"I LOVE HELPING MOLD CHILDREN"
The Children Are Our Future
by Tom Choy
" It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." Frederick Douglass
Nicole Anne Zapanta Tiamzon(Ms. Nicole), 23 from Rizal graduated from the University of the Philippines in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree Major in Sports Science. Ms. Nicole proudly declares, " I want to help kids living in marginalized communities in my province of Rizal for a starter."
She continues, " Through my skills in volleyball(VB) sports, I want to teach VB skills." She could have worked for Nike or Facebook and enrich herself. However she has a better idea: While playing PRO Volleyball Player and being looked up as a positive role model by young people all over the Philippines, she can make a difference. She can teach and inspire.
She plays for Bangko Perlas in the Philippine Volleyball League(PVL) and decided to segue her star power to help young people get inspiration to succeed in life. She decided to set up the Spike and Serve Foundation instead of incubating her own corporate career path.
Nowadays, when her tight Philippine Volleyball League schedule allows her to travel to various parts of the Philippines to teach volleyball at the grassroots level she visits other parts of the Philippines and meet her Foundation-sponsored kids. Kids acquire sports skills plus life, survival and philosophy skills.
When Ms. Nicole (N) was 10 years old, she was already spiking volleyballs. She looked up to her Mom who was a volleyball player. She watched "Ate" Raquel Daquis (FEU player) play in the UAAP on Channel TV1. Now that her games are also beamed all over the Philippines, now it is her turn to be watched and looked up to by the young people of her country.
Recently Ms. Nicole represented the Philippines in the UNESCO Asia Pacific Youth Task Force. She provided input to the task force and at the same time she learned strategies of how she can make her Spike and Serve Philippines become more successful.
She also became, at a young age, Assistant Volleyball Coach of the University of the Philippines Integrated School Junior Lady Maroons. Of course she was a top player of the Lady Maroons Volleyball Team. She is listed as one of the top ten volleyball cuties during her playing days as a Lady Marooner.
Nicole always reminds her kids who are in her Spike and Serve Foundation, "Do not let other people pull you down." She reiterates, " God has a plan for each one of you."
Ms. Tiamzon wanted to be a lawyer but that has to wait because right now her passion is playing the best she could to continue inspiring kids to follow her path. At 5' 5 and 1/2" she is a power hitter. She can jump and fly and beat even taller players. What motivates her is her passion to succeed as a Volleyball PRO player for the sake of the kids she wants to grow up like her.
Her philosophy is develop one child at a time. Show them what leadership is all about. Get them excited about acquiring volleyball skills. And someday they can pay it forward when they grow up like Ms. Nicole and repeat the cycle of the Spike and Serve Foundation.
( Tom Choy also writes for the Philippine Asian Chronicle and ET Manila. For comments: tomchoy2000@gmail.com)
by Tom Choy
" It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." Frederick Douglass
Nicole Anne Zapanta Tiamzon(Ms. Nicole), 23 from Rizal graduated from the University of the Philippines in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree Major in Sports Science. Ms. Nicole proudly declares, " I want to help kids living in marginalized communities in my province of Rizal for a starter."
She continues, " Through my skills in volleyball(VB) sports, I want to teach VB skills." She could have worked for Nike or Facebook and enrich herself. However she has a better idea: While playing PRO Volleyball Player and being looked up as a positive role model by young people all over the Philippines, she can make a difference. She can teach and inspire.
She plays for Bangko Perlas in the Philippine Volleyball League(PVL) and decided to segue her star power to help young people get inspiration to succeed in life. She decided to set up the Spike and Serve Foundation instead of incubating her own corporate career path.
Nowadays, when her tight Philippine Volleyball League schedule allows her to travel to various parts of the Philippines to teach volleyball at the grassroots level she visits other parts of the Philippines and meet her Foundation-sponsored kids. Kids acquire sports skills plus life, survival and philosophy skills.
When Ms. Nicole (N) was 10 years old, she was already spiking volleyballs. She looked up to her Mom who was a volleyball player. She watched "Ate" Raquel Daquis (FEU player) play in the UAAP on Channel TV1. Now that her games are also beamed all over the Philippines, now it is her turn to be watched and looked up to by the young people of her country.
Recently Ms. Nicole represented the Philippines in the UNESCO Asia Pacific Youth Task Force. She provided input to the task force and at the same time she learned strategies of how she can make her Spike and Serve Philippines become more successful.
She also became, at a young age, Assistant Volleyball Coach of the University of the Philippines Integrated School Junior Lady Maroons. Of course she was a top player of the Lady Maroons Volleyball Team. She is listed as one of the top ten volleyball cuties during her playing days as a Lady Marooner.
Nicole always reminds her kids who are in her Spike and Serve Foundation, "Do not let other people pull you down." She reiterates, " God has a plan for each one of you."
Ms. Tiamzon wanted to be a lawyer but that has to wait because right now her passion is playing the best she could to continue inspiring kids to follow her path. At 5' 5 and 1/2" she is a power hitter. She can jump and fly and beat even taller players. What motivates her is her passion to succeed as a Volleyball PRO player for the sake of the kids she wants to grow up like her.
Her philosophy is develop one child at a time. Show them what leadership is all about. Get them excited about acquiring volleyball skills. And someday they can pay it forward when they grow up like Ms. Nicole and repeat the cycle of the Spike and Serve Foundation.
( Tom Choy also writes for the Philippine Asian Chronicle and ET Manila. For comments: tomchoy2000@gmail.com)
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