Irreversible pain

Every young athlete worth his salt always dreams big, to one day make it in the big leagues, become famous and uplift the lives of their families. Many have tried and had made a name for themselves, and the rest, as we all like to say, is history.

Majority of these aspiring athletes come from the provinces who had looked forward to being discovered and brought to the big city.  Admittedly, focusing solely in the provinces, never mind your talent, hinders development, that is why many student athletes prefer Manila over their home provinces because opportunities to play professionally are better at the end of their scholastic requirements.

Provincial, regional and national athletic meets are the main sources of these young talents. Scouts and coaches from big schools go to these events for prospective athletes. If you’re a parent and a prestigious university offers your child an athletic scholarship, more often than not, you take the chance.

But in a few instances, things take a wrong turn.  The dream becomes a nightmare. Tragedy strikes.

What recently happened to two promising young athletes was devastating to their families who were looking forward to a brighter future not only for their child in particular but to their household in general.

As a parent, I feel the grief, the most painful of all human emotions, which at some point in our lives many, if not every one of us, have experienced. But since the administrators of this elitist institution had never been parents, they can never truly feel the pain of losing a child.

Adding to the anguish was their indifference, hiding behind the veil of carefully worded press releases. Why indifferent? Their coaches swarmed like flies in the recruitment process but in the aftermath of the fatal accident, the school administration’s silence was deafening. 

It took a provincial governor to facilitate the transportation and lodging of one of the bereaved families when it should have been this institution’s responsibility. And this school prides itself on its united alumni who are well-placed in politics, the judiciary and business.

Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam. What they are doing is Non Sequitor. An irreversible pain for the families concerned.