Sports

Double kicking force joins Lady Booters

January 24, 2010

    • By Nikki Olga C. Patricio

    Hurling from Dumaguete City are two new passionate recruits ready to kick and flaunt the green and gold banner for Far Eastern University (FEU) Women’s Football Team.

    Coming from a family of football players, sisters Karen Grace Ladero and Loreta Ladero are well-grounded in ball thrusting on the field.

    Influenced and taught by their uncle, Juan Allan Ladero, they were already playing football since elementary.

    “Lahat ng kapatid ni Papa players tapos ‘yung kaisa-isang babae nasa States tapos na maglaro for Philippine Team (All of our uncles are booters and their only sister also played for the Philippine Team),” Karen said.

    Checking in
    The Ladero sisters were recruited by Coach Malou Rubio after the 14th Philippine University Games (UniGames) in Dumaguete last October. Rubio personally went to their house in Dumaguete to offer them a place in FEU’s roster of lady booters. Karen was still fresh from playing for the Philippine Team (RP Team) in Malaysia when Rubio accosted them.

    Karen, comparing her experience from the RP team, said that she had met different players who are more experienced than her. She also learned to be tougher when playing.

    “Marami akong natutunan sa kanila lalo na nu’ng naglaro kami sa ibang bansa. Hindi pala p’wedeng magpalambot-lambot. Kung dito sa Pilipinas palinisan ng laro, doon hindi, laban kung laban, (I learned a lot during our international games, like you need to be tough, and play at their level.),” Karen said.

    According to Karen, playing for the RP Team not only prepared her for the up-coming UAAP tournaments but also allowed her to gain more confidence and to trust in her every kick.

    Karen chose to play for FEU because of its notable training, scholarship programs and good education. Karen is taking up BS in Psychology while Loreta is taking up BS in Finance.

    Loreta played table tennis during her elementary years and then finally switched to football in high school at University High School (FUHS) while her older sister went to Colegio De Santa Catalina De Alejandria (COSCA), both in Dumaguete.

    University of Santo Tomas (UST) recruited Loreta but she chose FEU because of her sister.

    “Tinanggihan ko po ‘yung UST kasi nandito po siya [Karen] (I rejected UST’s offer because my sister is here [in FEU]),” L. Ladero said.

    Fine tuning in FEU
     Karen fills the team as a middlefielder and Loreta takes the place of a striker. Although the Ladero sisters are still adjusting within FEU’s walls, this does not hinder them from making their best efforts during training and acquiring new skills.

    “Okay naman sila [sa training], medyo naga-adjust pa siguro sa communication sa field kasi bago pa, pero okay naman sila (They are doing good in training, they just need to adjust in communicating on the field),” Team Captain Sarah Zumalde said when asked how are they coping up in training with the team.

    Looking forward to fruitful years of playing with the FEU team and training with the best cohorts armed with experience and confidence, this ball striking sisters will do their best to give the Tamaraws a helping hand in achieving years of gold.