go pursue, and dive for the ball! that will fuel our fast break; something that has not been with us the past two games. that fuels our fast break. that is why those teams are afraid pag kalaban ang UP. number two sa fast break points (UP has been the leagues 2nd leader in overall fast break points in the first round), 2nd to ateneo. that's what gives us advantage. but we do not get that advantage because we are defending poorly. do you get me guys?

camus. 12 rebounds, 6 offensive. you're going to have to play him like a big (referring to power forward and center positions in basketball jargon) and you're going to think like a big. you're not even crashing, you're looking for him. he cannot play you one on one. you can penetrate on him. alright? but when you're playing defense, he'll try to bring you out and go for a ball-screen kasi he plays like a small (smaller positions: small forwards, and guards).

If ball is on the corner, we exaggerate and put him here. alinko when there is a ball screen and your teammate has recovered, what do you do? you sprint. did coach joey (assistant coach, joey mendoza)show you that on the tape? you saw that?

teng (UST small forward, jeric teng). na-injure yan. what was done. in the few minutes he played, isang three-point shot, a field goal, and free throws. that's 7 points. okay? we're going to start you (julius wong) on teng. taas dalawang kamay, shooter eh. pag close up mo, high hands. that's basic basketball. he averages 13 points per ballgame. 3.6 rebounds yan jelo so therefore, ano ibig sabihin?

jelo:

bumababa siya agad.

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coach ricky:

oo, so ano gagawin natin? and almost two assists. 28 minutes.

and titignan niyo rebounding compared sa smalls nila medyo mataas ng konti dahil mahilig mag-crash (crash rebounding, means that players make an effort to get the rebound every after shot). opportunity nanaman sa atin ito para makatakbo.

okay. this is a very important word for us today. SUSTAIN. we need to sustain everything that we do for 40 minutes regardless of all the situations. we need to sustain everything that we do. sabi ko na sa inyo eh, kaya dismaya ako sa last two games natin against UST and Adamson (last two games of the first round), because apparently we looked like we could not sustain anything. that's why i was very upset. we get rebounds, initiate contact, because this could lead to us to fast breaks.

on offense. do not be contented with jumpshots. guys sabi ko naman sa inyo eh, if you're wide, wide open, you take it. okay? if it's an early shot and you're tempted to take it, you read on what the situation is. look at time and score, who was momentum. are we trying to catch up? are they trying to catch up? you need to read that to help you with your shot selection. jett (manue) 'wag kang magmamadali. do not be in a hurry. same with you mike (gamboa).

spacing is offense already. three-around (a play) will open up the shaded lane, our bigs will be there. that will open up the shaded lane for penetration. because when you attract, the defense collapses, you look for your teammates.

shot selection. guys, sabi ko naman sa inyo eh. bombs away. i don't care. sabi sakin ng isang analyst, "coach i think mike silungan makes too many shots every game." what do you want me to tell the boy? not to shoot? eh gago't gago kayong mga hayop kayo eh. pag sinasabi nila yan. pangit ng tira coach, tira ng tira sa labas. eh anong gusto mo gawin namin? penetrate kami ng penetrate.

i was just being sarcastic there. defensive ako, syempre. they talk about you, they talk about me. but guys, with the license i give you comes responsibility. do not abuse that. so shot selection will always be in your mind.

okay. apparently guys, ask yourselves this. do you really care of what happens to us? and have you been playing with your heart? i'm talking about the last two games. our last two games. tinalo lang natin FEU (first round), puta tapos na season natin? ask yourself this, do you really care? of what happens to us? it's the start of the second round guys. ask this from yourselves, do you really have the heart or do you have the heart? ako pare naniniwala ako you can, naniniwala ako may puso kayo, but the last two games you did not show any of this. so starting with zero-zero in this second round. let's start with a clean slate. guys ayoko di kayo pasasalitain, gusto ko sagutin niyo ito, wag lang pakita sa

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salita. pakita niyo nalang mamaya. okay?

let's go.

(everyone claps, team members shout let's go, and proceed to huddle together for pre-

game prayer [c/o Coach Jojo Villa] and final reminders before the game. Coach Ricky

leads the team cheer wherein he shouts “UP!” to which the members of the team respond

with what he tells them. For this game, he it was “Mind Strong”)

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2nd Round Vs. UST August 14, 2011Half-Time Break @ Dug-Out, Araneta ColiseumUST leads, 38-33, over the UP Fighting Maroons

Coach Ricky:

Okay. Thus far, we are doing really well on Fortuna. Pero pinapatay naman tayo ni Abdul. Okay? So. Look at this. Easy lang naman eh. They don't have a solution to our "head" (offensive play) but they have the half-time to talk about this.

Now. We're talking of precision dito pare ah. Let's be very precise with everything.

(continues to discuss technical basketball plays).

When the ball is up, everybody hustles. Get that loose ball. Guys, you're doing that but we need to get more of that. We need to get more of those.

Next. Sa fastbreak natin nagmamadali tayo eh. Wag magmamadali tayo eh. Jelo, ayun ka nanaman sa pa-ganun-ganun mo. Pag-tutuloy mo papasa mo, pag may tatlong tao kang kasabay, pipilitin mo. Diba? Good thing Jelo, you attract all of them, yun na eh. Ganda ng takbo natin, we're getting the opportunities. We're getting it but we're not being able to exploit! we haven't really scored on it yet.

Now. We're in the game. Big word for us now. Sustain. Third quarter, fourth quarter, SUSTAIN. Kung magawa natin ito, ang laki ng problema niyan (referring to UST). Okay but you need to sustain your mindset, sustain your heart. Madami akong nagamit, walang pagod sa inyo. We need you to be eager to sustain that. Okay guys?

Coach Bob (Noriega):

Strong third guys! Sustain!

