By MARK REY MONTEJO
When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.
And for La Salle guard Kean Baclaan, he knew he had to be mentally tough after tearing his MCL a few months ago.
The injury weighed so heavily on the 22-year-old’s mental health that Baclaan confessed that the ordeal even nearly convinced him to walk away from basketball.
“Syempre tatay nako eh, right after ng injury ko, ‘yong feeling ko ayaw ko na mag-basketball eh, sabi ko ‘ayoko na, ayoka na’,” said Baclaan after the Green Archers’ 87-77 semifinal win over the National University Bulldogs at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Wednesday, Dec. 3.
“Isang week ako doon sa province namin, lagi lang tumatawag si coach Topex… kasi ‘di nya alam ‘yong gagawin ko, parang sobrang nagkaka-anxiety ako, ‘di ko rin alam ‘yong gagawin ko,” he added. “Actually ‘di ako nagte-therapy ng first two weeks, kasi iyak lang ako nang iyak,” he added.
Baclaan said he initially refused to go under the knife. Fortunately, his second MRI revealed he didn’t need to go under any procedure and only had to undergo a four-to-six-week evaluation instead.
In his first game since Oct. 15, the Muntinlupa City native played for almost 20 minutes where he produced a decent output of six points, one rebound, and two assists against his former school.
The cat-quick playmaker likewise consulted his teammates, trainers, and coaches on how to cope with injuries, and their counsel proved invaluable.
“Sabi ko nga kay coach [Topex], kung gagamitin mo ko ready ako. Syempre nag-ask ako sa mga nagka-injury din, sabi ko sa kanila ano bang nararamdaman nyo? Sabi nila ‘It’s all on mind, sa mind lang ‘yon, kasi kung di kaya ng mind mo walang mangyayari,” Baclaan continued.
“Ang sabi ko lang kung anong ibigay sakin ‘yon ‘yong gagawin ko. Nakikinig lang ako sa mga PTs namin and sa mga coaches,” he added.
But throughout his road to recovery, it was Baclaan’s faith that kept him on track for a return this season.
“No. 1 talaga kay God, kasi ‘di mo alam kung kailan ka nya tatapikin eh, lagi lang akong naniniwala sa kanya, and good thing naman, hindi nya ako pinapabayaan,” said Baclaan.
