9/2 Countdown to the Philly Pinoy 2013 Mixed Fall League (MFL)

In less than a week, on Sunday, September 8 at 6 pm, Philly Pinoy will kick-off its brand new Mixed Fall League (MFL) at the Bowling Palace at Downingtown, Pennsylvania. 

For the past few years, the annual Philly Pinoy winter bowling league has been long-awaited, well-attended and well-received, and very well-organized and managed by our very own Sports Commissioner, Commish Jay Lizardo.  The winter league has created many bowling afficionados within the Philly Pinoy community, bowlers who join multiple USBC sanctioned and unsanctioned leagues throughout the year at the Palace, and who meet regularly several times a week to practice on the lanes.  The MFL was created by folks in the Philly Pinoy Bowling Committee who could not stand to wait for the better part of a year before the annual winter leagues commenced from January to April.  Dahil sabik na sabik sa Philly Pinoy na liga, kinailangang magkaroon ng isa pa. 

So the MFL is truly a separate league scheduled to play from September to November with distinct differences from the winter league:

• The MFL is scheduled on Sundays with bowling starting at 7 pm (the winter league plays on Friday nights at 9 pm).  The Sunday schedule allows for the Palace to provide the league with lanes that are oiled to USBC specifications, a treat for our bowlers, which should make for interesting play....
• It is a true "mixed" league: All the players were "mixed up" (pinaghalo-halo) to create ten (10) teams containing one female and two male players (three total players).  The teams were created based on the players' established Philly Pinoy averages, towards having teams with comparable handicaps.
• The teams are all playing for cash prizes, as all proceeds will be given back to the players as cash awards.  The top prize is $300 to the winning team.  Limpak-limpak na salapi!  The cash prizes are outlined in TABLE 1.

TABLE 1. Cash Prizes for the MFL

TEAM Prizes (total of three = $540)	1st place team	$300 ($100 per player)
	2nd place team	$150 ($50 per player)
	3rd place team	$90 ($30 per player)
INDIVIDUAL Prizes (total of 10 = $210) Players are eligible for only one individual prize each to ensure that there are 10 individual prize winners	High Average – Male	$25
	High Average – Female	$25
	High Scratch Series – Male	$20
	High Scratch Series – Female	$20
	High Scratch Game – Male	$20
	High Scratch Game – Female	$20
	High Handicap Series – Male	$20
	High Handicap Series – Female	$20
	High Handicap Game – Male	$20
	High Handicap Game – Female	$20
BASE Prize (total of 10 teams = $300)	All 10 teams regardless of rank	$30 ($10 per player)

My GoPapa Joel and I are the co-chairs of the MFL, which is being managed by the Philly Pinoy Bowling Committee, composed of Romy Liboon, Angie Sotomango, Dennis Navarrete, Blue Sapalaran, Desi Mercado and Edmer Sotomango, with dotted lines to our Commish Jay Lizardo and Madam President Mitchie Masanga.  It is Joel's experience mixing up teams with VP Roy Compendio for the Table Tennis tournaments that allowed us to brainstorm how the MFL teams will be created.  Considering the number of couples and former team mates in the league, the teams (shown in TABLE 2) are surprisingly well-mixed: no couples are together, and many folks have team mates they have never bowled with (or met...) before.  All teams appear to have a good fighting chance of winning.  All in all, it promises to be very exciting from week to week!

So here's what to watch out for this week and at the Sunday kick-off:

1. We will be finalizing the league schedules with Palace prior to kick-off, and may send them to all the players ahead of time if available.
2. Teams: You must select your team captain by kick-off time, as the team captains will draw lots for your team names (Pinoy food!), will determine your line up and be responsible for collecting bowling fees each week.
3. When the players come on Sunday, the Palace should have the lanes ready to go according to the schedule and with players' averages and teams' handicaps already entered: whew, less work for us all!
4. Players should remember to bring their $15 for bowling fee = no pay, no play! 
5. Bring cash also for the 50/50 raffles = you must be IN it, to WIN it!  Tickets will sell for $1 per one ticket, $2 for three tickets, and $5 for ten tickets.

So of course, as in my previous BowlStar blogs, I have a poem to share (previously sent via email to the usual Palace bowlers in an invitation to practice this Sunday):

Kelangang paghandaan
Nalalapit na labanan
Upang tayo'y magwagi
Limpak limpak na salapi
O huwag man lang mapahiya
Sa mga bagong kasama
Na lahat umaasa
Sa iyong larong maganda
Magpraktis na sa Palace
Palayasin ang malas
Magsumikap ng mabuti
Nang mapasa'yo ang suwerti 

Check out the posting on the Philly Pinoy website which also contains a link to the league rules: PhillyPinoy-Fall-Mixed-Bowling-LeaguePost

See y'all on Sunday: bowl, baby, bowl!


TABLE 2. Philly Pinoy MFL Teams

Team Sum of Player Averages	Player Names	Gender	Philly Pinoy Average
399	Mitchie Masanga	female	158
	Dennis Navarrete	male	156
	Ed Nicolas	male	85
432	Jing Capucao	female	154
	Edmer Sotomango	male	158
	Lowen Gono	male	120
426	Alice Deo	female	145
	Roy Compendio	male	159
	JP Tanedo	male	122
431	Angie Sotomango	female	143
	Desi Mercado	male	159
	Ivan Masanga	male	129
434	Chelo Compendio	female	135
	Art Coronado	male	159
	Edwin Sanchez	male	140
434	Eden Paredes	female	127
	Joel Capucao	male	166
	Ryan Ablaza	male	141
422	Lanie Santos	female	113
	Joel Deo	male	167
	Jay Lizardo	male	142
426	Grace Que	female	110
	Blue Sapalaran	male	167
	Lino Matamis	male	149
432	Sansu Sanchez	female	109
	Paolo Quimbo	male	174
	Francis Carangan	male	149
426	Lolet Pike	female	93
	Romy Liboon	male	177
	James Que	male	156