tryout

sports is human life in microcosm. 

-howard cosell

i don't know why i found it irrelevant to blog about my little big man being first pick at the tryout last week for the  bulacan team that will compete in the national championships.  somehow, i didn't write about it so i won't seem redundant in this blog, with the lame belief that i had too many readers who might get bored of the same ol' topic.  it's always about him and his taekwondo achievements so i thought i'd wait until the actual championship to write again.

so came the 33rd National Taekwondo Championship, 31 July 2010.  my little big man migo had a fantastic performance in his first game with a 21-5 score and a very damaging axe kick in the first round so his opponent conceded before the second round could start.

unfortunately, his team didn't win in the championship yesterday.  migo severely lost his second game with consecutive roundhouse hits to his head which caused his opponent to break away in points.  coach protested that the opponent must be overstaying in novice category but went unheeded.  but since the team won  3-2 despite his loss, they went on to a third game.  but migo lost again by a mere one point and two other teammates didn't make it so the team lost.  had he won or any of the other two won, they could've moved on to the next fight for bronze and if they won again, it was for the gold.

i felt how disappointed migo was as he held back tears while he slumped beside me at the bleachers.  it was his first national competition after winning many provincial and regional finals, and he failed.  everybody had high expectations of him and he didn't pull it through.

but now i know the relevance of the tryout.  as i look back,  his tryout last week for this competition was one of his major achievements.  being chosen amongst many, standing out from the rest, being personally hand-picked by the top coaches in bulacan.

yesterday's competition was his tryout for the bigtime.  where he did not make it.  YET.  which was what his dad and i told him.  it only meant he still had a  lot to learn and there is  still much room for improvement.  his coach and his dad found where he was weak at and now know where to concentrate in his training.  that next year, he will no longer be in novice and will be fighting in advance category and he will come back next year with a whole new armor.  

yes, it would've been super great had he and his team won.  but it only made him more eager to learn and improve his sport and look forward to next year's nationals.  it was not only a lesson in defeat but a lesson in winning.

my cousin commented in my facebook status that someday migo will go international.

not yet, malynn.  BUT WE WILL, i promise you that.