There are all those sports stars, of course. But have you realized that De La Salle Zobel is also a breeding ground for sportscasters?
Anton Roxas in the UAAP, NCAA and many, many, many more competitions. Migs Bustos in the NCAA as well as sports programs on ANC. Paolo del Rosario in the PBA and for the Philippine Azkals as well as nightly sportscast The Game. Without a doubt, the school inside the gates along University Avenue knows a thing or two about giving a voice to those who worthy to be heard.
We can credit the school’s sports tradition, but at the same time, we must point to Zobel knowing full well how to give confidence to its students.
“If I didn’t go to Zobel and didn’t have that experience of working hard and earning a spot, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to audition,” exclaimed Roxas, now a veteran sportscaster despite his youthful looks, in the latest episode of the University Avenue webcast hosted by Bustos, himself already a seasoned broadcaster at a young age.
“It was the basketball experience that gave me confidence, discipline, and knowing I’m a part of something greater. I’m super thankful for Zobel because it changed my life,” continued the former green and white student-athlete for two years.
del Rosario, for his part, seconded the statement.
“The reason I ended up talking about sports is because I wasn’t very good at (playing) sports,” he expressed, through chuckles. “Buti na lang, we had the holistic education provided by Zobel to help us moving forward.”
With that holistic education in hand, the likes of Roxas, Bustos, and del Rosario believed they could find their way into doing something they love.
Case in point, del Rosario, who knew after college that he wanted to be in sports media, but didn’t want to get in there just because of his surname.
“Sports is in my blood. Because of my dad, I’ve been watching sports since I was a kid,” he shared, talking about his father, ex-PBA player and now-Ginebra first lieutenant Richard del Rosario. “But I really, really, really didn’t want his help at all.”
From there, the younger del Rosario, indeed, paved his own path, trying his luck in Solar Sports which then coincidentally rebranded to CNN Philippines. Fast forward to now, and he is one of the pillars for One Sports – and even got to host sports talkshow Jumpball with his father.
Proving himself in his own terms as well was Roxas, who confessed that calling games was far from his childhood dream – rather, he hoped to be playing in the game being called by others.
“I had no idea I was going to enter sports media kasi my mindset lang dati was, I’m gonna get into the UAAP then eventually, play in the PBA,” he recalled, with a laugh.
Life had other plans, though, and Roxas graduated college feeling like he was bound for the corporate world. Little did he know that that no, even that wasn’t the plan for him.
“I met this boxing trainer who asked me what I wanted to do in life. Sabi ko, ‘Feeling ko, pwede ako mag-commentator e,'” he narrated. “Sabi niya, ‘May kakilala akong boxing promoter sa Cebu. May event sila this weekend, baka pwede ka mag-try dun.'”
Try was exactly what Roxas did and even with little experience – if at all – on the mic for a sports event, he gave quite a good account of himself.
“After that, I was like, “Pwede, pwede. I could see myself doing this,'” he remarked after looking back.
The rest is history and Roxas remains the voice of the NCAA, whether it be in ABS-CBN or in GMA. At present, there is no sportscaster more versatile than he is.
Alongside sportscasting, Zobel has been home to more than a few radio DJs and events hosts – one of the most notable, if not the most notable, of whom is Magic 89.9’s Tin Gamboa.
Just like her fellow Lasallians now making noise in the sports world, Gamboa is glad to have had the foundation of her personality laid by Zobel and its educators – and that personality let her hold her own even in meeting her idol.
“My most favorite player right now is Giannis Antetokounmpo and when I interviewed him when he was here, I asked him point blank, ‘Will you leave Milwaukee?'” she shared, referring to the freshly minted NBA champion and Finals MVP’s visit to Manila in 2017.
“He answered that he wants to be a Dirk [Nowitzki], a Kobe [Bryant], a [Tim] Duncan. Kaya ngayon, pag may trade rumors, pinanghahawakan ko yung prinomise niya na ‘di siya aalis,” she continued.
Aside from her regular job with one of the country’s leading radio stations, Gamboa had been granted the privilege of hosting and/or interviewing NBA players and had also been one of the hosts of defunct Fox Sports talk show The G.O.A.T.
How did she find the voice to be able to talk to all kinds of people from NBA players to The G.O.A.T. cohost Nikko Ramos and from Mo Twister to their celebrity guests, you ask?
“Yung isa sa pinakamalaki nating alas is co-ed school tayo. Comparing myself to my friends from exclusive schools, I feel like I’m more socially adjusted,” she detailed. “We were opened to casually talking to everybody. Feeling ko, ang laking bagay nun.”
“I honestly don’t think I would be the confident girl I am today if I didn’t go to Zobel,” she added.
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The pasture isn’t always greener on the other side. In fact, it’s the greenest along University Avenue. Continue catching all our episodes on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/delasalle.zobel) and also follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dls_zobel).
