Big leap for Ryan

I WOKE up unusually early Tuesday at the crack of dawn.  As was my habit, I immediately reached for my cell phone to look at the time.   It was only 5 a.m., too early to rise. I noted an unread text message which must have been sent after I had drifted off to sleep past midnight.   It was from Ryan Gregorio.   “I just finished my negotiation with Meralco bosses. What is just pending is the Meralco application to the PBA. Everything will be finalized tomorrow morning. RSA (San Miguel president/CEO Ramon S. Ang) has graciously consented to my transfer, to which I will eternally be indebted,” was his brief message.   At first I thought I had a scoop, but when a fellow scribe called to  provide me with additional details on   Ryan’s new employment, I realized that the latest big move may have already been known by the entire basketball community.   “Ryan has signed a five-year package with Meralco which has not only hired him as head coach of the PBA team, but also as  assistant vice president for sports and head of basketball operations,” said the young scribe who obviously knew more than I did.       * * *   Ryan said he has accepted Meralco’s invitation for him to spearhead the company’s sports advocacy program  because “it is in line with my own personal conviction which is  to help the younger generation  dream big with basketball as the medium.”   With Meralco’s active participation  in social activities, Ryan said he would be able to reach a larger base to preach his  personal belief that “basketball can be a ticket out of poverty.”   “A chance to explore a new dimension in my life excites me too. A corporate position  with the rank of AVP-Sports and head of basketball operations enables me to embark  on a life after coaching,” Ryan said.      * * *   Last Sunday, just before his final talks with Meralco people, Ryan gathered  all the courage he could muster to meet Ramon Ang face to face.   “I wanted to personally thank him and ask for his blessing. He has been so kind and generous.  I am lucky to have been given the  opportunity to work for a man like him,” said Ryan,  who feels that he is faced with the task of building a new team from ground zero in Meralco.   “But the five-year coaching guarantee should be enough time to patiently work on the foundation that would make the team competitive over the long haul.”   Ryan said it gives him enormous satisfaction that he is leaving Purefoods/B-Meg on a high note.
“A championship, the most number of wins (41) in a season for the franchise, and the never-say-die attitude are some of the legacies I will leave behind, as I face a new beginning and a new challenge.”