Pilipinas Ultimate mixed team dominated their way through AOUGC 2019 in Shanghai, China.
This team is composed of mostly similar faces who won the Gold for the Philippines in AOUGC 2015. This team, however, to Quote Miko Gonzales, "is more integrated."
Although the core is from the Pilipino Club Sunken Pleasure (SP), they have melded in several key additions ranging from new SP members to selected individuals from Visayas and Mindanao.
This is a personification of the ingredients and process of creating this well-oiled powerhouse that powered through their way through the Tournament.
Proximity
This team, although from all over the country, is close-knit. aside from SP being always a solid body, the Selected additions they took are in good relations with them. Their closeness could be traced back from way back to WCBU 2015 in Dubai to the Recent AOUBUC 2019 in Shirahama.
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Binoy, a calm handler from Iligan who had trained with many SP players for WCBU 2015.
They played for Boracay Dragons then. |
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Len Piquero. A key late addition to Pilipinas Ultimate Womens Team that won Bronze in AOUBUC.
Her Impressive performance in AOUBUC was one of the reasons she was selected for this team. |
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Binoy with Mimi (Dipolog/Dumaguete) and Jordan (Valencia, Bukidnon).
These two played for Mixed, while Jordan for Mens Team in AOUBUC 2019. |
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Len and Mimi, watching climbers in Power Up Tandang Sora. A staple "tambayan" of many SP players.
 | Roy Lapiz, treating his new teammates for a little informal tour of UP Diliman, the Unofficial home of Sunken Pleasure.
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These players spend time and effort to train with the core team for a month in Manila and Pampanga. They had to Drop whatever matters they have at home. They had to do this so they could Gel well with rest of the Team.
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| Binoy packing the "Basics" for their trip to Shanghai. |
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| Binoy and Jordan leaving for Shanghai. |
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| Len in her "Tourist" clothes, ready for Shanghai. |
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Waiting for our "Grab" ride. They are in front of a Computer Shop in X's place where they stayed while training for Japan.
Mimi at this point had torn her ACL, she opted to stay. |
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| Jordan showing Ryan "Dongi" Amor a text message. Dongi just arrived from Dumaguete for the Bootcamp in Pampanga. |
Integration
The key to the "Succes" of this team. As some of the coaches and support team told us, the total strength of this team depends on how these new teammates integrate with the core team.
As this is written, this team showed that they are integrated indeed. Well enough that they had internal jokes about people exchanging faces and qualities.
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| Jordan and Wencie were into each other's faces that they shared the same amount of intensity, emotions and craziness. |
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| Jordan and Wencie were into each other's faces that they shared the same amount of intensity, emotions, and craziness. |
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| Inside joke: Binoy and Marv integrated so much that they shared faces already. |
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| Inside joke: Binoy and Marv integrated so much that they shared faces already. |
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Inside joke: Binoy and Marv integrated so much that they shared faces already.
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| X and Lala shared the same pair of shorts. |
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| X and Lala shared the same pair of shorts. |
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It helped a lot that Miko speaks their language. He could communicate with the new people from Visayas and Mindanao faster and he could throw the message across the table clearer.
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| Bullet Dumas Helping Mimi with fine details of plays. |
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After lunch lounging the bleachers.
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| Jordan having a fun conversation with Jam. |
Intensity
Skrimmages of Offense versus Defense lines. Although things started light and easy on the first days of the Bootcamps weekend, everyone still brought their hearts with them always. Things got more and more intense as they go deeper into playing against each other.
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| A couple of the ladies goes after the disc during one of their skrimmages. |
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| Bullet tries a foot block as Roy, lunges for a forehand. |
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| X goes off to block Fel's pass. |
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| Migol Discusses with his teammates from the D line. |
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| Binoy Dacumos dishes the disc to a cutting Jordan Mirafiles. |
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| Marv Debouzet catches the disc midair. |
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| Some of the Men, in their Sprint intervals cross-training. |
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| X lifting in Power Up TS in between Bootcamp weekends. |
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| Lanz and Wencie on a sky battle. Lanz blocks the disc. |
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| Dongi Scores after leaving his marker behind. |
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| Fel Angue pulls the Disc. |
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| Lala Cruz tries to steal the disc off Gabbie Rodil. |
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| Mimi Balancar Denies Len Piquero a score. |
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| Popoy Pascua directs his teammates from the sideline. |
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| Bea Bellosillo throws a backhand. |
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| Some of the men on their warming-up for the afternoon skrimmages. |
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| Lanz Agnes battles with Wendell Go for the Disc. |
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| Up! X exclaims as Wendell Go throws a forehand. |
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| Jordan showing what he is good at. |
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| Marv tries to prevent X from getting the disc. |
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| X and Marv hustle as the disc is still "live" |
Hard work
Everyone gives their best all the time. From skrimmages to cross-training. When they are winning a skrimmage or losing one. You can see from their eyes that they are willing to work for everything just to get the best result. Even when they are trailing in games or getting in mismatch ups. Even when their bodies are exhausted from long days of Bootcamps. They understand the main goal. To play as one team.
