Player poaching

Here we go again. Thanks to Jerie “Koko” Pingoy’s plan to transfer to the Ateneo de Manila University for college basketball, the UAAP has just approved a new rule requiring a player to serve a two-year residency before he can be eligible to play in the UAAP if he transfers from one UAAP high school to another school for college. The same rule will be applied to Ben Mbala who committed to play for De La Salle University after playing a year of college ball with Southwestern University. It’s a rule designed to prevent “player poaching” or “player pirating.” But will it work? Will it stop player poaching?

 On the local scene, basketball coaches always feel sore towards another school that manages to recruit its players. When a player from School A transfers to School B, School A’s coach will naturally feel bad and will charge School B’s coach for “unsportsmanlike behavior.” Common complaints heard are along the lines of “Wa man na mananghid namo,” or “Wa man mag pahibaw namo.” Here, it appears that School A coach feels he has some managerial rights over his player. But does he? Can he demand that School B coach ask permission from School A coach when a player transfer is involved? What legal hold does School A coach have over his player (who happens to be a minor)? The sad part is that this causes rifts and misunderstanding among coaches. Let’s face it. Unless a coach or a school has a legal hold on its players, everyone is a “free agent.” Moreover, a coach doesn’t own a player, and shouldn’t act as if his player were a commercial product for sale. Sad, but you’d be surprised to find out that this is at times a reality.

Amidst all this, there actually is a solution. It’s all about being pro-active instead of being reactive. School coaches must first establish a basketball (or any other sports) program that will provide a positive experience for his players and their families. We’re not even talking financial matters here. The coach must make his players love the program for which he plays. It’s all about producing a good brand, a good product that sells. When a player loves the program, he’ll stay on and won’t leave. And since school basketball isn’t only about sports, the school must also provide the positive experience for the student. The school must make a student’s life memorable and worthwhile. The litmus test here is when alumni proudly declare their loyalty or shout out where they finished school when they were younger. On the local level, you’ll hear a lot about proud Bosconians, the true blue Ateneo or Sacred Hearters, La Sallians / Animo La Salle, the proud Carolinians and more. Good examples here are the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila and De La Salle, schools that entertain thousands of freshman applications every year from all over the country. High school seniors make these their first choices due to what they’ve heard or know about the schools. This is the same experience that the school must offer to its student-athletes. Make them love the school for what it is and not just for sports. Having a good sports program also helps. After winning its fifth straight UAAP basketball title, the number of applications for incoming freshmen surged. The same is true for De La Salle. Due to its popularity as a school and a sports power, many high school seniors prefer to apply there. By simply being a good and respectable school, students will want to stay and not leave. Can our local schools do the same for its players? Quick survey: If given the choice and money was not an issue, where would you like to study college? If you’re a parent, where would you like your children to study college?

On the legal front -and this should be only a secondary or tertiary reason why a player would want to play for a school- the school can also put a hold on its players by signing them up to MOA’s or contracts if they provide them with athletic scholarships or financial assistance. Part of the clause would be the need for the player to stick with the school until he/she graduates in exchange for the scholarship. This will prevent other schools from recruiting the player. The contract is a public document that can be presented to School B coach if any attempt is made to recruit the player.

The two-year residency isn’t going to won’t work. I’m afraid that the UAAP hasn’t seen the bigger picture of some major factors. First, a lot of players will be marginalized. There are a lot of them and are not at the level of Koko Pingoy. If their own college doesn’t recruit them, where do they go? They’re stuck in the middle of nowhere. The other major factor is the fact that the UAAP isn’t the only show in town (even if it’s the best). High school prospects will now seriously look at playing in the NCAA, CESAFI or other leagues where they’ll be allowed to play right away. Another more major concern is the thought that the UAAP is now in a way dictating where one should go to college. Is this right?

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Time-out: To our dear friends at DPWH, the Mandaue reclamation area is still a mess of a traffic jam. And with nobody there working. Sad L >>> For the latest on the ThreeSixty Pharmacy Cup 2013, look up the page “ThreeSixty Pharmacy Cup” in Facebook.  >>> You can reach me at [email protected].