(a prayer by coach jojo ensues followed by extra reminders by coach ricky)

Coach Ricky:

Guys, ganito gagawin ng coach ng UST (Pido Jarencio) kay Fortuna, sinasabi, "Maglaro ka! Maglaro ka!" Ganun ginagawa niya. Magpipilit 'yan sa second half. Kaya lahat ng mag-chachase sa kaniya, Jelo, Jelo 'wag mo munang bitawan. Full-court pa 'yan, naka-deny ka na.

Now, if they do this again (pointing to UST's break play on UP's full court pressure defense), 'yung long pass kay Abdul dito. Pare naman. Limang araw niyo nakikita 'yung bola hindi ko maintindihan paano pa nakakakuha ng bola, anak ng puta naman. Nag-dedeny kayo eh! Martin! Ang bagal, kitang kita mo kung saan mahuhulog 'yung bola!

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Hustle lang! Sustain on UP!

(coach ricky leads the huddle cheer, shouting "UP" to which the team responds with

"Sustain")

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2nd Round Vs. UST August 14, 2011Post-Game Meeting @ Dug-Out, Araneta ColiseumUST wins, 77-70, over the UP Fighting Maroons

Coach Ricky:

Kasama sa proseso yun. It's part of learning to win. Composure.

(Shouting at the players, very angry.) ATIN NA YUN EH! Tang-ina. THAT IS OUR GAME! ANONG GINAGAWA NIYO?! DOWN 2 POINTS NALANG YUN AH!

You were doing everything the right way! We were making them pay, fine! But it was down to 2! At putangina magfofoul tayo! Ano 'yun?! Ano 'yung foul mo (to mike gamboa)?! Ano yun G?!

(Coach mellows down)Putangina mga bata oh. These lessons are very difficult. Pero dadaanan natin eh. Whatever it takes. Lahat ng dadaanan natin, dadaanan natin. But we need to learn from that. You were playing so well guys. You understand me? You were there! I don't care if you make mistakes, but you were there! It was ours! And then we give them (referring to UST) a break by losing it.

This game's stats are bullshit. These stats won't matter. You gave it your all. I know. But we're not done. Life doesn't stop, we still have 6 games; We play FEU on thursday.

You showed that you were heart-strong, mind-strong, except for Mike G. Paolo (Romero), ang ganda ng nilalaro. Alam mo 'yung nagpadikit, 'yung dalawang shots mo. Nakita ko 'yun eh (incident where Paolo committed an unsportsmanlike foul on Abdul), sa ilalim eh. You're not a bad player, but gigil na gigil ka. Hindi na lang pwede puro "ra ra ra" (refers to playing like a knucklehead), kailangan composed pa rin tayo.

Mike G, ano pinakita mo? Pinakita mo na matapang ka kay Abdul (referring to mike g's foul on Abdul that increased UST's lead)? Hindi ganun pakita kung gano ka katapang.

Okay. We've been at it for three weeks straight so I'll let you rest tomorrow. When I say rest, you rest. Okay? You rest. Wait for the text of Coach Mark. We practice Tuesday, we play FEU on Thursday. Another beatable team.

So much for analyzing this, so far we lost composure; when it mattered most, when we needed to get it together. No need to over-analyze it, napaka-simple lang niyan. Let's go. Huddle up.

(proceeds to coach jojo villa's end game prayer.)

Coach Ricky:

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Think about all the good things that we did, we brought it down to two points. That was the highlight of our game. Think about all these things and do not discouraged. Okay? Do not be discouraged. Let's go. Huddle up. Malakas. Mabuhay on UP.

(end game huddle cheer, coach ricky shouts UP, team follows with "Mabuhay!")

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2nd Round Vs. NU August 21, 2011

Pre-Game Meeting @ Dug-Out, Araneta Coliseum

After losing to FEU (Where Coach Ricky told the team that he wanted to win this game)

Coach Ricky:

Let’s seize this opportunity for us and make sure that we have a chance, okay? Let’s seize this opportunity and make sure we have a chance, okay?

You know the lineup. Okay? You know the lineup. There’s no other way to win this but to play defense, guys. Our offense will not save us. Our defense would save us. Okay, yung offense natin is just there, it will happen. We miss, fine. But we make stops. If we miss, we make stops. That’s the lesson we learn from our previous game. Okay? We were not able to manage a 16-point win because we stopped defending. Hindi pwedeng mangyari today yan. Okay, we have to sustain it for 40 minutes. We need to show that you will hustle by diving for all loose balls and make sure that there are no lay-ups.

Now, the first time we played them, maraming drop pass. Maraming drop pass, okay? And usually it was…

Usually, because of Mbah Alinko (UP Nigerian import). Alinco is doing his job. He’s helping. He’s doing his job. He’s doing his job, he’s helping. But you need to take the inside. Ang nangyayari satin, you do not expect the guy pacing to rotate. That’s our rule, remember?

Anyway. So they will run there dribble drive. That guy is in the corner.

Now look at this. We are playing C (contain). This guy, Legardes, he’s not even in, even if he’s not chasing, he’s not dwell, that’s a corner shooter, okay? Penetration comes here. Ito ang nalilibre. Ito ang nalilibre dahil itong weak side, hindi tayo conscious. This guy, if you’re not a chaser, you’re supposed to be here. We’re C. This guy, nandito pa lang yan, ito na dapat ang itsura natin. Okay? Gawin niyo lahat para hindi maka-straight line ito. Maka-straight line man siya, be conscious of your rotation responsibilities. If we skipped out, we do what?

(Team members answer)

We can scramble. Okay?

Now rebounds, do not miss block outs. You need to pursue the man. Do not miss block outs. Ang maraming miss dito, ikaw Paolo (Romero). Ikaw Jet (Manuel), kayo maraming mintis dito. Do not… and you, S (Referring to Mike Silungan). Do not miss block outs.

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Okay, ball-screen defense is going to be critical. Ang bail-out nito puro ball-screen,lalo na kay Parks. In our sideline, anong stance natin? When we’re calling 1.

