La Salle captain Mike Phillips turned to his one constant to deal with the mental struggles of playing in an uber-competitive league like the UAAP.
Mike Phillips has always been vocal about the role of his faith when it comes to dealing with life’s challenges on and off the court.
As he traverses his final year of eligibility for the DLSU Green Archers, Phillips admits that UAAP Season 88 has been harder than before – especially with all the struggles that the team had gone through from injuries to suspensions.
But through it all, Phillips was able to steady himself thanks to his personal relationship with God. Along with his teammates, they were able to connect themselves to their faith and keep a calm mind throughout the campaign.
Ahead of their biggest test of the year as they face off against the no. 1 NU Bulldogs in the Final Four, Phillips hopes to lean on those things anew.
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“Just to be honest, you know, at the beginning, I had a lot of anxiety. I had a lot of nerves, but just praying [to] God told me, hey, turn these nerves, turn these anxious thoughts, give them to me and I'll give you that peace and I'll give you that joy,” Phillips told media after their Final Four clinching win over Ateneo last week.
“So now when I have these feelings, it's like, wow, I know I'm alive. Like this is what I live for in these moments,” he added.
[RELATED: UAAP: Jacob Cortez wills La Salle past Ateneo to catch last Final Four bus]
Heading into his third straight Final Four, there isn’t that much difference for Phillips except for the fact that this is his last one.
After winning the UAAP title in Season 86 and falling painstakingly short last year, the big man is just eager to make the most of what he has left and share his final moments with the teammates he grew to love.
“Now it's my final year, instead of feeling like, oh, I only have this much left. I just wake up and I'm saying, man, I'm going to cherish this day, whatever it brings, if it's bad or good. I know God says this is the day that God has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it,” he said.
“So that helps me with the anxious thoughts and just be grateful, grateful every day that I'm alive and I'm walking, that we're healthy and just enjoy it, enjoying every single second of it.”
Growth in adversity
At the end of the day, it wasn’t just challenges and struggles for Phillips and the Green Archers.
Rather, it has also been an opportunity for growth and development for himself both on and off the court.
Sharing the journey with his teammates, it has been pivotal point to Phillips’ life – even as he is set to move on from his collegiate journey. Looking at where he is now after such an uphill climb throughout the years, he’s happy for the experience.
“[We grew] really, really a lot. And not really just as basketball players, but really just as young men. You know, God has brought us all the way down to rock bottom as a team and individually. And He showed us that He's the rock at the bottom,” said Phillips.
“And we're going to carry this. You know, I'm sure the rookies, the sophomores, the juniors on the team are going to carry this with them into the next seasons,” he continued.
With his refreshed mindset, Phillips will look to rally his team to one last push in the Final Four as they vie for a return trip to the Finals for the third straight season.
La Salle meets NU on Wednesday, December 3, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.