A manager is a title. Like CEO or president. It does not guarantee success.
But a coach is different. In my book, I don’t see it as a title. Coach is an action, not a title. And yes, actions will result in successes.
Many of you may disagree with me but that is how I put coaching as a career in a different mindset. Reason why I have high respect for coaches. I once coached for my school’s high school basketball team in a unit meet when I was a senior and I know how damn tough getting 12 players to play together as one.
I appreciated coaching in a different level when Butch Ramirez, yes the PSC chairman himself Butch Ramirez, coached the Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) team in a KBP-sponsored basketball tournament some years back. To be exact, at a time when Shaquille O’Neal was a young NBA center. I had for teammates, a spritely Moses Billacura, banger Lito delos Reyes and a young Jon Develos. Add to that the late Gene Boyd Lumawag who was like a brother to me. No surprise that when he gets into trouble at the court, I was at his back.
Coach Butch weaved his magic upon an oddly-mixed team of contrasting characters and skills–not to mention shape and fitness.
But Butch’s magic did work. He showed us what coaching means.
I am talking about coaching at this time because it so happens the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) in Region 11 or Davao Region will be bringing to town national team coach Jong Uichico for the Coaching Clinic Series of the SBP on April 27. This is a two-day camp which is the second tier from the one held last year as part of SBP11’s coaches development program. SBP 11 is of course headed by my good friend and kumpare Glenn “G1” Escandor, who happens to be President Rodrigo Duterte’s sports adviser. Pare G1’s go-to-guy is coach Ronel Leuterio who is overseeing the program.
It’s not everyday that you get the opportunity to upgrade your coaching skills in basketball so when you do, it’s a must-not-miss opportunity.
To make things even comfortable for local coaches, G1 decided to subsidize half of the participation fee to encourage more coaches to take part. God bless his heart, G1 is a leader of a different DNA.
With that, aspiring coaches as well as veterans polishing their knowledge should take advantage of this upgrade for P500 only. No need to travel to Manila and spend a fortune to get an upgrade. The SBP 11 has brought the camp here. That’s a huge bonus for everyone.
If you coaches out there wish to take a few steps close to success, this is it.
