The La Salle Green Archers under Topex Robinson have fostered a team culture that treats players as human beings first and foremost.
As Mike Phillips mourned the loss of Doleo Susalta, he was quick to acknowledge being blessed with a tremendous support system within the La Salle Green Archers.
“If you guys are in that dark place, just call out to God, like I did. And he’ll work through your teammates. You know. He’ll work through your schoolmates. Your family. And especially. You know through Coach Topex here,” Phillips said after La Salle won over UST last weekend.
It goes without saying that student-athletes are also human with their own limits, and have their share of struggles they face away from the public eye. At the same time, there is the pressure that comes with representing La Salle, given the team’s history of winning in the UAAP.
So with this, the Archers have committed to be each other’s support system they could rely on in times of adversity and overwhelming odds. In a series of interviews with The GAME, we got to know more about this brotherhood through the perspectives of head coach Topex Robinson and the now-senior Phillips.
‘One of our whys’
Within the Green Archers’ circle, players are encouraged to open up if their struggles have become too much to handle, according to Coach Topex.
“I think one of our ‘whys’ in our team is to create a space where you know, you’ll be safe. If you’re struggling, it’s okay to say it. You don’t have to come here and try to hide it…just come there. And you don’t have to ask people, like if you’re struggling and hindi mo na kailangan ng tulong, we know that,” he shared, also after La Salle’s recent win against UST.
“We give you the space that you could be yourself, and if you ask for help, we’ll give it to you. If not, we’ll just be quiet, but we will make you feel like we’re there and we’re not gonna leave you, we’re not gonna abandon you.”
Coach Topex values this type of culture, given the pressure in upholding Lasallian excellence. While he’s built a similar culture with Lyceum in the NCAA, the gravity of leading the Archers is quite incomparable.
“We have to have a solid group. We have to make sure that we keep our circle small and we make sure that that circle is gonna be protected. When tough times go, and even when things are doing well, we keep everybody grounded. And it’s really nice, you know, to be there because that’s your safe space,” said Coach Topex, who had coaching stops in the NCAA and PBA prior to La Salle.
It’s what keeps him strong as he and the Archers try to uphold Taft Avenue’s standard of excellence: “That’s why when people tell me I’m [unfortunate] sabi sakin hindi mo kaya ‘yan kasi mahirap dyan…[but] the only time I’m going to be weak is if I don’t have those people behind me.
“The reason why courage is for us, is knowing that somebody’s going to be there for you,” added the longtime mentor.
Phillips had similar thoughts with his coach, knowing he won’t look too far for support in a time of grieving.
“There’s always that saying, there’s strength in community, there’s strength in each other,” Phillips said in a follow-up chat. “Just kind of being able to find solace in each other and just kind of looking…If I was just alone, I don’t think I could really carry on, but seeing them kind of always lifting each other up and lifting me up is a big help for me.”
Faith as the biggest thing
Faith is just as prominent within the Green Archers’ culture, starting with Phillips and his openness as a man of faith. Motor Mike has often mentioned the Lord throughout his UAAP career – from his social media captions, to his post-game interviews with local media.
Motor Mike currently wears customized arm sleeves with a text that reads “God Did”, while teammate Earl Abadam rocks a similar sleeve with a “Psalm 23” print. Phillips also vouched for MVP Kevin Quiambao’s devotion on the eve of his first child’s birth.
“It’s [faith] the biggest thing, it’s the biggest thing ever in our life. It’s bigger than basketball, it’s bigger than anything we’ve ever done before. And our faith is what fuels us, it’s what wakes us up, it’s what gives us energy, passion, camaraderie,” Phillips said.
Under Coach Topex, the Archers have adopted a pre-game ritual where the team stands in a big circle by their side of the bench to say a short prayer. Season 86 captain Ben Phillips previously told The GAME how this keeps the team “grounded” and “connected” together.
“And so we kind of look at ourselves as just soldiers of God and we want people when they see us, they see the inspiration that came from God in our faith. And it’s something that has really binded us together…when we’re eating together, when we’re in our rooms just chilling, watching TV, they’re always talking about it and always trying to uplift each other’s faith,” the younger Mike said.
Coach Topex, though, believes that “faith” goes beyond religion and one’s devotion to higher beings.
“Faith is believing in somebody or someone that’s gonna be there for you. And here, sabi ko nga, if you’re in a safe space, you could be yourself. If you believe in Allah, Buddha, God, what’s important is respect, eh,” he explained. “What’s important is you believe in someone, you believe in somebody out there. You believe that there’s a higher being, and we just put so much premium on that because yun ‘yung pinakahawakan namin.”
Banner image by Excel Panlaque.