WORKING TO EARN COACH’S TRUST
When you are picked third overall in the PBA Draft, pressure is sure to come with it.
And Ronald Pascual knows it.
The former San Sebastian Stag struggled to find his niche in the San Miguel lineup in his first games, but in their past few outings, Pascual has won coach Leo Austria’s trust, earning for himself a spot on the Beermen’s starting unit.
He admitted that the pressure did get the better of him as he saw a dip in his production early.
“Nung sa Draft, na-surprise ako and at the same time, pressured. Iniisip ko dapat ako magperform ng maayos,” Pascual said. “Pero thankful naman ako na ang laki ng trust ni coach sa akin dahil sa binibigay nyang minuto. Pagpasok ko sa loob, binibigay ko naman talaga yung lahat ko.”
Though he’s seen strides in his recent games, Pascual said that he has still a lot to learn before he gets comfortable in the big league, saying, “Marami pa akong dapat i-improve.”
“Madami pa akong dapat i-adjust kasi dito sa PBA, madalang lang yung times na libre ka eh,” added the gunner.
A winner in almost every level he has played on, the 6-foot-2 combo guard just hopes that his success will continue with the Beermen, especially now that they are closing in on one of the top two spots at the end of the eliminations, which would give them an automatic semifinals berth.
“Sana tuloy-tuloy lang yung swerte. Work hard lang, doblehin pa yung effort ko,” Pascual said. “Maganda naman yung tinatakbo ng team kaya sana magtuloy-tuloy.” (RL)
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
