any filipinos here?

[eggnog]

You ask who I am? I am a south bay pinoy all the way. graduated from San Jose State. Helped start a Filipino club there called Akbayan. Both my parents have at different times been President of the Filipino Community of Santa Clara County, the headquarters being in the Filipino center on 6th street in San Jose.

In the 1980's, a few of us Filipino squatters at Independence High School decided to form a Filipino Tennis Club, so not so creatively, we called it San Jose Filipino Tennis Club (SJFTC). We had officers and teams and played other Filipino teams from Daly City, Fremont and Union City, as well as among ourselves. The club does not always exist every year but the players continue on. Some have passed on, new members come and go.
I have continued to play in the San Jose area all this time... more or less on weekends. I have never gotten a rating but long long time ago, I played two years for San Jose City College's tennis team as no.1 or no. 2 player. And in high school on an awful team I was the no. 1 player my junior and senior year. If I played regularly I suppose I'd probably be a 4.0. Now I am just happy to get some exercise, practice all my shots and have a good time, laughing and joking with my barkada. I will try my very best to make it to Lakewood Park this Thursday. I seem to be switching between playing with a volkl Tour 10 v-engine or a Head LM Prestige. so that is how you'll spot me carrying either a Head or Volkl bag.

take care all.

[jayserinos99]

^ that's cool man. i was bit too young to join the filipino tennis team in union city (i was starting to play juniors when it died down) but i do remember going with my dad (who played for the concord team) going to lots of places...hercules, vallejo, union city, san francisco. i never got to compete in those teams but only got to practice with them but those were the good old days. i think nowadays it's making a comeback of sorts, but it's geared toward usta play. i think one reason why it died down was because of golf.

[Prince_of_Tennis]

^^ Thats crazy you are OG to the fullest. San Jose State Alumni alright! Well yah that school is aight I don't plan joining on Akbayan just because it seems they lost the meaning of it. Its a very cliqueish group. Like a group within a group weird yah. It's great to know one of the founders though!

80s Independence you might know my cousins. Hella long time ago but you might know Raymond and Roland Mendoza? Also their friend Ben Ju was the number one during that time.

I've never heard of that San Jose filipino club. If you stil have contact with it share! I would like to join. I want to join to play other people but also meet my fellow Pinoys. I know there are a lot more filipino tennis players here in the San Jose but I have yet to meet them.

Yah filipino center! It finally got rebuilt about a year or two ago its nice to see that place kickin again. I have to stop by one day. I live very close to the center.

Well I hope to you see you on thursday we can chat up more then. Payce....

oh yah all these volkl users lol

[mach1]

Siiiiick...Filipino Volkl users unite! tour 10 VE mid yo...still getting more used to it but i like it. I havent been playing tennis too much lately...starting to practice basketball more now.

[Prince_of_Tennis]

Originally Posted by dobolpolt

Good idea! where we should start? I heard there are a lot of Pinoys playing in Cataldi Park (North San Jose), Lakewood Park and Columbia Park (North Sunnyvale)... I play in Lakewood Park, on Tue and Thu, 6-8pm. NTRP 4.0

Gotta be jay....LoL only one who plays USTA there...

[eggnog]

You San Jose guys are funny!! Well, a church function came up and I can't make it on Thursday but Tuesday I will. Just take it easy on me. no, on second thought, I want to see your best!!

Too bad the Akbayan Filipino club has turned clickish, and there are so many more Filipinos at SJS than when we started. Can you imagine I had to hustle to find the minimum 20 signatures needed to open a club on SJS. We were united by culture, a sense of wanting to help the community and of course taking stands on issues with the Philippines, Marcos, martial law.

BTW, I remember the first year we started SJFTC, hearing news for the first time on the tennis court of Aquino's assassination. Those times of playing Union City, Fremont and Daly City, then enjoying each other's company, drinking and eating; they were indeed the good ol days. Everybody (including myself) is just so damn busy and yes a lot of my barkada they do golf so that has something to do with not playing so much.

Andy

[Prince_of_Tennis]

^ Awww I was excited because a lot of us were gonna show up.Tuesday are hard because Jay has school so he can't make tuesdays. Maybe next thursday.

I'm guessing you didn't know those people I mentioned.

I wonder how hard it would be to start a tennis club at sjsu so we can play gainst other club schools.

[baselinebrawler]

Man! How sad. I asked if any filipinos in southern california/LA area wanted to hookup to start a league and no one responded. I guess I am alone in 1)Loving tennis 2)Living in LA 3)Wanting to meet new people to play tennis with. Or maybe they just don't like me......oh well.

[jayserinos99]

^^ btw, prince was talking about me (j). btw eggnog/andy, do you know ron? he plays at independence; he's also on my work team. i already told him about lakewood as well but i don't know if he's going to make it.