(Team answer)

Patong. That’s the call. If that’s the sideline, here’s my help, I am not this way. This is the screen, I am not this way dahil papasok pa dito yan eh kaya nayayari eh. Ganito tayo, send in to the help. Okay? Pag nag-(3:45 inaudible), we just rotate.

Okay? Now when we go… Number 5. You switch hard. You do not switch and watch. You switch and pressure. He’s your man now. If in the perimeter he has the shot, then obviously they all have shots, your high hand right away and you’re hard on him. Do not worry. You’ll either go C or will cross on this, you’ll cross on this. Okay?

So two, when you stop you do not wait. The moment he comes off the screen, you’re coming out already and trafficking. Do not wait for him to come out of the screen. The moment he uses the screen, you are going hard. Malinaw yun.

Kayo magdidictate ng traffic dito and you have to talk. If it’s two, you shout two. If it’s five you shout five. If it’s cross, you shout cross. When we go cross, what is it?

(Team mumbling)

We’re going in the zone. Okay, and stay… and stay in your spot. If you’re a big, stay there if there is no chance to ex-cut. If there’s a chance to ex-cut, you move inside, then that’s fine. Malinaw yun.

Alright. This is very critical to us.

Okay, even the point guard, have jump shots. So it’s important that you’re hands are high all of the time. You are contesting and challenging. You’re not just, high hands. You are contesting. Hindi lang kayo for show, hindi. You are contesting and challenging it. Malinaw ba?

Alright, regular defenses natin, when we call 51, we’ll be lining the court or double-teaming the court, okay? When they release the ball to their twos and threes, we’re fine. Now, since we’re 14 across, dinedeny niyo na kung sino yung nakapasok kay Parks. Okay, so you will be matched double, Parks. You have the first break in. Una nating kalaban to, uminit sayo to, di mauulit yun.

Okay? Julius (Wong). We match you up with him. S, you’re going to match up. Mo (Gingerich), you’re going to match up with him. Now, yung malalaki nilang shooter, Villamor (NU small forward), uhh Jet. Pag yan tumira, be sure that you block out. Eh maliit ka sa kanya. Itaas lang niya kamay niya, argabyado ka na. So be sure that you

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challenge him. And do not give him a straight line. Yun ang sakit mo, nasa straight line ka palagi. Do not give him a straight line. Same with you, Julius.

I will call this. 32… 32 bound hits, full court pressure. Ball crosses the half line with a dribble or a pass, you’re back in 32. Transition defense, no lay-ups. If you need to foul, send a message. Walang le-lay-up. You foul. Okay? Make sure na hindi papasok.

Alright, on offense, we want to run every opportunity. Like I always tell you, you do not give this up. We’re number two, we’re still number two in terms of fast break points, we do not give that up. We can only do this if we control and not miss block outs. So big or small, do not block outs. Importante. Bigs quick outlet.

Now, when we play zone again, when they zone us, be sure that you see the gaps. And when there are gaps, you get into the gaps. Lalo na sa 5-up (offensive play) natin. Lalo na sa 5-up natin. On the first reversal, do not jog. Yun ang nangyayari satin. We jog through this kaya lumalakas ang depensa. So pass, pass, straight cut. Straight, field cut. Di ba? Field, straight yan. Pag reverse dito yan, lalo pag shooter ito, bubuka dito yan eh. Bubuka yan. You’ll have space to penetrate then you have S here and drops here.

You see this? You work on this, guys.

Now, on three. On three chest, what’s your first look?

(Team members answer)

High post, high post. When you get the ball, what do you do?

(Team members answer)

You get the ball from the top, what do you do? Face basket, ready to kick, sideways. You get the ball from the wing, what will you do? You’re looking for High-low opportunity (basketball situation). Bounce pass, penetrate, bounce pass. Kayang-kaya natin yan. That’s on three chest, okay?

Now, sprint. I said don’t jog, sprint. Touch bigs, what do I mean by touch bigs?

(Team member answer)

Jet, what do I mean by touch bigs?

(Team member answer)

Pahawakin niyo ng bola yung bigs natin. Okay, bigs, be responsible. When you get the ball, you’re faking, suck them in and kick out. If no one covers you, just one-on-one, you go. But when you dribble, Kaka (Carlo Gomez), when you dribble you attract somebody.

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Be ready to pass. Hindi yung para kang nagpapa-oo. Parang black out minsan pag na sayo eh, di ba?

Alright. First break, they will press us, two-one to two-three, on our first break, we worked on this. Let’s take whatever we were calling. Okay?

So guys, we just came from a very painful experience. Ang tao pag nasaktan, ayaw masaktan ulit. Normal yun, that’s human nature. Are you willing to be hurt again? We have a great opportunity here, guys, to one game away from that number 4 slot. A great opportunity. And I remember it’s the playoffs for us. So bigay niyo na lahat yan. Ayaw nating masaktan ulit. Okay?

(Clapping people)

Heavenly Father, Lord God, we lift up to You for this great opportunity. We ask that you bless us as we play. Lord, tulungan niyo po kami to win this shot and sustain.. uh… sustain our energy for today.

(Recording device lost battery and was unable to record the final huddle cheer before the game)

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2nd Round Vs. NU, August 21, 2011Half-Time Meeting @ Dug-Out, Araneta ColiseumNU leads, 27-13, over the UP Fighting Maroons.

Coach Ricky:

We're shooting 19%. Okay? 'Wag kayong ma-di-discourage. We still have one half. We were getting open. Hindi lang talaga pumapasok. Majority was unopposed. Do not be discouraged. Keep on taking open shots.