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| Wencie catches from a low pass. |
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| Roy and Popoy in sprint intervals at UP Diliman Academic Quadrangle. |
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| Few of the players in doing some 100% sprints. |
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| Len and Binoy swinging some kettlebell. |
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| X rest in between lifting sets. |
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| Workout setlist. |
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Signs at Power Up TS.
 | Power Up Lifting sessions.
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 | Offense line discussing some adjustments in between scores.
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 | Lala Cruz bids even when she knew she's no match against Wencie.
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 | X takes a quick nap as Mimi Stretches her quads. She strained her Quadriceps during the second Bootcamp and unfortunately tore her ACL the next weekend.
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 | Jam Macaraeg runs hard to get the disc.
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 | Fel beaten by Pao in a sky battle.
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 | Popoy beats the disappointed Wencie.
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| Cherry Sy drops the disc because of a great defensive effort from Bea Martinez. |
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| Mimi shouts in disappointment after failing to deny Gabbey the disc. |
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| Chin is betrayed by his instincts as The disc slipped off his hands. |
Struggle
Everyone had their own struggle that they left at home every Bootcamp weekend. But the struggles never end. They endure more as a team (line) or as individuals.
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| Exhaustion. Everyone must struggle to go over this hurdle to be ready with whatever circumstance they would face in Shanghai. Cherry put ice on her head to beat the heat and fatigue. |
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| Exhaustion is something everyone must go through to be ready with whatever circumstance they would face in Shanghai. Roy glaring at thin air as a day Bootcamp has ended. |
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| Exhaustion is something everyone must go through to be ready with whatever circumstance they would face in Shanghai. droplets of sweat appear on Lalas back after a day-long Bootcamp. |
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| Exhaustion is something everyone must go through to be ready with whatever circumstance they would face in Shanghai. Lanz, known as "Master", stares blanky during the day-end huddle. |
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| Exhaustion is something everyone must go through to be ready with whatever circumstance they would face in Shanghai. Pao Peralta walks off the field breathing heavily. |
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| Exhaustion is something everyone must go through to be ready with whatever circumstance they would face in Shanghai. Offense line after a long point. |
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| Lala and Mimi in the Defense line huddle after a skrimmage. |
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| Bea Bellosillo seats off her exhaustion during the a team huddle after a long Bootcamp day. |
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| Lala and Bea Martinez rest their legs after the Offense lines scored the final score of a scrimmage. |
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| Mimi Stretches her quads in pain. She finally gave up after dealing with it for a while. |
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| Migol and Lauren Liwanag resting. Lau tweaked her knee earlier when Wencie landed on her after a bid. She rested for a weekend and return a more determined heart. |
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| D line with Coach Carlo Corpuz after being scored upon by the O line. |
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| One of the D lines rests under the heat of the morning sun. |
Conflict -a little bit of
In their Training camp, the mixed team encountered different kinds of conflicts. Sometimes are conflicts between themselves, and sometimes between them and Mother Nature, as the weather during their Bootcamps, were unpredictable. Rain clouds would just come out suddenly. Somedays have mixed rain and the hot sun. But unknowingly, these helped them in Shanghai more that they could imagine.
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| Fel heatedly discussing defensive positionings with Lauren. |
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| Roy's sky that would start a heated discussion between a few of their teammates. |
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| They would argue if Roy landed in or out of bounds. at this point, everyone is tired and are somewhat not in control of their emotions. |
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| Fel explains his point in the said play with teammates in the D line. |
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Like any Ultimate Frisbee game, some plays would result in calls and more than often players have different views.
Popoy Discusses his point after Len called a Strip. |
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| The conflict between Human and Nature. We have no fight against mother nature so we create things to give us a bit of favor. In this scenario, umbrellas give these people a bit of shade against the powerful sun. |
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| Moe Peralta and Fel Angue check the sky for an imminent rainfall. |
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| Carlo Corpuz and Don Laczi protect themselves with a clipboard and an umbrella. as the suns heat add ups when you are not moving from on direction. |
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| The men use cold water to alleviate the heat of the sun. |
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| The men use cold water to alleviate the heat of the sun. |
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| The D line prepares to pull. some of them use their hands as a shade to see the opposite side. |
Guidance
One of the few things that stood out was the way this team utilizes good guidance. From Coaches to Captain to each and every one of them and to people surrounding them, guidance is imminent.
