A King’s wish KING CAMACHO is a 14-year-old student at the Multiple Intelligence (MI) International School in Loyola Heights, Quezon City. He likes football. Correct that—he eat, breathes, lives, thinks, loves football. In fact, he campaigned all over MI to bring the beautiful game to his schoolmates and friends who had begun to spend more time indoors, if not in front of computers, instead of outdoors where they were missing out on that great molder of person’s character that is sports. “School cannot all be studies. You need to develop more than your intelligence but your body,” said the tall and lanky student with big dreams. “I believe that sports builds character and this is an age when we should be open to more and more things.”
It just so happened that a schoolmate of his was Keri Younghusband. One didn’t need a degree in rocket science to figure out that she was related to a couple of chaps named James and Phil who kicked the ball around a bit.
“The idea behind MI is for kids to find their different strengths and one is bodily and kinesthetic intelligence,” expounded Mary Joy Abaquin, directress of MI. “Football is an interpersonal sport that will develop more than athletic skills and we are fortunate to be able to partner with The Younghusband Football Academy (TYFA) on our new school sports program. But you have to give it to King for his persistence.”
King’s campaign was a success. Some 80 students from different levels applied for the football program. And following the national men’s team’s success in the recent Suzuki Cup, the interest increased manifold.
“It was only me who liked the sport,” admitted King. “There were other students who were into football but not as much. Most prefer to play computer games or stay indoors. So I said I had to do something about this. I am happy to see the program take off.”
“I think it’s an excellent opportunity for us to give back to the game,” said Phil Younghusband, who admitted to enjoying coaching the youngsters through the TYFA. “It reminds my brother and I of our time in Chelsea where we were just so excited to learn and come out every day. I must say that it’s a very good feeling to be able to teach children football. Partnering with MI is special because our younger sister, Keri, goes there.”
“At Chelsea, all our attention had to be on football because there was a very competitive and exciting atmosphere. It was very important to go into the day with the correct attitude because everything affected our performance on the pitch,” added Phil. “Our parents provided a lot of support because it isn’t very easy trying to be a professional footballer. Our dad was always there to watch and cheer for us. He passed away in 2003 and in many ways, The Younghusband Football Academy is a tribute to him and to help Filipinos in the game of football.”
Older brother James also stressed the importance of the values of the game. “My brother and I have always been known as team players. There are the values of teamwork, fair play, discipline and diligence that one should learn and use on and off the pitch.”
On January 13 the brothers began their inaugural training session for Multiple Intelligence School at the Ateneo de Manila football field that drew quite a crowd as the parents of the participants, as well as dozens of onlookers, watched under the sweltering heat. After the two-hour session, a beaming King toweled off the sweat while slapping hands with his schoolmates for a memorable first day. “It was a great opening session for our football program. I think that my classmates and friends were really excited because the Younghusband brothers were teaching us. It was only a few weeks ago we were watching them on television and now we are beside them playing football. It energizes us.”
Just then, Phil Younghusband passed by and patted Camacho on the head. “Future Azkal,” pronounced the striker for the national team.
The young student beamed from ear to ear. The next session couldn’t come quickly enough.
A general’s stand
THE next stop of the TYFA was in Tarlac where the brothers held a two-day clinic (January 20 and 21) at the football stadium in the Tarlac Recreational Park. Some 150 Physical Education (PE) teachers from all over the province were in attendance to learn the beautiful game. One man in his 60s stood out from the very first day.
Leofel de Leon, in his military buzz cut taught PE at a local public school. During the two-day session, the animated de Leon repeatedly asked the relevant and interesting questions that earned him the sobriquet of “the General” that was bestowed on him by coach Jojo Durian. In a written test conducted by the YFA, “the General”—no surprise here—came out on top.
In the final activity of the second day, the Younghusband brothers conducted a penalty shootout for all the participants. At first, the participants thought that everyone who scored would receive a prize. Phil upped the ante and demanded that there be only one winner. And so the shootout went until it came down to the General who scored every time out and the Azkals’ feared striker, who was caught up in the competitive spirit of the contest, joined in.
To the delight of the crown, both contestants saved each other’s shots while answering goals with one of their own. At the end of the contest, Phil and James declared the General the winner.
As the TYFA coaches and staff prepared for the distribution of Attendance Certificates, a few teachers in attendance burst out in glee when they read the white board in the conference hall that listed the members of the Tarlac Province Football Club. It turned out that de Leon was the club president and, in fact, a retired military officer. The moniker of “the General” was remarkably apt!
The TYFA arrived in Tarlac with some 150 public-school teachers saying they were fans. After two days, it was the brothers who proclaimed themselves as fans of these new friends they had made through the game of football.
In Photo: Leofel “The General” de Leon (left) with Phil Younghusband. (Rick Olivares)
