Forged by hard training, tough battles, championships, and other major accolades, the connection between the mentor and mentee has become unbreakable. Almost a decade after their first meeting, this remains true between Philippine volleyball superstar Alyssa Valdez and decorated coach Anusorn “Tai” Bundit. It’s not surprising at all as the pair has been through so much, from the college level all the way to the professional ranks.
On Wednesday, the Phenom went on Instagram and shared her latest bonding moment with Coach Tai, along with some members of the Creamline Cool Smashers, particularly Ella de Jesus and Michelle Gumabao. They were in a hot pot restaurant and seemed to be enjoying the food and each other’s company very much.
“It’s a hot pot kind of day,” Valdez wrote as a caption.
Aside from steering the Ateneo Blue Eagles to a couple of UAAP crowns, the Cool Smashers also won three PVL championships under the Thai tactician’s watch. Along the way, Valdez bagged a number of individual awards, including MVP trophies, both in the amateurs and the pros. The tremendous growth of the talented outside hitter under Budit’s guidance is just undeniable.
With that, the master and the student are still finding ways to support each other to this day. In another IG post, Valdez flexed Coach Tai’s gift for her, which was a bundle of lanzones, fresh out of Thailand. Also included in the IG story was a YouTube link that led to a live performance by a teenage band.
“Pls. support Coach Tai’s son Troy by watching this video,” Valdez wrote.
At the moment, Valdez remains one of Creamline’s biggest stars and best players. Coach Tai on the other hand, is currently the drillmaster of Thai pro club Nakhon Ratchasima.
(CF)