It was a familiar scene.
Ramil De Jesus strutted into the press room of the FilOil Flying V Centre, which was cramped with reporters and photographers. By then, De Jesus knew exactly where to duck and slide to avoid the metal support beams running across diagonally from the floor to the roof. He took a seat in the middle of the room, glancing at the TV screen as the Player of the Game was being presented, until the throng of reporters gathered around him.
He does it so much, his quotes seemed routine. After his De La Salle University Lady Spikers had thrashed the University of the East Lady Warriors, De Jesus expressed the need for his team to keep getting better for the long haul, giving the media short yet precise sound bites.
De Jesus was not aware the he had just coached his 300th match in the UAAP; he had never kept track. All he knew is that it was his 20th year coaching for La Salle.
For a man as successful as De Jesus, there were more important numbers than his 300.
“Kasi pag ganun yung passion mo hindi mo na mararamdaman so andun yung passion tsaka parang di ka mapapagod masaya ka sa ginagawa mo,” De Jesus told Tiebreaker Times.
Unrivaled success
A successful player for the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, De Jesus had gotten his first head coaching in the UAAP in 1997, taking over for Dante Reyes, who had coached the Men’s and Women’s teams since La Salle joined the UAAP in 1986. By then, La Salle were a floundering program looking to De Jesus, an assistant coach to Nes Pamilar on the Colegio de San Juan de Letran volleyball program. De Jesus brought over Oliver Almadro, a setter on Letran’s Team B, to be his assistant, and started to turn the program around.
By last Saturday, De Jesus had compiled a 237-63 win-loss record — 79 percent winning percentage. He had also piled up nine championships. In the seasons prior to Season 79, the Lady Spikers had been in the Finals in every season but three (in Season 60, when the Lady Spikers only managed a top-four finish; in Season 69, when DLSU’s entire sports program was suspended; and in Season 70, when issues with star player Jacqueline Alarca’s eligibility caused the Lady Spikers to forfeit matches).
When a coach’s tenure is as safe as Liberal Party members’ seats in the senate, De Jesus has endured and won about as much as any collegiate coach can.
That he keeps winning in a constantly changing environment like the UAAP is incredible. Every year, a star Lady Spiker or three exhausts their eligibility. While other programs take years to recuperate, the Lady Spikers have persisted no matter who is on the roster.
“Siguro maganda lang ‘yung programa namin,” thought La Salle assistant coach Noel Orcullo who has been with De Jesus for 10 years.
“Kahit sabihin mo hindi nagcha-champion lagi, nandoon ‘yung programa na name-maintain ‘yung continuation ng program. Nasa trust na rin ‘yun na binibigay sa amin ng La Salle.”
While it’s easy to dismiss La Salle’s success as a product of recruitment, it takes a genius to constantly turn high school standouts into stars.
“He’s really a hard working man.
“‘Yun din ‘yung in-instill niya sa akin. Hindi siya pumapayag na matatalo siya. Kapag nagkamali, babalik siya nang mas malakas,” said Almadro, who has moved on to coach the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles to their first two UAAP titles.
Over the years, the Lady Spikers have adapted De Jesus’ disciplinarian attitude. It’s common to see the Lady Spikers go in and out of the venue in a line with a precise order, still clad in mostly matching gear.
Their trademark immediate training after losses is the stuff of legends. Most Lady Spikers credit this ritual with helping hone their winning attitude.
“Kasi nga para mag-succeed ka, kailangan extra work. Pag natalo, kailangan maaga pa lang, kailangan ma-solusyunan na ‘yan. Hindi kasi sila dapat naglalaro nang mababa kasi sa training, naghihirap sila. Kailangan mailabas nila ‘yun sa mga laro,” remarked Orcullo.
The Father Figure
To those in the outside looking in, De Jesus cuts an intimidating figure: never one to hold back even on televised timeouts, and always concise whenever he addresses the media. Ask any reporter about trying to get a visit to a Lady Spikers practice and you’ll get a pretty cold story.
This is De Jesus’ visage. Winning inevitably draws the spotlight to him, but he would really rather have it on his players. Instead of being in the press room addressing reporters or doing TV interviews, De Jesus is mostly at home in the dimly-lit, humid confines of the Razon Gym. He thrives on the squeak of rubber shoes against the hardwood floor and the smell of a fresh pen rubbing against an old whiteboard.
“Kung unang makikita mo yan, talagang sasabihin mong suplado, strikto. Actually, strikto naman talaga pagdating sa court. Talagang pag training, training,” Orcullo said.