[eggnog]

Hey jayserinos99, these first names are getting confusing. I do know at least two Ron's. Ron who? Me and my barkada (what is left of the SJFTC plus other squatter friends) play mainly at James Lick High school on Alum Rock Ave in east San Jose on Sat and Sun. why there? Well, the courts are not that great but it has turned out to be a Filipino hangout on weekends, most of the times all Filipinos playing on all six courts. Nobody bothers us and we can play as long as we want so we tolerate the poor condition of some of the nets. This doesn't mean that non-Filipinos are not welcome there but that is just the way it has developed over the past few years, a Filipino hangout. you go to other high schools in our area and there are mostly Vietnamese.

If any of you from greater San Jose area want to come there I will be there on Sat. the more the merrier. Many come early like as soon as the sun rises 7:00 and we play until 11:00 or so. You will find we are a friendly bunch and welcome anybody.

cheers,
Andy
andy

[Prince_of_Tennis]

^ Oh man I wish I could play on saturdays I just started work poo.....

[atatu]

I noticed a couple of references for Francis Alvair in the classifieds section, anyone know if this is the same guy who played for UCSB and UVA back in the 80's ?

[jayserinos99]

Originally Posted by eggnog

Hey jayserinos99, these first names are getting confusing. I do know at least two Ron's. Ron who? Me and my barkada (what is left of the SJFTC plus other squatter friends) play mainly at James Lick High school on Alum Rock Ave in east San Jose on Sat and Sun. why there? Well, the courts are not that great but it has turned out to be a Filipino hangout on weekends, most of the times all Filipinos playing on all six courts. Nobody bothers us and we can play as long as we want so we tolerate the poor condition of some of the nets. This doesn't mean that non-Filipinos are not welcome there but that is just the way it has developed over the past few years, a Filipino hangout. you go to other high schools in our area and there are mostly Vietnamese.

His name is Ron G. Kind of a shorter guy, wears glasses and uses a pure drive.

I used to live off of White and McKee a few years back. I played at James Lick a couple of times but that was a long time ago.

[eggnog]

Jayserinos, I certainly do know Ron Gdnz. He was at Intel before, I don't know about now. It seems he's not playing that much or maybe he plays elsewhere. Is that where you work, Intel? If you know the way he plays, I'm better, younger, and shorter than him ... so watch out for me next Thursday!!! I have an all around game, can serve and volley but can't last more than a few sets and god forbid I play singles. one tie-breaker and its downhill from there ... out of shape, physically and tennis-wise but still love to play!!

regards to all you south bay players.

[Prince_of_Tennis]

^ Alright I can't wait do you guys play sunday morning?

[eggnog]

San Joseans, yes the Filipino barkada plays Sat and Sun at James Lick High come rain or shine (we bring our brooms and squeegees). either get there really early or get there mid morning like 9:00 after the early birds finish their requisite 2 or 3 sets. I do play Sunday too but leave really early cause I go to church.

All this interest has made me think of something. All the Filipino or any TW members for that matter who are interested, I suggest we try to put together a tennis tournament/party. It has to be localized, in more than one place and time, e.g. TW members tried to do something like this remember?, and I was willing to drive to southern california for one that was being planned but it fell apart I think. We could do this, perhaps coordinate it off line rather than clog this website with all our emails.

So, since I am in NorCal, I would be willing to help coordinate one for the San Francisco bay area, perhaps have one in either SF, Fremont, Union city or San Jose. In SoCal, others would do the same, perhaps have one in LA, another in San Diego. It will be interesting to see if we can do it and what kind of response we get. I haven't really thought it through in detail, just brainstorming, but what do you all think? Perhaps we can plan it for early next year, giving us time to plan and execute.

regards to all,
Andy A. San Jose, CA

[Prince_of_Tennis]

^ Good idea. If its going to be out of the bay area I'm carpooling lol. We'd have to find a nice a park with a good bbq place and no people. I know of a couple places so lets toss up somemore ideas.

[Talent]

Originally Posted by Talent

Pinoy Pride here!

I was born there, but I moved to the States when I was around two and have been living here ever since. I'm from Metro Manila and I haven't visited for about six years. Any Pinoys in the Central Florida area up for hit?

Nice to meet y'all

No warm welcome from my fellow Filips? I thought Filipinos were some of the most hospitable people in any culture out there.

[Noelle]

Hi Talent! Sorry for the belated welcome.

[Talent]

Originally Posted by Noelle

Hi Talent! Sorry for the belated welcome.

That's all right. No big deal really It seems most of the Pinoys on these boards live in Cali. We don't have many Pinoy tennis players here. They'd rather settle for the standard baseball, basketball, football, etc.