‘Work hard’ sports cliché that works

There’s a cliché going around in Philippine sports today that’s a favorite of coaches and players in interviews.
It’s so simple and innocent but embodies perhaps what is lacking in many of our sports attempts here at home and when our national teams play abroad.
“Work hard” is a phrase of choice of many coaches in response to most questions on adjustments or improvements a team must make. It’s a good forecast line also because no coach in his right mind is going to predict a win over an opponent before jump ball or the first serve.
Instead, a coach will say that they have to “work hard” to upset a stronger opponent.
Also, a coach will say that they were “outworked” by the team that just beat them when pinpointing a reason why they lost a game.
A volleyball coach will mumble that their defense simply refused to “work together” or a boxing trainer will blurt out “kulang sa trabaho sa ensayo (lacked work in training)” when a fighter ran out of gas in the last few rounds of a battle.
There’s nothing wrong with it really. It’s just amusing how “work hard” creeps into an interview.  My favorite moment is when a basketball player is asked what a coach told him to improve on.
Usually the reply is : “Kailangan i-improve ko ‘yung defense ko at work hard lang lagi (I have to improve my defense and I have to work hard always).”
The cliché has perhaps stemmed down from the overseas camps our coaches attend where foreign mentors pound the importance of exerting sustained effort and energy in training and in games.
“Work hard” is also an easy reminder for athletes in the heat of battle when short, emotional triggers seem to connect better than jumbled reminders on tactical maneuvers.
One can sense that “work hard” is aimed specifically at defensive chores which in most sports are less glamorous than offensive forays.
In volleyball, a team that doesn’t block or dive for balls will be pummeled by a powerhouse offensive team. In football, a lackluster defensive stance to support the goalkeeper translates into countless scoring attempts by an opponent.  In basketball, lazy defense creates easy scoring opportunities for the other side.
“Work hard” is an invaluable reminder to the Filipino athlete, who despite being extremely gifted, tends to rely too much on talent than on sweating it out in training.
Often, a Filipino will get shackled by a foreign opponent who is so aggressive and obviously pumped up by a superb training camp. There’s no question that with the extremely high level of competition in all sports, the Filipino athlete has no alternative but to respond as well with his own brand of hard work.
“Work hard” is also an appropriate wake-up call for all of us when we drift from our responsibilities and spend more time horsing around in the office or snacking endlessly. There’s no substitute for hard work when eking out a living or trying to win a sports challenge.