Kaya lang, 'wag natin panoorin si Mike (Silungan). 'Pag nahawakan ni Mike S. 'yung bola, nakatayo nalang 'yung apat eh. After those sequences, when he gets that ball, what do you want him to do? Take that shot? Hindi naman palaging pu-puwede 'yun. But we're running the play around. Pass the ball around so everybody has touches. So. Kaya lang, ang bagal ng stags (basketball play) natin eh. We go over-under, banda dito, create space here. Maraming options to curl and read. Pop-out, reverse. Everybody's moving 'pag sinasabi ko 'yan eh. Kuha niyo? We want this. We want everyone moving. The lane is wide open. Do not settle for jump shots all of the time. The lane is wide open. Eh ano ngayon kung Mbe (NU center from Cameroon). Sagasaan niyo, fish for the foul! Or suck the defense then kick out. Open naman tira niyo eh. Tira niyo lang, papasok din yan. Walang problema.

Pero 'di natin pwede bitawan pare 'yung ating depensa. They scored 27 pts at 33%. okay? But we gave them 7/11 free throws.

Alright. Ganito lang ang mindset. Simpleng-simple lang yan. Di naman kayo nagswaswapangan. Di naman kayo petiks. You're playing with your heart. You're getting open. Hindi lang pumapasok. One, do not be discouraged. Think positive. Second, our defense is our only chance. Our offense, defense ang kailangan mag-move. Fuck our offense. Defense must move, walang kapalit 'yan.

Jett (Manuel) you need to work on defense. 'Yung offense, pabayaan mo na, dadating 'yun. Pero kung sa defense na out-maneuver ka, gagawa ka ng paraan! Eh 'yung Celiz (NU small forward) mas mabagal sayo 'yun eh! Kayang-kayo mo 'yan, di naman siya naglalaro, di din naman pumoposte.

Let's just be working on defense and not fouling too much. Okay. So our zone, they will put a high-post man there. Then they'll start ball-screening on the zone. Look at this. Look this way. 'Wag niyo papasok sa kanto 'yan. Watch out for ball-screens, and switch here. This guy, get ready to drive. Check him back, push him back right away. That's our alignment.

We're out-rebounded okay? 31 to 18. Alinko (UP's Nigerian import) I need you to be on the floor. But if you're on the floor, you'll give it your all, okay? Don't worry about anything. Clear your mind Alinko okay? Composure! Don't be discouraged, stay positive!

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(Everyone claps and Coach Ricky proceeds to lead the huddle cheer. Coach Jojo doesn't

start the prayer for halftime.)

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2nd Round Vs. NU August 21, 2011Post-Game Meeting @ Dug-Out, Araneta ColiseumUP loses to NU, 65-43, UP scoring the lowest output by any team for the seasonTeam members were silent during the meeting. Only Coach Ricky was talking, visibly upset with the loss.

Coach Ricky:

I asked for this game (he was hinting during time-outs that he wanted this game to be won).

Alinko (UP's Nigerian Import) what's the matter with you? Why weren't you not running? (Starts shouting) I'm going to play the last 4 games without you! (Pauses and continues shouting) Who do you think you are? You are our only center and your attitude is just like that! Why do you think I didn't play you pa? Mbe (NU's Cameroonian import, center) was able to dunk pa because he ran faster than you!

(Silence)

(Calmer tone) Don't you try me Alink, or else I'm going to play the last 4 games without you. Don't try me.

Don't tell me you didn't want to win. Because we still can win!

I know that you did not give up. That's fine. You did not give up. But with 27% shooting, that's going to be very difficult. How do we suppose we can improve our individual skills. You're already doing extra work. I was supposed to give you a break tomorrow but you use that time to do extra work. That is what it takes. I told you I don't believe in slumps. There's an absolute reason why we're missing. There are reasons there. So we just have to keep on going, keep on working on your game. Like I told you before, practice is not enough. Our practice is not enough.

So tomorrow, you get in touch with Mang Rod (team main utility man). Walang pasok bukas diba? So tomorrow, I want you doing extra work. Just you, nobody else. Just you. I'll see you Tuesday on practice. Wait for Coach Mark to text you.

Pare, may apat na laro pa tayo. All those games are winnable. We were playing good defense, I told you that. It's just that we weren't making our shots. Eh pare, last thing I heard, ang basketball, padamihan ng shoot eh.

(Shouts) Are you giving up?! Paolo? Bangky? Julius? MJ? Jelo? Martin? Robby? Mo? Alinks? Don? S? Kaka? Nobody gives up guys! May apat pa tayo na laro! We keep on going! We keep on going!

(Coach Jojo proceeds with his end-game player)

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Coach Ricky:

Not everything is on me. A lot also is on you individually. You improve individually, that makes the team better. You understand? Let's go. Mind-Strong on UP.

(coach ricky leads the end huddle cheer shouting "UP" followed by "Mind-Strong" by the

members)

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2nd Round Vs. Ateneo September 1, 2011Pre-Game Meeting @ Dug-Out, Araneta ColiseumUP Fighting Maroons look to beat the undefeated defending champions, this year's juggernaut, Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles.*Former UP coach and Philippine basketball legendary coach, Joe Lipa, delivered a pep talk to the team. He mentions the story of David and Goliath in his speech.

Coach Ricky:

Listen up. What is the plan of Ateneo? Ateneo will what? Ateneo will force us to play half-court. They'll take away what we do best, which is score off defensive rebounds. If they force us to play half-court, what will they allow us to do? They will force us to shoot from the outside because if you will look at the stats, it makes sense. Like I told you guys, if you're open, bombs away (shoot). You make that shot. Okay? 'Wag kayong magdadalawang isip diyan; if you're open you take it, but, do not be contented with just shooting jump shots.

Now. Let's go straight to offense. Defensive rebounds will allow us to do what we do best on offense so it's very, very important that we do not miss block outs. Paolo (Romero), Alinko (Mbah, UP's Nigerian import) you do not miss block outs. And the rest of you, the smalls, everyone, uhh, Mike Gamboa, Jelo, Robby, you guys included, do not miss block outs. When we get that ball, we do not watch Alinko. You look for your nearest man. Flyer you're going you're going opposite post, the other push the ball forward.

