Mark Christian Yu wants to be the next Jayson Castro, an explosive guard in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) who is also considered as one of the best point guards in Asia, if not the best. At 5'11, Mark Christian Yu is actually taller than his idol Jayson Castro who stands at 5'10 but it remains to be seen if he can match, if not exceed, the achievements of Jayson Castro.
"Idol ko si Jayson Castro kasi gusto ko siya gayahin, pati yung mindset niya. Gusto kong makuha yung bilis niya at sipag sa court. Para sa akin, siya yung legit na point guard. Kumpleto na may assist, may puntos, at tsaka leader siya sa court, explained Mark Christian Yu in a chat interview with Ligang Pinoy.
Mark Christian Yu's basketball journey began when he was just a 9-year old kid as his father would always take him to watch his basketball games. Little did he know that regularly watching his father play would foster a deep love for basketball.
As expected, it was his father who became Mark Christian Yu's role model in his early years. It was also his father who prodded him to try out with the various varsity teams of some reputable schools such as the Far Eastern University (FEU) and Adamson University (AdU) which unfortunately rejected him.
"Nagsimula ako maglaro ng basketball noong nine (9) years old pa lang ako. Palagi akong sinasama ng father ko kapag may laro sya. Idol ko father ko simula bata kaya nagsumikap at nagsakripisyo ako para lang matuto ng basketball, nung high school ako nagtry out ako sa ibat-ibang High School tulad ng FEU at AdU pero hindi ako nakuha kasi nga payat at hindi pa daw ako ganun kagaling," shared Mark Christian Yu.
Mark Christian Yu did not let his rejections derail the pursuit of his basketball dreams. Instead of quitting, he made it a point to improve his skills and get better. He took basketball seriously so much so that there were times he skipped meals just to wait for visiting players in their neighborhood. Until one day, his father advised him to try out with the team of their District. Hungry for opportunity to prove his worth, Mark Christian Yu followed his father's advice and tried out with District 1's basketball squad.
"Nilagay ko sa isip at nagsilbing aral palagi sa akin yung hindi ko pagpasa sa varsity. Pagkatapos nnun, nagseryoso ako sa basketball. Halos sa court na ako kumakain palagi nagaantay ng dayo sa court. Tapos sinabihan ako ng father ko na mag tryout sa basketball team ng District 1, Manila. Sabi ko, 'sige pa subukan ko kung kaya ko na.' Medyo swerte pero mabigat yung line up ng District 1 kumpara sa age namin dati. Nabatak ako kakapractice at inayos din ng coach namin yung shooting form ko, recalled Mark Christian Yu."
Lady luck might have been on Mark Christian Yu's side as his team won the championship trophy in the inter-District tournament that they participated in. But the most important thing of all, he was scouted by no other than legendary coach Philip Cezar who invited him to join the basketball team of the Philippine School of Business Administration (PSBA) known for producing quality big men such as Vic Manuel and Marc Pingris.
His hard work was finally paying off as he made the varsity team of PSBA, a member team of the National Capital Region Athletic Association (NCRAA). Unfortunately, PSBA failed to reach the final four during his stint with the team.
"After championship namin sa inter-district sa Manila, kinausap ako ni coach Phillip Cezar. Sabe nya sa akin, 'bata gusto mo maglaro ng skwela?' Sagot ko agad ay 'oo'. Syempre medyo nagbubunga na yung tiyaga ko. Naglaro ako NCRAA ng isang taon at hindi kame nakapasok ng final four," said Mark Christian Yu.
Mark Christian Yu's stay with PSBA lasted only for a year as he was recruited to join the St. Clare College basketball team known as the Saints. He joined a loaded team led by Irven Palencia and Junjie Hallare. As fate would have it, transferring to St. Clare proved to be the right decision after he won the Most Valuable Award in 2018.
Mark Christian Yu slowly made a name for himself in the local basketball scene given his exploits with St. Clare in the NCRAA. With budding confidence, he hopes to be the first PBA player from their barangay.
"May mga nakalaban ako sa ligang labas na sinabihan ako na 'gusto mo mag st.clare?' Then nag transfer ako sa kanila at lalong nabuo yung kumpyansa ko sa pag babasketball. Dun ko rin naramdaman na sa lahat ng hirap, magbubunga din yan. Naging MVP ako ng Saint Clare. At naging kilala na sa lugar namin sa paglalaro at palagi ako namo-motivate sa lugar namin. Dahil palagi kong sinasabe sa mga kababata ko sa basketball na balang araw magkakaroon din ng PBA player sa bangkaso!" exclaimed Mark Christian Yu.
Mark Christian Yu's MVP season with St. Clare opened bigger opportunities for him. After his breakout season with the Saints in the National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (NAASCU), he transferred to the Jose Rizal University (JRU) Bombers of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) where he had the chance to play in bigger tournaments such as the Filoil Pre-Season tournament and the PBA Developmental League (PBA D-League). Unfortunately, he failed to play a single game in the NCAA main tournament allegedly due to problems in his grades.
"Palagi kong sinasabi sa father at mother ko na gagawin ko lahat ng makakaya ko. Maging proud lang sila sa akin at makarating ako sa pangarap nila sa akin! Natuwa sila dahil kinuha na ako ng NCAA school kung saan nakalaro ng mga big leagues gaya ng Filoil at Dleague. Di ako pinalad makalaro ng NCAA mismo dahil sabi nila coach, may problema daw ako sa grades! lumipat ako ng school at lalo kong binibuild yung sarili ko as a basketball player," said Mark Christian Yu.
While many of his previous competitors are already in bigger leagues such as the MPBL and PBA, Mark Christian Yu is not losing hope. He already had a taste of rejection and he was able to handle it. This time, he believes he can overcome any challenges en route to his dream of playing in a professional basketball league.
"Madami mang problema dumating sayo, tuloy tuloy lang wag mawawalan ng pag asa sa buhay! Halos lahat na din ng nakakalaban ko ay nasa pba na at pro leagues, Kaya namomotivate ako palagi sa kanila. Dumami yung mga nagsasali sa aken sa liga at naging kilala din sa tondo dahil sa paglalaro ng basketball. Isa lang din naman ang pangarap ko sa paglalaro ang makatungtong sa PBA! Kung ano man ang mga nangyayare sa buhay natin, nakaplano na sa taas yan! Basta bawal ang sumuko!" added Mark Christian Yu.
Great attitude you have there young man. May you reach your dreams.
Player Profile
Name: Mark christian Yu
Height: 5'11
Position: Guard
Hometown: Tondo, Manila
College: JRU / LPU / TIP
Playing History:
NAASCU
PCCL
PBA D league
Fil oil cup
CBA
M league
Chooks to go 3x3
Gotskill milcu
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