The first step in becoming successful in life is defining what success means to you. As kids, we naturally have many aspirations. We all once heard the ridiculously overused phrase, 'you can be whatever you want to be.' While there's a lot of truth in it, a lot of success stories you'll hear are from people who were able to zero in on that one thing they wanted to be at an early age.
But it's rarely a smooth path. Even for those who turned their dreams into reality, journeys as mostly zigzags instead of beelines.
As a youngster, Ronnie Magsanoc watched his favorite team, Crispa, win championships left and right in the PBA. Right when the bell rang in his San Beda campus, he would run to the basketball court to emulate the moves he saw from his idols Atoy Co, Bernie Fabiosa and Abet Guidaben - at the same time doing his own commentary of the moves he made.
Magsanoc was a basketball fan. He was a sports fan. And attending a school that was celebrated for its victories in various sports, a dream was shaped up.
"When I was in San Beda, students had a simple dream - to become part of the school's sports teams. I really wanted to own a San Beda jersey," he shared in An Eternity of Basketball, a podcast hosted by sports journalists Sid Ventura, Noel Zarate and Atty. Charlie Cuna.
As early as third grade, Magsanoc tried out for the basketball team in San Beda headed by legendary coach Ato Badolato. Getting into the team would be a huge advancement in pursuing his dream of eventually becoming like his idols in the PBA. Instead, he was cut.
"I was very small for my age when I first tried out for basketball," Magsanoc recalled." A few days later, I saw the volleyball team holding their tryouts. I really wanted to be part of a sports team and I really wanted a jersey so I went ahead and tried out."
The very next year, when Magsanoc entered fourth grade, he was finally accepted into the basketball team of San Beda. He finally got the jersey he wanted for so long. That collection grew as he climbed to higher ranks and played in bigger leagues. When he was in his fourth year of high school, he became teammates with a 12-year-old boy who eventually played a huge role in the success of his sports career - Benjie Paras.
Magsanoc also played other sports, including football, track and field and pretty much every other sport he could get his hands on. Paras also became one of his teammates in shot put. "One day, Benjie just picked it up, threw it and won a gold medal," Magsanoc shared on the podcast.
Young Ronnie often pondered about a sports career. It was one of his motivations behind trying out many sports. But there was one more important than any other.
"The reason why sports was very important to me was because it was my way to an education," he shared on the podcast. "At that time, one sport did not offer a full scholarship. So I played different sports to I can get a bigger scholarship."
From then up to now, there are student-athletes who see education as a means to play. Decent scores in the classroom mean being able to suit up for the season. Magsanoc saw it the other way around. He needed to excel on the court in order to stay in school. "All I wanted was to be able to take my exams," he said.
After winning the 1982 NCAA Juniors title with Paras and a lot of other great talents, Magsanoc's name was beginning to grow more and more relevant in the basketball world. Yet, he kept himself grounded. Humble as he is to this day, Magsanoc did not dwell too much in his success. His education remained to be his priority.
"I did not find myself anywhere near special when I was in high school," he recalled. "I didn't realize I would get far playing basketball. At the back of my mind, I dreamt of becoming a doctor."
In his last year playing for the Red Cubs, Magsanoc suffered from tendinitis. He was getting treatment at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center when he recognized a familiar face in one of the nearby cubicles. It was Bogs Adornado, one of the greats from his favorite team, Crispa. It was a sign, perhaps, that his two dreams, basketball and medicine, could coincide.
Magsanoc would talk to the specialists treating Adornado after his sessions. It eventually helped him decide to enroll in Physical Therapy at the University of the Philippines, where he would also continue playing the game he loved.
What Magsanoc soon realized, though, was that he had to make a decision between basketball and his course. "I didn't know that there was a lot of math and science involved in my course," he playfully recalled. He had to reroute his journey so he shifted to Philosophy, making sure he did not completely neglect his education.
It was not easy, but it was more manageable for Magsanoc as he continued to play for the university. For starters, there was less math and less science. He put up as much effort in the classroom as he would in a UAAP Finals game.
In 1986, Magsanoc was reunited with Paras, and the two led UP to its first championship in over four decades. The duo was just as effective in the collegiate game as they were in high school. And those victories were only a sneak peek into the glory that the two of them eventually achieved over the course of their basketball careers.
Magsanoc and Paras also became teammates in the PBA where they won two championships together with the Shell franchise. They were partners in the Philippine National Team where they led the country to a gold medal in the 1987 Southeast Asia Games in Jakarta and a silver medal in the 1990 Beijing Asian Games.
In 2000, as the PBA celebrated its silver anniversary, Magsanoc and Paras were named into the league's 25 Greatest Players. They remain inseparable up to this day, as they both serve as NBA basketball commentators.
Magsanoc also calls volleyball, football, baseball, track and field, to name a few. He also called the shots for Gilas U-18 3x3, a one-man job that often requires him to apply his knowledge in physical therapy when the situation calls for it.
In the 2019 FIBA 3x3 U-18 Asia Cup in Malaysia, Carl Tamayo injured his leg in practice just before the tournament. Gerry Abadiano got cut from an inadvertent elbow on his head in one game, and Terrence Fortea tweaked his ankle in an another one. These boys will tell you that Magsanoc was always on top of the situation, knowing just what to do when injuries came.
Ronnie Magsanoc is one of the country's greatest basketball players. He is also one of the best coaches and one of the best multi-sport commentators you'll find in this land. All these were beyond his wildest dreams. All these were far greater than the definition of success he had carved out as a kid.
It's a product of circumstances, having been surrounded by the people who helped him become a better version of himself. It's a result of his vision, having an understanding of what he wanted to achieve. It's also fruit of his stubbornness, refusing to let anything get in between him and his success.