I was 10 or 11, fat and tall, when I first saw this commercial, and boy, I envied how he, Louie, dribbled that ball. I would make sure to watch that commercial every time it shows. I would have recorded it if only I could. I was already playing basketball but knew that I could still be better by learning how to dribble, so I asked to be enrolled in MILO Best E. Rodriguez, where Waltermart is now, with my cousin. When I got there on the first day, I was intimidated by the big coach who welcomed everyone, Mr. Jorge. He was huge, and his voice boomed when he spoke. He scared me to death. Nonetheless, I went through the drills and practiced at home. What I did not know was that we will be judged on how we do with the drills. On the day of the exam, I did not go out of fear. He personally called our house to look for me. I got scared and did not return. What does a 10 year old fat kid know, anyway?

I chickened out. I did not know any better at 10. No one told me to go back and show up. Later in life, I realized that the most basic thing in any endeavor is showing up no matter what. And it is more than just trying; it is committing and persevering. This is where I think the role of sports parenting comes in. But first, I have no bad feelings toward my parents because, to them, sports were more of leisure than character development. In my case, I see it as a path to learning discipline and fortitude while liking what we do. In other words, whether you like what you do or not, nothing is easy, so keep on doing.

This realization helped me apply such lessons to my children. I just encourage them to join competitions and be there no matter what the results are as long as they put forth their best effort. But of course, every best should be better than the previous best, and this is achieved through practice and perseverance. I sign them up and make them go through the struggle, with us on the sidelines as cheerleaders. Because the lesson is not about winning or losing; the lesson is in the process, the struggle, the people who are there to support, and the opponents who are also friends outside the arena. The winning comes later.

Forty years later, the lessons brought by this commercial still live: show up, and never give up.