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| X helps some of the new guys prepare the "basics" for the whole team. |
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| Pao Peralta helps Gabbie Rodil catch up with Missed days. |
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| Captain X in one of his pep talks. According to Miko, X is a great Captain material. And hoe he delivers these talks are some of the reasons why he is good. |
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| Sometimes Guidance means you should let them discuss among themselves. Carlo walks away from the huddle after pointing out some stats and thing he saw and let the team figure things out themselves. |
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| The D line talks things out. In this instance, they are discussing their Zone defense. |
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| Bullet Dumas serves as one of the seniors on the team. He often helps the new guys with details of strategies. |
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| Captain X discusses with Coach Carlo as the rest of the team rests for a while. |
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| X teaches Lala a "secret" forward pass that she could add to her arsenal she could use in Shanghai. |
Support System
Team-level support system. In this training camp, the SP family proved to be a solid support system for the whole team.
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| As Coach and Stats guy, Carlo showed his support in a hands-on manner. |
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| Everyone for everybody. The D line will be the game-changer of this team. From day one, these people showed that they got everyone's back and that they are ready to give it all always. |
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| Umbrella, foldable chairs, cold drinks, ice, and water. these are the intangibles of this training camp. |
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Bullet comforts an exhausted Bea B. Vets got the new one's backs always.
Guiding them and burning their asses at the same time. |
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Kert and Karla (not in the photo) are Carlo's support system.
Kurt though is a source of bliss and entertainment for his uncles and aunts in the team. |
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| Tara, Tapa tapa para bago! Words you can hear every mealtime. Not only a staple food for the team in Clark Parade grounds but also the nearest comfort room. Good thing the staff members let the team use theirs. Maraming salamat po mga ate at kuya sa Tapa tapa! |
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| TS friends. People from Power Up TS, not only are climbing buddies of X and Popoy, they are also a great support system for the guys and gals from Visayas and Mindanao. |
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| Popoy in his habitat. This is a way for them to release their mind off the white plastic plate. |
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X in his habitat. Kap was also a member of the national climbing team before he got into Ultimate Frisbee.
This is a way for them to release their mind off the white plastic plate. |
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| TS friends. People from Power Up TS, not only are climbing buddies of X and Popoy, they are also a great support system for the guys and gals from Visayas and Mindanao. |
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| TS friends. People from Power Up TS, not only are climbing buddies of X and Popoy, they are also a great support system for the guys and gals from Visayas and Mindanao. |
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| They support each other. some of the ladies with Rache and Sai (from TS) mans the reg table at Bullet's fundraising gig. |
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| Bullet talks to friends before his set at the 3D gig they hosted for the Pilipinas Ultimate Mixed team. |
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| Bullet performs in "the Bullet" way. losing himself in intense and in trans sometimes but a great overall way. |
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| Bullet is a part of a trio performers circuit. The other two are Johnoy Danao and Ebe Dancel. They both perform as individuals and as a group. |
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| They support each other. Jordan being Jordan sells their fundraising caps at the 3D gig. Oh, cap mo diha, ma'am ser! |
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| Don and Keana are a common scene at the Bootcamps. Don documenting them and Keana supporting her boyfriend Popoy. |
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| Coach, translator, waterman, sous chef and whatnot the overall support guy, Miko Gonzales. |
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| The Kitchen squad. preparing the kitchen for dinner. Everyone was doing something for everybody. |
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| Angue-Go (Felix Angue and Wendell Go) Foreign affairs consultancy group. Chin (Wendell Go) checking some documents for Visa applications. |
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| Angue-Go (Felix Angue and Wendell Go) Foreign affairs consultancy group. Wencie getting approval from the head honcho of the consultancy house. |
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| Kap X in his Sinigang and Nilaga kitchen. A good leader not only works with his followers, sometimes that person works for them. |
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| Support comes in all shapes and sizes. Binoy passes his tape of bandage as he shares them with Pao. they use them to prevent blisters in the toes from wearing cleats. |
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| Behind all this, the SP family never stopped supporting their teammates, from managing outside matters to coming to the last Bootcamp to give their moral support for the team. I asked X how was their last Bootcamp, he replied, "WILD". and it's a good thing more SP people came to support the weekend. |
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| Supporting your partner in all their endeavors. A good sign of a great relationship. Moe is present not only to support the team but especially, Marv, her boyfriend. |
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| Supporting your partner in all their endeavors. A good sign of a great relationship. Keana is always there for Popoy. |
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| Everyone has everybody's backs. |
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| Who supports the sturdy general? He has his significant someone, but before that he had tita Nati! Natividad Guerrero. X's Strong mother. |
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| A proof has a solid support foundation at home. these are his achievements in sports and life. |
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| A proof has a solid support foundation at home. these are his achievements in sports and life. |
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| Of course, Pogi is not to be forgotten. Such a gentle but strong giant. |
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| They also have the people of Pilipinas Ultimate in their backs. what more solid support can you ask for? |
Camaraderie
One great byproduct of this tedious process that is key for them to succeed is camaraderie. Good chemistry is not formed in one day.
