The is the speech delivered by Woody Co (XS '06) during the alumni recognition rites held last October 23, 2006.

      Good morning teachers and fellow Xaverians.

      Rookie of the Year! Hmm…Tough Right

      One of the many things I’m happy about being given the title Rookie of the Year is this rare chance to address all of you today. Needless to say, the title opened new and exciting opportunities as well as a promising future, which I would like to believe will not be confined to the world of sports.

      Pardon me if I would sound trite in saying that it was not a smooth and easy stint. It was not a free throw at the opponent’s goal, so to speak. It came with sacrifices as big or even bigger than the prize itself. I will not lay sole claim to this glitter now placed in my name. I know that much of it I owe to Xavier school. If I got to dribble my way to where I am now, it was because Xavier placed the ball on my hands.

      Training with the UP varsity and competing against formidable school teams equally hungry for the championship trophy were things I was prepared for via my own training at Xavier. The stakes this time are perhaps higher, but the demands are relatively the same, and I keep up because Xavier has trained me to do no less. Yet, this is only one side of the story: keeping my academics in stride is yet another. UP’s policy is hard and fast: Stay in the varsity only as long as you can manage your academics. I am thankful I am a Xaverian because a Xaverian will persist even amidst pressure.

      Maybe not everybody is cut for the hard court. Maybe not everyone is destined to carry his school’s name on his shoulders in a grand manner, but surely, our Xavier education has primed for us a path of success in greatness.

Go back to the top ^