MANILA, Philippines – From the get go, these girls seem wired to shoot hoops.

And there’s no stopping hardcourt princesses Therese Estrada, Carmi Castro, Princess Marie Trinidad, Corinne Javier and Chelisa Calaquian from strutting their stuff in the midst of the mostly-masculine milieu of basketball.

“When boys find out that we play basketball, they’re like, ’So you’re boyish and stuff.’ But we’re normal girls with just another side to our personality,” says 17-year-old Trinidad, the Most Valuable Player in the 2007 Women’s Basketball League.

Estrada insists there’s nothing unladylike in playing the Pinoys’ national passion. The two-time Women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association junior MVP, in fact, hopes that young cagers like them will start breaking the stereotypical mindset.

“When guys meet girls who got game, we’re sometimes able to change their perspective on girls―they realize we’re not just girly people who go shopping and do kikay stuff. We have an athletic side. We can do what boys can do,” the17-year-old Estrada points out.

Like many sports, women’s basketball games are greatly overshadowed by men’s hoops. But these women cagers’ enthusiasm for the game often draws curiosity and interest.

“Boys are usually impressed and intimidated at the same time. When you say you’re a basketball player, it usually keeps the conversation going,” the 5-foot-9 Javier shares.

“That we can carry a conversation about basketball is something that usually amazes boys, ” the 16-year-old Calaquian adds.

And if typical Pinoy males think that learning basketball is non-negotiable, these girls similarly picked up the game with passion.

Recounts Trinidad, fresh out of La Salle Zobel high school: “When I was seven, I used to watch these guys playing basketball. Then one day I asked if I could try and shoot the ball. My first shot was a three-pointer and I was like ’Oh, I know how to shoot.’ After that I started going to the court. I asked my friends who knew how, to teach me how to play, how to dribble, how to shoot. In Grade 5, I started to play for varsity.”

The rest of them, too, naturally gravitated to the sport.

“I didn’t play Barbie, I just played ball,” recalls Calaquian.

Castro, a Poveda high school standout, likewise shares: “I’m really a hyper kid and in Grade 4, my friends and I would bring balls to school, just to shoot around. We never really played basketball. We just loved shooting. Around Grade 5, I started learning stuff about the game, the rules, dribbling and shooting.”

Quite often, however, the lessons from the game extend beyond the hardcourt.

“The game helped me learn that in life you won’t get everything you want,” muses Javier. “As in any game, you don’t win everytime. Basketball helped me learn early in life that for some stuff that you really want, you have to work hard to get it.”

Estrada, Miriam high school’s star forward, agrees: “It gave me a larger perspective of things, not just on winning and losing, but in other trials in life. I learn a lot from playing the game.”

Adds Castro: “I still won’t forget the years I’ve sacrificed for basketball. They really taught me a lot on leadership and how to be a follower. That to be successful, you have to work hard. The values that you learn from basketball are not that easy to learn from other things. I’ll always bring that with me.”

Castro, whose speed makes up for her tiny 5-foot-1 frame, continues: “I also learned you must really have commitment. If you don’t have that, you won’t get anywhere. And if you have the commitment, you’ll really learn the game. It’s the starting point.”

While other people may think that basketball might distract players from their studies, these cagers prove them wrong. “Having basketball in my life challenged me to do better in school,” says Javier, Assumption high school’s 17-year-old center. “I don’t think it made my grades suffer at any point. Whenever I got home from school after a long practice day and had to study for an exam the next day, I always felt challenged to do better in the classroom. It helped me focus. A lot of basketball skills are really important in life, like commitment, hard work, responsibility and knowing your priorities.”

Trinidad furthers: “Being a student athlete means you have more responsibilities. It’s not that we’re special. We choose to do it, so we have to do the best that we can in both fields. You have to learn how to commit and how to balance your time. It’s about learning how to make time for everything― friends, studies, basketball and of course, everything else that you want to do.”

Calaquian also acknowledges the regular nudge their parents give. “The sport becomes a motivation because our parents always remind us that we should balance studies and sport and we can’t play basketball if our grades are low. That’s why I always motivate myself to balance everything,” says St. Theresa’s 5-foot-6 guard.

By summer’s end, however, these five girls will map out their next moves as they take a stride into college hoops.

“I’m excited and worried about the whole concept of going to college and playing basketball,” admits Trinidad. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to adapt right away. But I guess if you really love something, you’re going to find a way.”