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| The ream huddling under the flag of the country. |
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| All the struggles and conflicts. Any day ends in high-fives or as they call it, touches. This is a sign of a good-spirited team. |
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| Pep talks and huddles are key in inspiring everyone and making sure that the messages are brought across the table clearly. |
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| One thing Admirable of this team is how open the channels of communications are. |
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| Pep talks and huddles are key in inspiring everyone and making sure that the messages are brought across the table clearly. |
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| Respect across the table. From the oldest to the youngest. all have voices all the time. Everyone listens if someone talks. |
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| Respect across the table. From the oldest to the youngest. all have voices all the time. Everyone listens if someone talks. |
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| Everyone talks about anything. probably these guys are talking about their blisters while everyone behind them is busy with social media or staring at empty spaces. |
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| Everybody talks to everybody about anything. |
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| Fooling around is never forgotten. Popoy removed Wencie's chair as he sits resulting with him falling and everybody having a good laugh. Popoy made sure to say sorry after laughing his butt off. |
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| Who cannot form good chemistry when everyone eats in Kalderos together, using your hands. |
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| there is always something to smile and laugh about all the time. Except when they are on the field of course. |
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| The baptism of "baby" Roy. |
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| All the struggles and conflicts. Any day ends in high-fives or as they call it, touches. This is a sign of a good-spirited team. |
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| All the struggles and conflicts. Any day ends in high-fives or as they call it, touches. This is a sign of a good-spirited team. |
Home
Bootcamps in the day, homestay at night. This is a secret brew for the teams effective training camp. They are booking a house for everyone to stay together with the whole Bootcamp.
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| Spending literally the whole day together. Hard work during the day then all fun after that. |
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| Spending literally the whole day together. Hard work during the day then all fun after that. |
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| The fooling around starts as the last point of the day was scored. |
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| Who knew you could have a private space in a house full of people? |
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| Who knew you could have a private space in a house full of people? |
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| Spending literally the whole day together. Hard work during the day then all fun after that. |
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| Who knew you could have a private space in a house full of people? |
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| Spending literally the whole day together. Hard work during the day then all fun after that. |
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| Spending literally the whole day together. Hard work during the day then all fun after that. |
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| Spending literally the whole day together. Hard work during the day then all fun after that. |
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| Spending literally the whole day together. Hard work during the day then all fun after that. |
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| Ice bath! the ironically painful rejuvenation. |
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| Who knew you could have a private space in a house full of people? |
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| Magluluto ako ng Nilaga! |
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| All hungry after a long day of running after a plastic plate. |
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| From friends to siblings. Brood! |
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| Payb minits pa. Hosting the Travelers from Visayas and Mindanao is the Captain. |
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| Hungry after a long day for running after a plastic plate. |
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| Who knew you could have a private space in a house full of people? |
Bliss
After all, this is a path of Bliss. Happiness is the x-factor of it all.
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| Everybody always finds a way to smile. Even under the midday heat. |
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| Ahh. The comfort of cold water. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Salamat sa lahat bisyayang bummuhus galing sa itaas! ;D |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| You can find a source of fun and happiness from everywhere. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Peace and comfort after all the hardships. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. | Shot by Miko Gonzales |
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| Peace and comfort after all the hardships. | Shot by Miko Gonzales |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. | Shot by Miko Gonzales |
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| Peace and comfort all the hardships. | Shot by Miko Gonzales |
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| Peace and comfort after all the hardships. | Shot by Miko Gonzales |
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| A pleasant visitor offers a breather for everybody. |
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| Peace and happiness are imminent even in the middle of a struggle if you love what you are doing. |
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| Behind all the struggles, remember this is all a path of bliss. |
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Pilipinas Padayon!
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