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Who would have thought that an english and math teacher, whose passion for volleyball pushed her to volunteer to coach the school's team, would be behind the success of the multi-titled volleybelles from Catmon Central School?
Coach Vilma Veloso started coaching Catmon's elementary girls volleyball squad since 1998 without any experience except occasionally playing the game.
Since then, she has helped the school in capturing various championships including three consecutive titles in the Palarong Pambansa from 2007 to 2009 and this year's Milo regional and national championships.
Veloso never had any proper training as a volleyball coach before she took over the reins in 1998. All she had was the passion for the sport, which she got from her mother's side.
“Their former coach told me back in 1998 that she was just forced to become the team's coach for lack of personnel and that she never really knew anything about it. So I said, I'd like to try, and that's how it started,” Veloso said.
Veloso had to juggle her coaching duties with her teaching chores being a Master teacher II and the district subject specialist in english.
“I cannot be remiss with my teaching, otherwise my attention will be called by our principal, Nestor Molde,” Veloso said.
Mindful of her teaching duties, Veloso starts the squad's training after school hours about 5 p.m. everyday, whole day on Saturdays and half day on Sundays.
However, if the squad is preparing for big meets such as the Palaro, Veloso lets her girls put in about more than an hour of training before school starts from 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Asked how she steered the team from one title after another despite her lack of coaching knowledge when she first started, Veloso said she learned from the meets which the squad took part in.
“I never hesitated to ask questions and suggestions from other coaches. I was given a CD of the basics of volleyball and I use this as part of the team's training. I make them watch the CD in my house during Saturdays,” Veloso said.
Every summer, Veloso would scout for girls who have potentials of becoming a part of the team to replace those who would be graduating.
A number of girls would show up to join the squad's training and from there, Veloso would pick those who show promise.
She said that one of the crucial part in her training is having the girls truly love the sport.
Veloso also prefers to have players with excellent scholastic achievements. Six members of the squad at present are honor students.
“The sport and their classes should go hand-in-hand. In class, I also want them to identify the good values and have them develop these while they are into the sport,” she said. More than a coach, Veloso also considers the girls as her own children.
“I am their coach on the court. I am very strict but outside the court, I am their mother and their friend,” she said.
Coach Veloso has maintain contact with the girls who have graduated and are no longer part of the team. Some of her former wards are now playing volleyball for secondary schools.
The 12 members of the Pajo Lapu-Lapu High School volleyball squad all come from the Catmon team coached by Veloso.
Veloso also proudly said that two of the oldest girls whom she first trained are now varsity members in their universities. One has become a trusted member of the University of San Jose Recoletos (USJ-R) squad, while another represents University of San Carlos (USC) in the beach volley university games.
Aside from the Catmon girls squad, Veloso also coaches Catmon's team to the Governor's Cup, where she was named “Coach of the Year” twice.