“Pero sa labas, tatay talaga siya nang mga player.”
From Iris Patrona and Ivy Remulla, to Chie Saet and Em Pentrante, to Manilla Santos and Jac Alarca, to Michele Gumabao and Aby Maraño, to Ara Galang and Mika Reyes, De Jesus has coached a long list of stars. If they stay with La Salle, they win a championship and also get a father for life.
“‘Yung mga bata kasi talagang tinuturing naming pamilya, hindi lang as a player. Outside of the court, pamilya namin sila, nababantayan namin sila. Talagang father-figure kami sa kanila. Kung may problema, kinakausap namin para maayos ng maaga,” Orcullo explains.
Up to now with the current batch of Lady Spikers, the family feeling remains the same. Ask anyone of them to describe De Jesus and the words “father figure” always pop up.
The team’s diminutive libero, Dawn Macandili, remembers how De Jesus had helped her early in her career. Having played for De Jesus since her high school days in La Salle-Zobel, Macandili wanted to continue playing for her old coach. While she was not recruited, she still got a shot at the team.
“Kami ni coach, hindi kami nag-usap kung may scholarship ba ako or anything. Tapos, magbabayad na ako, mage-enroll na ako. Tapos yung tseke ko, mali ang nailagay ng mom ko, hindi siya De La Salle University. Basta, mali,” Macandili recalled.
“So nagpa-panic na ako, kung paano ako magbabayad. Tapos pagdating ko doon, sabi, ‘Miss dito po kayo sa kabilang counter, sa scholarship.’ 100 percent scholar pala ako, so sobrang thankful ako kay coach, kasi sayang din naman yung opportunity na ma-grant ka ng scholarship,” Macandili admitted.
“So natutuwa ako kasi parang hindi ko naman hiningi sa kanya na bigyan ako ng scholarship, pero binigyan niya ako. Ganoon siya kabait.”
Macandili’s is the typical La Salle development story. From being a seldom-used in her first seasons, the 21-year old has blossomed into the best libero in the country today. And she credits everything she’s achieved to De Jesus and his system.
“‘Yung passion niya sa career niya as a coach na hindi talaga siya nagfa-fade. Sa lahat ng batch na hinahawakan niya – kasi di ba after five years, mag-ga-graduate na naman, bago na naman.
“Sobrang patient niya sa mga bagong players niya, sa pag-handle sa players niya, sobrang iba talaga pag makikita mo at mae-experience mo. Personally, siguro wala ako dito ngayon, lahat ng na-achieve ko kung hindi dahil sa kanya,” Macandili added.
Current skipper Kim Fajardo goes back to a piece of advice that De Jesus had given her last season. Fajardo had to be persuaded to accept the team captain role. In times when she’s down, the two-time UAAP Best Setter thinks about why De Jesus made her team captain.
“Last year, actually, sabi niya sa akin, ‘Kung anong character ng team mo, yun ang character ko,’ kasi nga captain ako noon. Sa akin, siyempre ayaw kong makita yung team ko na nalulugmok, bumaba, hindi lumalaban, kasi yun yung character ko, so nagre-reflect din siya sa akin,” Fajardo reflected.
“Lagi kong inaalala yun, na sinabi niya sa akin, sa akin mismo. Minsan kasi, nape-pressure din ako, pero ayaw ko ipakita sa kanila yun. So yun lang ang pinaghuhugutan ko talaga. Bumabalik ako sa time na ‘yun.”
And, like any family, there are no favorites. With so many players to pull inspiration from, the La Salle staff uses them as examples for new players to aspire.
“Kunware si ganito, bakit siya nagagawa niya, sila hindi nila magawa? Kasi nga may isang player na ginagawa namin modelo na dapat, kung nagagawa niya, nagagawa niyo ‘rin kasi pare-pareho lang ang trato sa kanila. Wala namang nabigyan nang special treatment sa kanila. Kaya lang minsan, kapag laging naco-compare sa ganitong, akala favorite na namin pero hindi talaga,” Orcullo explained.
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With so many signature moments, De Jesus had a hard time picking his favorite. Eventually, he pointed at his first and latest championship wins as unforgettable experiences. Perhaps, these are what matter most to De Jesus – his players, colleagues, and championships.
As volleyball continues to evolve, De Jesus will adapt. Constantly seeking challenge, it’s easy to see De Jesus campaigning for the UAAP title in Season 99.