Okay. No advantage, what do we do? What do we do? Just go straight to cross-down. Man of Slaughter (Ateneo's 7-foot center, tallest in the league) sets the ball-screen. Why? Slaughter is lazy. He does not recover quickly. So let's see, maybe the coaches (of Ateneo) pointed it out to him, but let's try. If he doesn't recover quickly, big (centers, forwards or the guys setting the ball-screen), what do you do? Slide right away because the guy who rotates is Salve or the other powerforward. And do not be contented to take jumpshots. We take it strong to the basket. Of course, Paolo, 'pag kinuhaan kayo ng ganiyan, titirahan mo 'yan. Kaka, ano scouting report sayo?

(Carlo Gomez answers)

Ha? Ano judgment natin? Harapan ang tira. 'Wag spin ng spin. Dahil 'pagka-spin mo, 1, hindi mo kita teammates mo. 2, dalawang tatao sayo at pipilitin mo na. Magiging forced. Pero pare scouted, ganun talaga. But we don't give up 'yung scoring opportunities mo. Okay?

Alright. Again, as much as I tell you it's bombs away, you need to think your shot selection. Again, do not be contented with jumpshots. Go straight to the basket. Kung kakayanin, we go straight to the basket. 'Wag kayo matakot sa supalpal (block), palagi ko sinasabi sa inyo 'yan. Okay, 'wag kayo iiwas, and try to get good edge by getting the free-throw. After all, that's part of our offensive philosophy: get to the paint, get to the line,

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make your jumpshots. Okay?

Importante dito we go 3-around, curl down, curl up (talking about offensive plays). Especially on Mike (Silungan), trail 'yung tao niyan. Give him the ball, see what we get from that. Be patient. Kung walang nangyari dun, move the ball, then there's a secondary screen. Screen on screener action. Are we clear on that? Kaka (Carlo Gomez)?

Depensa natin sa ball-screens will start with 1 (defensive movements in guarding a ball-screen). Okay? Tignan natin anong mangyayari. G, Jelo, Robby, you do not slouch off Monfort. Titirahin tayo niyan. I want good pressure on him, just stay close. G, 'wag mong ambisyunin kunin 'yung bola. Ganun ginagawa sayo papakitaan ka ng bola, pag makita mong itatago, 'pag sundot mo iiwanan ka. Ganun nangyayari satin. Do not mock him. Play him straight up, okay? Hindi sa mas matulin siya pare.

When I call 5, what's 5? On ball-screens? That's a switch, you go C. If it's 5-cross, what do we do? Alinko, what do we do?

(Alinko answers, "Pressure")

5-Cross! We switch and then? The other three will what? We'll go to a zone. Tama ba yun Kaka? When we say double-fist, we switch everything. Slaughter on Gamboa? Automatic, Slaughter on Gamboa (on a situation with a physical disadvantage with Slaughter being the tallest in the league and Mike Gamboa being one of the shortest in the league), you're going hard on Slaughter. Okay lang sa atin yun. Do not panic, do not panic. Just double right away.

Next. Mismatches. Let's say Ravena on Alinko, we C. What's the challenge when we go C? Recovery. When we go close out, what do we do? Gagaling ninyo ah. Gawin natin tama. We go early. (Coach Ricky goes to continue with complex defensive plays).

We double early. Mismatch on post, cross. Paalala ko lang dito, when we go head on the post on Slaughter (points to whiteboard). Alinko, what do we do? Give him the baseline. Martin, and MJ, move middle. If he gets the ball high-post, we assume he's going right. If he goes baseline, we're going double. I don't want to confuse you guys. Titignan niyo ito G, Jelo, Robby. Spaces. Do everything to fight this man. If they move this way, who scrambles? Weak, and scramble back. And then what? We're man on man, and you're staying here unless I call 5-cross.

Mike G okay ka na dito? Basta gagawin niyo lahat 'wag lang ma-pin. Anticipate pin sa taas dahil Monfort dun at Ravena. Okay? Any questions guys?

Okay. I'm very happy that my mentor is here finally to watch our game. (clapping). Let's hear a few words from Coach Joe (Lipa, coach Ricky's coach during his playing years in the 80's).

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Coach Joe Lipa:

Thank you Coach Ricky for giving me this opportunity to be in this dug-out again and to see all my former players, former UP players, and I'd want to say I'm a big fan of yours.

Well, you see boys, maybe for you to understand the importance of this game, let us, how i think, when I watch this game, let me give you a little background during the 80's of what was remembered during games.

I remember in 1982, we played an opening game. And we lost miserably. I think Ateneo beat us, like, 85 points. And it was a loss which the UP team long remembered. Okay?

Eventually on that season, we met them on the championship. After losing three straight games, we figured with them in the championship game. In that championship game, again, we lost. Now, why did I tell you that, uhh, history of that season? In that season, people remembered the way we lost during that first game. When we started winning, everybody was so happy. In that championship game, we lost. And again, it was sadly long remembered.

What am I trying to tell you boys? That people always remember the first and the last. Okay. We won our first game against UE, right? Everybody was in celebration. A lot of people were texting me, "Joe, laban ang UP team ngayon." Okay? But, nobody was suspecting us to be in the final four. In the finals.

We are now in the last two games. Again, let me recall 1985. We won so many games. Okay. On the last two games, we lost. And again, that season was a bitter year for us because the last two games, the two losing games, were long remembered. In 1986, we finally won the championship. And that championship was long remembered until now. Okay, people will always remember that game where we won the championship. That's our last game. The members of the team during that team are mostly all of your coaching staff now. Okay they know how it feels to lose, they know how it is to win.

Now in our last two games, okay, people will always remember how you are performing, how you will be performing in your game against UE. This game is something special.

I'm sure all of you know who is David (referring to David and Goliath story from the Christian Bible). Who doesn't know David? You know David? David and Goliath, okay.

This is a game wherein the best record team, the team with the best record, is Goliath and you are the Davids. You remember David when he slew Goliath, that's a lot of small achievements. That's when he was ordered, mandated to slay Goliath, he said, "It's too big to miss".

