The coaches get coached
by rick olivares
There is nothing like watching a
champion basketball coach (what more a bunch of them) at work. Having known
current San Beda head boss Jamike Jarin for a decade now, I have followed him
up close with his work with the Ateneo Blue Eaglets where he won a smattering
of championships then with the Ateneo Blue Eagles, Talk ‘N Text, and Meralco as
an assistant. Save for the Meralco Bolts, Jarin has been a part of many
champion teams from the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the TNT Tropang Texters.
I know of his mania for detail
and intricate plays; his demand for focus and awareness as well as a quick
understanding the game rather than being instinctive. To play in Jarin’s
system, one must be bright or be prepared to be in his doghouse.
This past season, beginning the
summer, I saw him build the Red Lions based on the style he espouses –
fast-paced, relentless, and multi-faceted.
There was this play that he ran
with a lot of cutting, ball movement, screens, sliding into one position after
another that had a lot of options that depended on what the defense gave them.
And the Red Lions ran it to near perfection with opposing teams mostly
confounded.
Seeing him teach this (via walk
through) to some 700 basketball coaches from all over the country during the
MVP Sports Foundation Coaches Convention from October 26-28 at the Filoil
Flying V Centre was fascinating and fun. It was so intricate with so many
things happening at the same time. Labyrinthine and at times, befuddling not
only for opponents and Red Lions alike.
I remember thinking during the
summer, “this is the work of a mad genius.” And I guess so did everyone else.
In an informal poll where I spoke
to 10 participants from different regions, every single one of them named
Jarin’s show and tell as the best of this sixth edition of the Coaches
Convention.
One coach, Rodel Camacho of Santa
Clarita International School in Iloilo and is in his third year of attendance, expressed
his thoughts: “I learned a lot from what Coach Jamike taught us. It is one
thing to see it on television and another to see how the play develops with the
walk-through. There is a lot of thinking and coaching to be done for this kind
of basketball and it is all good. And It’s good to learn from the best.”
That best also comprised of national
team manager Butch Antonio, Chiang Kai Shek College and Adamson High School coach
Goldwyn Monteverde, skills coach Kirk Collier, and Koy Banal. Monteverde has
led CKSC to an unparalleled era of success.
The Blue Dragons have become one
of the powerhouse high school teams in the past four years. Their alumni are
now top recruits playing in top programs in Metro Manila.
Banal has won titles with the Far
Eastern University Tamaraws and San Beda; one of the very few to have achieved
the feat.
While some might think that the
Coaches Convention is a showcase for Metro Manila-based basketball minds, that
isn’t the case.
Former Ateneo De Naga head coach
Noli Ayo’s program (he is now based in Davao) has been lauded and used as a
best practice that was cascaded amongst participants.
“One reason why we organized this
Coaches Convention is to not only transfer technology but to improve the
quality of basketball throughout the country,” said National Basketball
Training Director organizer Eric Altamirano. “And we’re seeing a lot of very
good programs come out across the country. In fact, (current La Salle and
former Letran head coach) Aldin Ayo came up through this program as well.”
The Coach Convention precedes the
Regional knockout phase for the 2016-17 season of the National Basketball
Training Center that culminates in the national championship this March.
“We’re continuously growing,”
pointed out NBTC Program Director Eric Altamirano. From what started out as 16
teams 11 years ago, has now expanded to over 700 high school squads from 62
cities. “Now we have a Division One and Division Two.”
The MVPSF Coaches Convention is
under the SM-NBTC Program and is recognized and sanctioned by the Samahang
Basketbol ng Pilipinas. The Coaches Convention jump starts the annual NBTC
season.
With the Alaska Aces |
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