Light Will Never Forget the P1,700 Coach Panda Sent Him
Before MPL Philippines Season 9, Dylan “Light” Catipon didn’t walk into the doors of RSG Philippines with the confidence of a champion. He came carrying uncertainty, exhaustion, and a quiet desperation to turn his life around.
When he heard of the tryouts from Coach Brian “Panda” Lim, he wasn’t sure if he could go to RSG’s bootcamp. At that time, he had just left TNC Pro Team, and right after that, Light’s father suffered a mild stroke.
What he had saved from his MPL earnings was drained away on his father’s hospital bills and medication. Light had nothing left, not even a money to ride a bus to RSG’s bootcamp for the tryout.
But despite having nothing left in his pocket, despite Coach Panda knowing about his situation, something unexpected happened. Instead of brushing him off, Coach Panda listened.
Then he said words that Light would never forget: “Sige. Ako na lang sasagot ng pamasahe mo.”
It was only P1,700, but to Light, it felt like the universe was finally opening a door for him. He packed what he had and left behind his old version of himself.
He had no idea that the trip to RSG’s bootcamp would change everything. Not just his career but the kind of man he would become.
Strict Coach, Soft Heart
Life in the RSG PH bootcamp was far from easy. Coach Panda was known for his discipline. He had rules for everything — practice, scrimmages, behavior, and focus. There was no room for laziness, no tolerance for complacency.
Light learned quickly that to survive under Coach Panda, you had to give everything, and he did. He worked harder than ever, driven not just by ambition but by gratitude.
But in between the drills, the strategy talks, and the scrimmages, Light noticed something different. While Coach Panda pushed everyone hard, he somehow had a soft spot for him.
That led to Light’s teammates jokingly asking Coach Panda why he was never scolded.
Coach Panda would only answer, “Favorite ko yan si Dylan. Hindi niyo pwedeng awayin yan. Hindi. Favorite player ko yan.”
The answer sounded like a joke but Light knew it wasn’t. It was Coach Panda’s way of showing affection — the kind that he rarely said out loud but shown through small fierce acts of care.
And because of that, the bond between the two slowly stopped like coach and player. It started feeling like father and son.
After RSG, Coach Panda Disappeared
When RSG Philippines released their entire roster and staff together with their MPL Philippines franchise slot after their Season 13 run, Coach Panda left without a trace.
It hit Light hard. He was stunned. He knew that many teams wanted Coach Panda, he even heard whispers of offers and plans. But he only told Light one thing.
“Continue what you are doing.”
However, despite him disappearing in the professional scene, in the stage, in the dugout, in a bootcamp, Light and Coach Panda still kept in touch through Facebook and Instagram messaging.
But four months have passed. Light had no contact with Coach Panda.
That is why he was surprised when he watched Coach Panda’s message to his former RSG players before the match between AP Bren and Aurora last September 12, before they face each other wearing different team uniforms.
“Kaya kanina nagulat ako na paano nila (MPL Production Team) na-contact si Coach Panda, nakahingi sila ng video. Eh ako hindi ko siya nakakausap. Kaya plano ko nang hingin yung contact details niya para makapagusap na kami,” Light told ALL-STAR.
The Lessons That Never Left
Now, we never knew if Light and Coach Panda had spoken to each other after four long months.
However, despite that, Light still carries Panda with him. He hears him in every decision he makes in-game and in real life situations, in every step he goes in his career.
“Siya kasi talaga yung nagpabago ng career ko dito sa ML. Kung ano man ang tinuro niya sa akin noon, dala-dala ko pa rin hanggang ngayon. Sobrang laki talaga ng natutunan ko sa kanya kaya sobrang thankful ako sa kanya,” Light said with a smile, thinking of all the things that Coach Panda had done to him.
“Yayakapin Ko Agad Siya”
When ALL-STAR asked Light what he would do if he saw Coach Panda again in person, he answered right away:
“Yayakapin ko agad siya.”
Like a child yearning for a father’s presence after a long separation.
Because sometimes, the people who change our lives are not the ones we are born to, but the ones who chose us in any way. And for Light, Coach Panda will always be the father he never expected to find all the time, but will always carry in his heart.
And maybe, when the day when Light and Coach Panda reunites, Light will thank him again.
Not just for the lessons, the belief, or the MPL and MSC championship titles, but for that P1,700 that bought him a ticket to RSG PH’s bootcamp. The P1,700 that shaped the man he is now.
For more exclusive esports stories, click here.
