To better understand Kiddo, here's the article written about him in 2007 by the Philippine Daily Inquirer:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=50705One-legged goalie winner in game of life
By Marc Anthony Reyes
Inquirer
First Posted 09:03am (Mla time) 02/21/2007
Filed Under: Good news, Soccer, Diseases
MANILA, Philippines -- A lot of times on the pitch, when Joseph del Gallego is faced with a rushing striker, he knows exactly what’s on his opponent’s mind.
“Some of them are very eager to score against me,†Del Gallego told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “And some of them plan very well by making me go outside the goal.â€
As harsh as the reason may be, it’s easy to understand why opponents think they can have their way with Del Gallego:
The 28-year-old call center manager, who tends the goal for PeopleSupport Team A in Cebu City, plays with just one leg. He lost his left leg to bone cancer 11 years ago.
But he doesn’t complain every time opponents try to take advantage of him during games.
“They don’t treat me as anybody different,†said Del Gallego. He savors the thought that nobody looks down on him whether he is guarding goals in pick-up soccer games on the street or in serious tournament matches on the playing field.
Of course, it’s not easy.
“What is difficult is catching ground balls,†he said. “That’s when I really dive for the ball and then up again.â€
A grim verdict
Still, things had never been easy since he was diagnosed with bone cancer in his left leg when he was 17. At that time, diving for ground balls was the least of his worries.
Del Gallego, along with his parents, hopped from one hospital to another, hoping to get a more optimistic medical opinion. But no matter where they went, the verdict was the same: The leg had to go.
For someone who was into football and swimming seriously, playing in such tournaments as the Palarong Pambansa and the Go-for-Goal soccer program, losing a leg could have resulted in fits of depression.
“Fortunately, God gave me an open mind,†Del Gallego said. “That made me a little more mature than I should have been at that age.â€
‘God made me a goalie’
“I also found strength in people around me, my grandparents, my mom (Ma. Rowena), my wife Lourie Lei and kids, Joseph Andre and Owen Louis, and my aunt, Gigi Libby,†said the 5-foot-10 goalie.
That support, plus the fact that he was skilled enough to continue playing his favorite sport despite his condition, made life easier.
“Fortunately for me, I’ve always been a goalie,†he said. “Maybe God had plans back then. He made me a goalie so I just have to jump around and catch the ball, not run around and kick the ball.â€
Grandparents’ gift
He actually has a prosthetic leg, a gift from grandparents Cesar and Emma Vincoy. But he doesn’t use it during games.
“I may not be able to buy a new one,†he joked.
So he is left with his talent, and a little edge over others that his physical handicap gives him: Del Gallego admits that somehow, the sight of a one-legged goalie distracts opponents, allowing him to foil shots at the net better.
Next generation
His feat has spawned a new generation of soccer players in his family. His sons, aged 6 and 2, have taken up the sport, joining him in pick-up games on Saturday mornings.
“I don’t force them but they have shown interest in playing football,†he said.
Despite being a call center team, PeopleSupport gets to play in tournaments with serious competition. In fact, the team plays top collegiate and commercial squads in Cebu.
A different kind of game
PeopleSupport also sees action in futsal and 7-a-side football tournaments, which suit Del Gallego better because he has a smaller goal to defend.
In the game of football, defeats come with victories.
In the game of life, Del Gallego has proven himself a winner.
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