Ramil De Jesus to critics: Before you say something, help first

New national team head coach Ramil de Jesus. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

New national women’s volleyball team coach Ramil de Jesus acknowledged that critics will always be present no matter how noble the cause is.

That’s why he didn’t shy away from calling them out.

“Bago mag-salita, tumulong na muna (Before they say something, they should help first),” said De Jesus, whose appointment to highly-criticized position was made official Friday night during the first day of the tryouts.

De Jesus, though, is expecting criticisms to come his way, but he knows just to focus on the task at hand, which is to prepare the national team.

“The critics will always be there. They can say what they want to say. But for me, we’re here because we want to fix the national team and welcome those who want to help,” said de Jesus, who admits to being out of the loop on social media.

The multi-titled mentor wants Filipinos to make waves in all the competitions they will join in later this year, the 2018 Asian Games in August, and  the 2018 AVC Asian Women’s Cup in September.

But de Jesus is also looking beyond as he expects the Philippines to compete for the gold in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games here.

“Our target by next year is to make it to the Finals,” he said. “But I can’t do that through magic. I need the support, not only from the players, but also from the team owners and the schools who want to help the national team.”

The tryouts for the national team pool hit the ground running with eighteen of the 34 invitees showing up in the first day at Arellano Gym in Legarda.

National team mainstay Alyssa Valdez and a slew of de Jesus’ former La Salle players like Ara Galang, Kim Fajardo, and Aby Maraño, and current wards like Dawn Macandili, Kim Dy, and Majoy Baron were all on hand.