The Final Score: There are still nice guys in basketball like Ronnie Magsanoc

In the unpretentious world of Ronnie Magsanoc, he starts his day not as a PBA coach or legend. Ronnie starts the day with his three daughters in the car, hands on the wheel, eyes on the road and basketball farthest from his mind. It’s the Magsanoc Morning Drill. Wake up at six. Bring eldest daughter Yana, a teacher, to her pre-school near Libis. Then, bring youngest daughter Trina to Poveda. And finally, bring second-oldest daughter Mica, a graduating college student, to La Salle. “He personally didn’t want a driver to take us to work and school in the morning,” Trina shared. “It was his own personal preference to drive us everyday.” Spending time with the girls was always Ronnie’s morning routine. But it all changed when he started coaching San Beda in April of 2012. For eight months, the Magsanoc Morning Drill was all basketball. Wake up at five. Be in San Beda before six. Oversee the Red Lions’ practice until eight. Then, rush to Meralco’s practice, where he is an assistant coach, at ten. He used to welcome the sunrise with the girls. But when he was coaching San Beda, he often witnessed daybreak alone, in the parking lot, with thoughts of practice plans and match-ups in his head. “That’s what I used to do, be with the girls sa umaga,” Ronnie admitted. “I missed it very much. Very much.” Some might wonder why Ronnie stepped down from San Beda. He just won a championship. He was coaching a contender in the NCAA and working as an assistant coach in the PBA. Other coaches would trade places with him in a heartbeat. Why did he turn his back on added success? “We felt the strain. You could see it in his eyes,” Mica shared. ”He would never tell us. But you could just see it. Because his top priority is family. We never convinced him to let go of San Beda. It was always his choice.” When Ronnie was thirteen, he loved San Beda’s basketball team. Die-hard. He even attended the bonfire to celebrate their NCAA championship in 1978. The Red Lions ruled the land. Little Ronnie felt he was on top of the world. Then his world crumbled when his parents, Rogelio and Lydia Magsanoc, separated several days later. “Kaya my family now is more important to me than basketball,” Ronnie said. “I’m sure hindi lahat ng tao maiintindihan yun.” So the old Magsanoc Morning Drill is back. Ronnie’s so thrilled to be driving for his girls again, he’s even singing along to Call Me Maybe while in traffic. Seriously. But only for the girls. Never for anyone else. “We’re very, very proud,” Yana stressed. “Because our Papa is very family-oriented. So whenever he wants to do something, he thinks of us first. It’s not easy to be an athlete or coach and you’re in the public eye and you’re being scrutinized with every move. It’s really nice to know that there are people still like my dad.” - AMD, GMA News