By Merv Moore
Head Baseball Coach
When we talk about the future of the Bohol Coconuts, the conversation often gravitates toward baseball. It’s natural; it’s the sport I grew up with and the game that took me to 17 countries. But as the Sports Director of this organization, I want to make one thing crystal clear to every young girl in Bohol who has ever gripped a yellow stitch and wondered if there was a place for her:
You are not an afterthought.
In too many athletic programs, softball is treated like the “second-class” sibling to baseball. The girls get the hand-me-down equipment, the worse field times, and the smaller headlines. That stops here. At the Bohol Coconuts, our softball program is an equal partner. We aren’t building a “side project”; we are building a powerhouse.
The World is Watching
If you think softball is just a local hobby, you haven’t been paying attention to the global stage. The ceiling for female athletes has never been higher.
Right now, the United States has launched a booming professional league (AU Pro Softball), and Japan—home to some of the most disciplined athletes on the planet—has a professional circuit that is the gold standard of the sport. Beyond the pros, the American NCAA system offers life-changing scholarships. With the rise of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) funds, female college athletes are now earning significant money while getting a world-class education.
This isn’t a “impossible” dream. The path is already paved with gold, and I want to make sure the girls of Bohol have a map to get there.
A Legacy of Greatness
We aren’t starting from zero. The Philippines has a rich, proud history on the diamond. Look no further than the Cebuana Lhuillier Blu Girls, our National Team. These women have traveled to the U.S. and beyond, taking down world-class competition and proving that the Filipina athlete is as formidable as any on earth.
That “Blu Girls” spirit is exactly what we want to cultivate in Bohol. We want to take that natural agility, that quickness, and that “never-say-die” attitude and refine it into an elite force.
The Coconuts Commitment
I am a baseball guy, period. That is why I am currently recruiting volunteer coaches from Japan—the absolute masters of technical softball—to lead our girls. I won’t be the one in the dugout teaching the nuances of the rise-ball, but as your Sports Director, I will be the one ensuring you have the best facilities, the best gear, and the most rigorous performance training available.
My background in psychology has taught me that confidence is the foundation of any champion. For our girls, that confidence comes from knowing they are part of a program that respects their ambition.
We aren’t looking for girls who just want to “play a little ball.” We are looking for the ones who want to dominate. We are looking for the girls who want to earn that scholarship, wear the National Team jersey, or sign a professional contract in Osaka or Florida.
At the Bohol Coconuts, the pathway for a girl is exactly the same as the pathway for a boy: Work hard, think deep, and dream big. The diamond is waiting. And this time, the lights will be just as bright for you.
