Patrina Kaye Caceres, or as the kids call her: Coach Patty or Teacher Patty, is a sports coach and leads FundLife's futsal-based sessions in our communities. She is also a Senior Youth Mentor and facilitates mentorship and Champion sessions with our FundLife youth players.
Coach Patty is also sometimes called Teacher Patty, a Community Learning Space (CLS) learning aide, and helps teach in small group study sessions in schools and our partner communities.
How long have you been with FundLife?
"I have been with FundLife since 2014 and started as an assistant coach. Eventually, I became a Senior Coach in 2015. Although I was out of the country from 2016 to 2018 while working in Spain, I still helped in some ways that I could. When I returned in 2018, I became a faculty member at one of the universities in Tacloban City, so I only volunteered my free time for some FundLife activities. Finally, I returned to working as a Youth Mentor in 2020 and have been with FL since then.
Coach Patty's favorite task as a Senior Coach and Youth Mentor is to facilitate community-based session discussions as it opens the door for the players to share their learnings and insights with the rest of the group. As a youth mentor and CLS learning aide, Teacher Patty loves teaching our young learners arts and crafts. She even created her own astronaut costume from scratch for one of our CLS monthly activities.
What is the biggest lesson you have learned while working with the kids?
"The biggest realization I have learned while working with the kids is that even one person who believes in them and their dreams, no matter how big these dreams are, will significantly impact their life. Coming from a background and culture that focuses more on results and not really on effort, as well as just appreciating those who come first or win, I try to become the supportive and appreciative adult who celebrates wins, no matter how small they are, and to be the adult that I wish my younger self had around me. I learned that I could truly impact our children by inculcating in them the values of perseverance and the love for what they are doing to achieve their goals."
What do you love most about working at FundLife?
Coach Patty shares that what she loves most about working with FundLife throughout the years is the friendly atmosphere and open communication we have with everyone. According to her, we are not competing with anyone on the team but "all are working collaboratively to achieve our personal and career goals."