In the first five games of the Green Archers, De La Salle University head coach Aldin Ayo always made it a point to play at least 10 players in his team. He made it a point to do so not only because of the team’s depth but also to give exposure to the younger Archers who will take over the team in the future.
One of the student-athletes who benefited from coach Ayo’s system is Filipino-American big man Abu Tratter.
The third year Green Archer played sparingly under former head coach Juno Sauler, playing just a total of 210 minutes in his first two years in Taft Avenue. Under Ayo, Tratter has already logged-in 140 minutes in five games.
“I’m very happy,” Tratter said about the extended minutes he has been getting this season. “It comes with the hard work and coach is always looking at the effort. That’s coach’s law.”
The 6’6 center though experienced an embarrassing moment in La Salle’s game against the Adamson Soaring Falcons Saturday afternoon. With two minutes remaining in the third quarter, the La Salle senior fumbled a lay-up and mishandled a pass in back-to-back possessions that drew laughs from the Adamson faithful in attendance.
“Coming into that lay-up and cramping up and missing that lay-up, it did not give me courage and it gave me discomfort,” Tratter reflected.
Adamson called for a timeout after the turnover. As the big man went to the bench, his 38 year old mentor did not scold nor even uttered a word to the Filipino-American student-athlete. Instead, Ayo hugged Tratter to calm his center down.
“Going to the bench, all I feel was a big hug coming at me. I looked and it was coach and I was like ‘wow!’ It’s very encouraging,” Tratter, who finished the game with six points and eight rebounds in 33 minutes of action, shared.
“It was very comforting.”
“Kung sino nasa baba, yun ang pupulutin namin. Every time my player commits a mistake, kailangan maipakita ko sa kanya na special siya,” Ayo added about that moment.
“Abu’s very down, buti nalang nagkaroon ng deadball, I was able to tell Abu that next time, next play, we’re going to you.”
In the very next play, Tratter was able to score a quick bucket to lift his down morale.
For Tratter, he shared that he has never experienced playing for a coach who gives him this much trust.
“I haven’t had a coach like that. I’ve had good coaches but I never really had a coach that believed in me.
“Not only me, not just the starting five. He believes in everybody on the bench. It’s really comforting to have a coach like that,” he shared.
“It gives me great comfort to wake-up and work harder. That’s the thing with coach: work harder,” he added.
Ayo though said that it comes with the job of being both head coach, professor, and father-figure to a group of young men.
“Ganun naman yung team namin. Kung sino nasa ibaba, yun yung pupulutin namin,” Ayo closed.