Coach Joe Lipa:

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Why is it that we cannot afford to miss this game? Alam niyo kayong mga player ng UP, tayong mga taga-UP. We are always good when we are the underdog. We are the underdog in this game. We are the David in this game. Okay.

When Coach Ricky was briefing you, I was shocked. Because he said, when you are open, take the shot. Okay. I don't see that very much. Because when I was a coach, there were players I identified when they can shoot and where they can shoot. But your coach, has all the confidence in you. If you're open, bombs away. What more can I ask for from a coach who has the utmost confidence in all of you. Okay. Lahat ng kompiyansa nasa inyo. Okay.

Mike (Silungan) I have always said this game goes where you shoot. All of you can shoot, I watched. But Mike, you are one of the best shooters I've ever seen. I think, one of the best shooters coming out of UP. Coach Ricky has all the confidence in you. Coach Ricky gave you all the go-signal. If you're open, take the shot. Okay. But this game will not be won by the coaching staff. In the same situation as that 1986 team, we had three big players. But we had role players. We won that championship not only with our three stars, but also with our role players. Just remember that.

Your last game against UE will long be remembered. And this game is David vs Goliath. We like to be Davids, boys. Okay. There's one thing that David had. And that was a big heart. Coach Ricky, I'm sure, did not tell you to play rough. But I'm sure that everybody, all of these boys, know when a player is playing with heart. Play with heart, and I know that you'll win this game. You'll be like Davids. Okay boys? Good luck.

(everyone claps and coach jojo proceeds with his pregame prayer.)

Coach Ricky:

Let's go. Malakas sa malakas. Mabuhay ang UP.

(coach ricky leads the huddle cheer, shouting "UP" then team follows with "Mabuhay!")

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2nd Round Vs. Ateneo September 1, 2011Half-Time Meeting @ Dug-Out, Araneta ColiseumAteneo leads, 32-28, over the UP Fighting Maroons.

Coach Ricky:

"Pare, let me tell you this. You're really working very hard. Hats off (to you). But it's not enough! It's not enough! Okay? Konting maayos naman sa bounce ng bola pero pare, for us to beat this team, it has to be more than that. More than that.

Now. They are switching our cross (offensive play). Okay? So. Let's change this up a little. Wala naman akong iibahin. We're just going to call thumbs up, look at this Mike (Silungan), when we call thumbs-up (offensive play), the last screener is going to be a big. We have the ball here. Tao pa rin ni Slaughter ang ang se-set... Sinasabi ko sa inyo, saksakan ng tamad dumepensa ng ball-screen. Hindi rume-recover kaya ang dami niyong lay-up. Diba? So. Tao pa rin ni Slaughter ang mag-seset ng ball screen, but it's going to be from thumbs-up. So when you're here, when we call thumbs-up, shooter gets the ball, coming across you're going across, and now we're allowing to bigs to set-the screen. If they call cross again and they start switching, there's a good suggestion from the coaching staff Mike (Silungan), they will set you on this (refers to white board drill board) on the two smalls. If this is you, take this, then come out. Bigyan mo ng screen. If, Mike (Silungan), this is you coming from the low-post, just come back. (Mike acknowledges, "Yeah") This is a good suggestion from the coaching staff. So those are two adjustments. On thumbs-up, it's still 5. On Cross, just read it.

On defense, we just have to keep on doing that. The challenge to us there is, your timing, your timing on the double-team there is good. Pero nakita niyo mukha nila, they're still bringing it there, but keep on doing that. Don't be discouraged by the calls (referee's calls). Keep on doing that. The challenge then for us there is the three smalls on the perimeter. Alam naman natin saan sila pumupunta; kaya nating depensahan 'yan. We just have to be more precise. I'm telling you guys, it's not enough. I'm telling you that because I know we can do more. We can do more out there. They can't get open. We can do more than that.

So. Andito si Slaughter. This way. The challenge is, the three of you will be defending four players now on the kick-out. That's supposed to be our advantage only when they get the ball (the other players apart from Greg Slaughter on offense), when they don't have the ball on advantage, just hold your ground. We're making mistakes here. He already has 12 rebounds. Scramble, scramble, block, block, block. May tumira, do not forget Slaughter. Pag tumira, your job is not finished. You need to go out and hit him. Slaughter, Salva, Erram, Justin Chua, do not forget them when the ball is up. Si Bacon pa nakakuha kanina.

Oh sige na. Next play. We just keep on going. Next play na tayo. Just reminding you guys, when the ball is up, find somebody to hit. Be sure when you hit him, he won't be

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able to jump (thus getting the rebound). Okay? Baka naman pagka-hit tunganga-in kayo, 'di ganun yun ah. Initiate contact.

Now, the ball-screen. Malayo kayo dumedepensa kaya di niyo ako maririnig.

Think about the ball-screen defense and hold your ground.

Guys, two point pa lang tayo sa fastbreak. We can do a better job. You're not tired. You're all fresh. Okay? Let's do a better job okay?

(everybody claps, and coach bob noriega shouts, "We're all Davids!")

Coach Joe Lipa:

You did a very good job for the first twenty minutes. Now it's the last twenty minutes. For you to have a step towards greatness, let's beat Goliath boys.

Team members: Let's go! Let's go!

(Coach Jojo Villa resumes with his end meeting prayer and team huddles up.)

Coach Ricky: Malakas ang "mabuhay", "Mabuhay on UP". UP!

Team: "Mabuhay!"

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2nd Round Vs. Ateneo September 1, 2011Post-Game Meeting @ Dug-Out, Araneta ColiseumAteneo beats UP, 73-58.*Coach Ricky, meets the team briefly, team's mood is sulking.

Coach Ricky:

Okay. Let's keep believing. Let's keep on going. Okay? Two more games. La Salle on Sunday, then UE next Saturday. See you tomorrow in practice. 4pm, UP Gym. Okay? Let's pray.

(Coach Jojo proceeds with his end-game prayer.)

