Warriors in 2007, at our very first tournament
Warriors at WTF 2011
We've come a looong way. Retired players are surprised when they see this latest photo because the team really has grown since we started competing in 07 (the core was formed in 05).
A bit of a backgrounder on that second photo: That, folks, was taken at the recently concluded WTF, or Warriors Tourney and Farty. It started in 2007 as the Urda Open, named after the park where we used to train. We weren't quite ready to compete at a league yet, but we wanted to have a friendly tournament and were able to invite enough players to make it happen.
A bit of a backgrounder on that second photo: That, folks, was taken at the recently concluded WTF, or Warriors Tourney and Farty. It started in 2007 as the Urda Open, named after the park where we used to train. We weren't quite ready to compete at a league yet, but we wanted to have a friendly tournament and were able to invite enough players to make it happen.
My Urda Open team: Parokya ni Vino. That's me on bent knee, in all my gusgusin glory.
At the party after the tournament, with my fellow Mythical 6 awardees (the Shadow was missing). Damn, I can't fit into those jeans anymore!
The champions for this year were the Ultimate Warriors, and that's where we got our name. If we had had another champion, our team name today could very well be Parokya ni Vino, the League of Shadows, or DKNY (Disc Ko Na 'Yan)!
The following year, we moved from Urda to Camp Aguinaldo, which merited a name change. It was right about the time acronyms were all the rage (all the "OMG"s, etc.) so the team decided on WTF. It originally meant Warriors Tourney Festival, which, to me, didn't make sense. So Farty it was, since we really intended to party afterwards!
The following year, we moved from Urda to Camp Aguinaldo, which merited a name change. It was right about the time acronyms were all the rage (all the "OMG"s, etc.) so the team decided on WTF. It originally meant Warriors Tourney Festival, which, to me, didn't make sense. So Farty it was, since we really intended to party afterwards!
With the Dragon Warriors. Can you tell Kung Fu Panda had just come out?
The champions: Green-ada A-discs. This particular year was notable because it marked the first time that nearly an entire team succumbed to cramps!
This is kind of a bad history lesson because I can't tell you anything about 2009. I don't even know where it was. Haha. The reason? The week of the tournament, I booked a ticket to Dumaguete! It was an unlikely place for a bachelorette party, but, lemme tell ya, it was the best possible way to say goodbye to singlehood!
This is kind of a bad history lesson because I can't tell you anything about 2009. I don't even know where it was. Haha. The reason? The week of the tournament, I booked a ticket to Dumaguete! It was an unlikely place for a bachelorette party, but, lemme tell ya, it was the best possible way to say goodbye to singlehood!
In 2010, WTF got fancier, as each player was given an "Adidas" jersey in his or her team color, with the Warriors logo printed on it!
I can't remember who won but Dino and Czar were definitely on that team!
This year, I was thrilled to be on the same team as Dino, who had been on the winning team all four years prior to this year's WTF. Alas, he was not meant for a five-peat. The PULAr Bears, made up of players coming out of hibernation, were the champs. No matter--I was happy enough just being able to play with Dondi again, one half of our special guests from Australia.
And I won a pair of limited-edition shorts! And a new jersey!
Mythical 6: breakthrough beginner Jane, Macky Puentevella Lifetime Achievement Awardee Macky, Lem, JM (and baby!), Mundz, and me holding our special white jerseys
So it's been five years and I still haven't won a championship. But I'm pretty okay with that. I guess in WTF, winning really isn't the point.
Warriors = love!
Awwwww!!!! :P
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