By Joshua Kyle Beltran
Despite deeming it a hard task, Far Eastern University (FEU) head coach Let Dimzon wants to ensure that the Lady Tamaraw Booters stay level-headed as they return to the Finals and gun for their fifth straight title in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 89 women’s football tournament.
“They have to keep their feet on the ground. Hindi porket nakalaban namin sila, although yes, natalo kami from the last game, but I think ‘yung confidence, they have to give and trust [to] themselves, their teammates and the system na ginagawa ng team… Prepare their mind na hindi basta-basta ‘yung team na makakalaban namin for Finals, because all teams, they wanted to win (Just because we beat the other teams, and although we did lose the last game, they need to be confident and trust themselves, their teammates, and the system the team has been working on. Prepare their mind that the team we will face in the Finals are not messing around),” she shared in the post-game interview of their Final Four win against Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) last November 6.
Shortly after their match, FEU awaited its eventual opponent as De La Salle University (DLSU) and University of the Philippines faced off in their own Final Four clash.
While doing so, Dimzon admitted that correcting the team’s mental lapses and strengthening its character remained a challenge, further emphasizing how the AdMU victory — particularly the team’s four-goal second-half response — served as a guide for their approach to the Finals.
“Mahirap for me, kasi sobrang stressful as a coach, kung paano ko iko-correct lahat ng mga mistakes na ‘yun, pero for me, ‘yung second response nila sa second-half, it’s a good way na kung paano namin iwo-work kung sino man makakalaban namin sa Finals (It’s hard for me, because of how stressful it is to correct their mistakes, but their second-half response turned out to be a good way to boost our performance against our Finals opponent),” she said.
Lo and behold, the Lady Tamaraw Booters’ Finals opponent is none other than longtime rival DLSU Lady Booters, whom they will face for the sixth consecutive time.
One-on-one
The Morayta-based squad had maintained a 38-game unbeaten streak, which included 22 consecutive victories, before tasting defeat for the first time since 2023 against DLSU on October 28. Since then, pressure has seemingly begun to creep into the team.
For Dimzon, asking the team to uphold their end of the bargain and demonstrate a hardworking attitude is necessary as she believes they could otherwise become complacent.
“Yes, kailangan ko mag-demand, but still, kung gusto niyo talagang kuhanin ‘yung game, you need to work really hard. That’s the character na kailangan natin ilabas… ‘Do you want ba na maglaro pa for the second [Final Four] game?’ (I need to demand from them, but if they really want to win the game, they need to work hard. That’s the character we need to bring out. I asked them, ‘Do you still want to play a second Final Four game?’),” she told the Morayta-based booters during their halftime pep talk.
Meanwhile, the green-and-gold lead tactician acknowledged that anxiety and nervousness contributed to missed scoring opportunities and inconsistencies in FEU’s performance, something she stressed the team must overcome.
Of course, the responsibility does not fall solely on the Lady Tamaraw Booters, as Dimzon also takes an active role in strengthening their confidence and motivation just in time for the Finals.
How does she plan to do it? Simple. By talking to them.
“For the individual players, I think one-on-one talks with them, para at least ma-build din ‘yung confidence and ma-build ko lang din sa kanila ‘yung motivation (So that I can build their confidence and give them motivation),” she said.
Cracking the league’s code always seemed like an easy feat for FEU, but even the strongest and winningest team in the league is not immune to making mistakes.
For as long as they continue to execute quality passes, attack the net without hesitation, and stick to their “one game at a time” mindset like they always have, you can count on the Lady Tamaraw Booters to keep the crown painted in green-and-gold.
(Photo courtesy of the UAAP Media Team)