Coach Ricky:

Remember this. Mabuhay on UP. UP!

Team: Mabuhay!

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2nd Round Vs. DLSU September 4, 2011Pre-Game Meeting @ Dug-Out, Araneta ColiseumUP Fighting Maroons plays against a DLSU squad who's looking to get into Final 4

Coach Ricky:

Are you wearing basketball shoes? I hope you're wearing running shoes. This is going to be a track meet, okay? We all need to run, especially the bigs. Okay? Especially the bigs. Because if I were La Salle, and I was scouting UP, they will surmise na napaka-bagal ng bigs ng UP. "Takbuhan natin 'yan dahil we're quicker than them." We are not mabagal. Hindi tayo mabagal. We are not slow. It's just that, there are a lot of times that you have not sprinted back well on defense. Now that we have emphasized that, bigs, Martin, Kaka, Alinko, MJ? Okay? Makikipag-sprint-an kayo diyan. Okay? Okay.

What do we expect from La Salle? Even a blind man knows what La Salle is going to do. Of made field goals, of made free-throws, and sideline. Off a miss, turnover nila, inbound natin sideline, they will press (pressure defense). So meron tayong pressbreak sideline, do you remember that? Okay. What are our pressbreakers? What are their presses? 2-2-1, our 51 thumbs up, that's their main press. And their Blind. Eto senyas nila sa Blind. Alright?

Now. Most important thing regardless of what press they call is that you get into alignment. Okay? Get into alignment right away. A lot will depend also with how you will take the ball. When we call 2, and when we call 4. When we call 2, uhh, place natin, S, Mo, when we align, let's say, inbound natin. We're getting into alignment, you're caught here. Eh andito na, locked ka. You go right away tas sprint na kayo dalawa. Whatever alignment we make, do not leave you point guard unless he's secured na 1on1 siya. When he's secured, you go. Wala tayong problema diyan pag 1on1 already. Okay?

We do not want to be passive, we do not want to just cross the half-line. We do not want to be passive on our press-breaks. We want to attack. We want to attack Mo. Everytime they press us, everytime we get the ball on a defensive rebound, we are on attack mode. Okay? You are not thinking half-court offense. You are thinking lay-ups. Okay? But with that, with that in mind, we have to be mentall tough now. Kung buo ang depensa dito, alright, don't force anything. What do we get into? We get into cross-up, or cross-down. If our 2's and 3's, na-tiyempuhan dalhin ang bola dito, you don't have to look for our point. You go right away. Execute it, space very well, walk-out, you're here, remember this guy (talking about offensive play). Free natin yan. You go, you slide, if you don't have anything, release for a pressure release, you go weak side or here. Unless you call 5-down.

On defense, what else will they do to us? Obviously, they will have it all inside. Straight post on Van Opstal (La Salle's Fil-German 6'8 Center), meaning, they just dump the ball here. That's automatic head (defensive play) for us. Okay? Same thing. We funnel them towards the baseline, then we go (head). If they go high-low, nobody's going to help you Alinko. Nobody's going to help you. You have to battle. Do not allow if they set you up,

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then he's going to back-in and seal you. Nobody's going to help you. When we help you, he's going to kick the ball out, and that will be a 3-pointer, instead of a two.

We need to battle that. Sino-sino yan? Van Opstal, Gotla (DLSU's rookie center, Gotladera), Paredes. Let's see if they taught Torres (Norbert, another 6'8 Center, Fil-canadian) how to attack via post. Okay? Whoever matches up with Torres, you treat him like a perimeter player. High-hands on him.

Wag mo sabihin MJ (Juruena) na ma-da-drive-an ka ni Torres, anak ng baka, eh 'yung Slaughter parang elepante bilis ng paa nun na-drive-an ka. Pag close-out mo, 'wag mo pipilitin. Straight up ka. Very fundamental. Okay, MJ?

Now. Continue our defense. No lay-ups. I'd rather see you fouling hard than giving them confidence, and that activates their press right away. That activates their press. I'd rather see you fouling hard, let them shoot it from the freethrow than give them the open lay-up. Foul them hard. Okay.

Bigs I told you this already. You must run down. Okay. Perimeter players, who are their shooters? Marata, Dela Paz, Atkins, 'pag maganda isip, pumapasok 'yun but assume natin maganda isip niya. So high-hands. Tampus has a short-jumpshot but he looks to drive so everybody looks to C (contain). When Tampus has the ball. Si Webb, high-hands na din. When Webb and Tampus have the ball, C. Webb is most dangerous in open court. Webb and Tampus, Revilla, are most dangerous in the open-court. That's why everybody needs to run. What's the rule in transition? You have no regular man. Big if you're up against Webb or Tampus, hold your ground on it, walang lay-ups yan. No lay-ups. Alright.

We're going to start with Jelo, Miggy, Mike S, Paolo. I left this out purposely (Center position). Because I want to ask you Alinko, will you start strong?

Alinko:

Very Strong.

Coach Ricky:

Very strong mo mukha mo. Alinko, you are not to be dominated by Van Opstal this time.

(Alinko says, "He is a white boy", and everybody laughs)

Coach Ricky:

Hey. I've seen that look in your face (to Alinko). You relax. I won't start you, you like? I've seen that look on your face, you'll get 4 fouls right away. Okay, I'm going to start you. You relax Alinko, you relax, okay? No big will take a lay-up on you okay?

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Alinko:

Let's go!

Coach Ricky:

Anak ng baka ka. Anyway, ball-screen defense. Hard-show! Alinko, remember that. When Van Opstal goes out to set the ballscreen, you're going out also. He has the ball in the perimeter, you have my blessing, you go down, Van Opstal has the ball here, you go down and wait for him here. If he's on the post, don't allow him. If he has the ball on the post-

Alinko:

Do not let him.

Coach Ricky:

Do not allow him to pin you down. (Alinko shouts, "YES!"). Start natin straight-up tayo.

