What’s your Christmas wish for sports development?
Davao City has been very blessed by a sea of talented athletes.
You can see that because for many years, many of our fellow Dabawenyos have been recruited to play for better leagues.
Either it is school-based or in the professional leagues.
With great thanks to our Davao coaches, past and present, who had the vision of training and preparing their players for bigger tournaments.
Just a few days back, the Davao City Recreation Center hosted the two-day Royal Mandaya Hotel Christmas Basketball Games.
The presence of top caliber players will inspire young up and coming pro basketeers in the hope that someday they can be like them. Naka ingon gyud sila ug Sana All.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas-XI regional director Glenn Escandor, with the help of Congressman Pulong Duterte and the City Sports Development Division have made the games possible to the delight of adoring fans.
All of those players, actually, came from the school-based sports development program.
Once the student-athlete enrolls, he becomes part of the varsity that follows a sports program designed to create ripples and eventually a big bang. Once they have made big waves, players will find themselves being approached by professional scouts and managers who have been tasked by the professional ball clubs to have them on board in the future.
This has been the cycle of life of an athlete. The schools, colleges and universities play the major roles.
The public sector, frankly, has played the minor role, except now that the National Academy of Sports has been established thanks to the signing of Republic Act No. 11470 on June 9, signed by Mayor Digong, the President then.
But it will take some time for the fruits to bear out of the NAS, a project started by Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, a sportsman, with the help of fellow legislators.
My wish this year is that there should be a stronger support to our local athletes and coaches.
That means better allowance for athletes and better salaries for coaches.
I remember when I was still teaching at Holy Cross, fellow teachers I know are very active in the union, seeking for the improvement of their compensation and benefits. I was not a full-time instructor, so all I have to do is just listen. This, I believe, should happen in the sports sector. In union, there is strength, right?
I would like to wish that the office of the school sports directors in Davao will have more money to support their athletes and coaches.
I fully understand that schools with small population cannot be at par with big schools, but at least for 2023, they will get an increase of their pay.
It is about time that our school sports directors should receive an increase in pay. Why? Because the cost of living has gone up!
With better pay, our Davao coaches will have full stomachs that will feed their brains that will allow them to think better in the development of their players. Truth is, a small part of their pay would always go to athletes who would lambing their coaches for snacks or food after the games. Sometimes, pati pamasahe pa!
As to the public sector, my wish is that they will establish better rapport with the sports community members, I am referring to those who develop their athletes and the sports media who can help in the promotion of sports. Sports media these days are no longer the usual mainstream but includes the online and social media workers.
A sports news dispatch if it is possible should be done in a daily basis to inform our sports development followers of the progress in sports.
There’s the Batang Pinoy National Games in Ilocos? Unsay balita sa mga Davao City athletes? Kinsa tung mga medal winners? What are the details?
Ana lang gud.
Mao na akong mga ginagmayng wish.
Malipayong pasko sa tanan!
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For comments, email mpb_sports@yahoo.com.
