Limpag: How a wrong attitude can foil NT career

By Mike T. Limpag

Fair Play

Wednesday, May 23, 2012
A ONCE promising stint of a player--touted to be our next great hope who would carry the banner when the current stars retire�with the national team has been derailed.
After a start that earned him accolades, he�s on the outside looking in, and if what I was told was true, his attitude has ruined his chances of playing for the flag.

When the initial deliberation for the team was done, a coach, told that the player was not to be included in the lineup, said he wanted him back in the lineup, showing how much he valued his skills.
But during another deliberation, the coach didn�t include the player he originally wanted and was asked, �You don�t want him?�
He shook his head and said, �He�s hopeless.�
And that basically is a damning sentence over a once-promising career with the national team. Sure, he can still play in the pro league, as his talents will surely make him one of the top players, but with the national team?
Unless a change of attitude is made, he�s done. Competition for spots for the national team�even for the training camp�is so fierce that for locals, between an above-average player who works hard and is a team player and a truly gifted one who overvalues himself, the coach goes for the team player.
Aside from locals, players, too, have to compete for spots with those based abroad.
But he�s young, and I hope, he�ll learn that it�s not just his skills on the field that matter, I think only the players with the godlike skills of Lionel Messi can get away with some things and even Messi�s attitude doesn�t disrupt a team (unless, of course, you root for Real Madrid.)
I think, too, those who make the team should learn from this. If your attitude starts to destroy a team, or you have too many distractions, all of these reach team management and these will influence whether you make the squad or not.
CFA. Congratulations are in order for the new officers of the CFA and I wish them well. I agree with all of the positions selected so far, but none the more than with my fellow Sportswriters Association of Cebu members Rico Navarro and Nimrod Qui�ones.
As the head of publicity and marketing, Rico knows the ins and outs and is experienced with how to market an event from scratch.
As the head of the sanctions and disciplinary committee, Nimrod will make Severus Snape look tame and I pity the players who has to answer to him.
(www.cebufootball.blogspot.com)

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on May 24, 2012.