Okay. This is precise for us. Inbound. 3. (talks about inbound play). Safety sa baseline. Be sure to set the solid screen. This is side-line. Side-line press break. Pag ito open, you go. S, you saw this? You're back. Any question guys?

Now. This is very important. You need to compete for 40 minutes. Basketball is played for 4 quarters. I will do a better job of pacing you, so bench people, you be ready. We will need everybody para masabayan natin pace ng La Salle. Okay? Alinko, you relax. Okay?

(Coach Jojo proceeds with his end meeting prayer)

Coach Ricky:

Mabuhay on UP! UP!

Team:

Mabuhay!

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2nd Round Vs. DLSU September 4, 2011Half-Time Meeting @ Dug-Out, Araneta ColiseumUP leads, 35-23, with a moment where the lead was up to 20 over DLSU.

Coach Ricky:

Ibaba natin shot-clock natin. So ibaba niya na. Move the ball around. They will make mistakes on their zone if you cut with a purpose. Cut. Sprint. Cut. Base cut. You reverse.

On defense, kanina, when we recovered, ganda na ng head natin dito, sapul na yan eh. Oo pare, we call 3 natin. When it comes to head, we recover man. They will continue to do that. Diba? They will hammer us inside. If they play halfcourt, they have an advantage sa atin in height. But you have to be precise when you recover sa head.

Now Alinko, you relax! You were point-blank at the post already but you missed because you were too hyper. Just relax, it's just a game!

Now guys, test of composure for us. We played in this situation before (referring to 2nd round loss to FEU, UP led by 18, lost by 9). Okay? You are playing very well, but pag-pumasok sa ulo niyo na kayo-kayo lang, okay, if that happens, na kayo lang at wala ang teammate niyo, magkaka-problema tayo. Continue to do what you're doing, TOGETHER. We're going to finish this. Together. Okay? Play together. Let's do this already. Make mistakes your teacher. Make mistakes your teacher. Let's learn from that. Let's finish this!

Reminder, sabi ni Coach Jojo, 'wag kayo natatakam na pumasok kayo. pag tumuro sila, wag kayo pumasok. (On freethrow lane violations)

(Coach Jojo proceeds with end-meeting prayer, on sustaining the game).

Coach Ricky:

Boys, siguraduhin niyo, be sure, S, yung mga 3, sprint there, sprint it, be alighned, then attack from here. Attack from here. Let's finish this. Mabuhay on UP!

Team: MABUHAY!

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2nd Round Vs. DLSU September 4, 2011Post-Game Meeting @ Dug-Out, Araneta ColiseumUP loses, 72-73, to La Salle.

Coach Ricky:

Guys, we will not start blaming anybody here, okay? I will not blame you for losing a 23-point lead. It's not on you, it's on me. Okay? I take the responsibility for it. Now. You played your hearts out pare, but again, we fell short. Okay. Again, we fell short. But if you look at our stats, mukha pa tayong panalo dito eh. If you look at the stats. Everytime we touch the ball, guys. Okay?

So. Shrug this off, personally, I really felt that we played really well except for some technical lapses. But, you were all there. Your hearts were all there. I give you that. So don't be too harsh to yourselves guys may championship tayo sa Sabado.

Now people, I'm telling you, the most important game this season is on Saturday (game against UE). That's the most important game this season.

UE is not the UE team that we beat last July 14. They're different now. They have different combinations now, they have different substitution patterns, they defend differently. I've scouted them 3 times already, they're different from the team we beat July 14. Now. It's not going to be easy. It's not going to be easy. Okay? Eh kung ganun din yung effort natin (effort shown in this DLSU game), if ganun ang effort natin, we can make that happen on Saturday.

Now. We have Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday to clean up everything for Saturday's game. All the technical aspects, we'll clean that up.

So pare, when it comes to being on the floor already, kayo 'yung maglalaro sa loob eh. I'm not blaming anyone ah pare but I promise that 20-point lead we lost, that's on me, not on you. What I'm saying is, when you're on the floor; finishing strong, making baskets, making important stops, that's not on me. Okay? It all counts as individuals. Reality 'yan eh. That's the reality of high competition basketball. You are accountable for your stops. If you are beaten and nobody helps you, that's a stopping team.

Yan eksakto sinasabi ko para hindi maulit sa Sabado 'yan. I'm confident we will make that run on Saturday. And UE is capable of coming back on that run. Reality makes that run. But we come back. We come back from a run, Kaka, syempre! Alright?

Okay. Pasensya sa mukha ko, na-fufrustrate ako. Tao lang. but let's all shrug it off because the most important game is on Saturday. be sure we are all up to that okay? we rest tomorrow, uhh, hostel boys i want to meet with you 1230 at the gym. When we practice, Tuesday, wait for instructions. After this, we'll go to old spaghetti house for our team dinner.

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(Coach jojo proceeds with his end meeting prayer on not dwelling on the past and moving forward)

Coach Ricky:

Guys, also, it will be Miggy's (Maniego) last game on Saturday. We have one more week of practice before that game. Let's give all this to him okay?Mabuhay on UP. UP!Team:

Mabuhay!

*Miggy Maniego has played 9 straight years for the UP Fighting Maroons (4 years in HS,

5 years in college), making him the longest tenured player in the league.

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September 10, 2011Last Game Vs. UE, End of Season 74 for the UP Fighting Maroons

Theme for the game: Let's win this for Miggy.

*Miggy Maniego, longest tenured UAAP player as of now, played his last game for the UP Fighting Maroons after nine straight years of playing.

*UP lost, 54-68, to UE.

*Environment was quiet. Mood was down.

Coach Ricky:• “I'll give a long break to the team. Wait for instructions from the coaches. When

we come back, we're a training pool of 22 players. You guys and the 7 core members of team B. Focus on your academic load because on October, we'll be at it again. We're gunning for Final Four next year.”

• Dismisses the team after. Everyone gives their own way of “consoling” Miggy.