Basketball dreams
I have noticed something about sports in the Philippines. It may be just coincidence, but the most popular sports among Filipinos start with a “B”: basketball, billiards, boxing, and bowling. In three out of these four sports, a Filipino has made a global mark, and has already made it to legendary status. For billiards, there’s Efren “Bata” Reyes; mention boxing and the name of Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao will surely surface; and no one else represents excellence in bowling better than Paeng Nepomuceno.
Why no Filipino has made it to such heights in the sport of basketball is purely genetic. As a people, we don’t really have the “height gene,” so our players will naturally have a more difficult time matching up against taller opponents. We can probably match up in terms of athleticism and physical ability, but the taller player can reach farther, jump higher, and can take longer strides: all important factors in the game of basketball.
This is in no way taking a shot at our local cagers, it’s just observing the obvious. The NBA has seen short guys, too. Spud Webb, Muggsy Bogues, Earl Boykins and Nate Robinson are all pretty short — and skilled. But four guys in roughly three decades? That’s not a very good ratio.
Nevertheless, it is still a dream for many young Filipino boys to be a basketball player in the big leagues. What we lack in height, we definitely make up for with heart, and that’s something that can never be quantified by genetics or any other parameter. It is in this light that the Nokia National Basketball Training Center aims to make these dreams a reality. The NBTC has not only served to develop brilliant young achievers but has also raised more awareness for itself.
From last year’s 29 teams, the Nokia NBTC D-League kicked off its third year with a record of 108 participating teams funded and supported by Nokia and TAO Corporation under the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas. The rise in numbers is a direct reflection of the programs effectiveness, with more cities and more teams eager to be a part of Nokia’s basketball program. “This is a program that shows results. It’s not just empty promises. Based on the results last year, more cities were like ‘o, hindi pala ‘to gimmick, totoo pala,’” says Alex Compton, training director of the NBTC D-League.
The great thing about the NBTC D-League is that it teaches the fundamentals of the game. “The uniqueness of this league is that it is really focused on the training,” says Nokia Team Pilipinas U-16 Youth coach and NBTC D-League program director Eric Altamirano. “There is a singular program for all the teams. We know our physical limitations, so we want to scout for and produce players that have a high basketball I.Q. We’ve trained the coaches of each team all over the Philippines and given them instructional modules to follow so that in practices, their players are taught in the same way,” he continues. By erasing all thoughts of NBA style flash and concentrating more on teamwork and discipline, last year’s NBTC D-League team placed a controversial fourth in the FIBA Asia Under-16 Championship.
Ongoing are the D-League regional finals among participating cities, and the idea is that Nokia and the NBTC will extract the best players to join Nokia Team Pilipinas. The most deserving will have the honor of representing The Philippines in the next FIBA Asia Under-16 Championship.
Aside from learning the fundamentals of the game, the NBTC D-League also aims to convey more fundamental life values in its participants. For example, all the players have to be doing well in school: you flunk, you can’t play ball. Like any other sport, basketball has a lot of life lessons. The NBTC D-League hopes to foster these in its members. “More important than training them to win is building their character. Through this program, we aim to raise leaders and impart in them the values of discipline, teamwork, and excellence, among many others,” continues Coach Eric.
It is in this same viewpoint that Nokia is proud to be spearheading such a project aimed directly towards the youth. “This is a grassroots-level program that touches the youth through sports. It is a way of giving back to them and society by bringing forth pride and excitement and energy among these young people — our future leaders,” says Nokia Philippines General Manager Benoit Nalin. “It also helps us with our mission of ‘connecting people.’ With basketball, we connect the youth to the game they love and the skills they need to acquire. It’s a sport that carries a lot of great values like respect, fairness, and national pride. And I invite you all to have this national pride,” he adds.
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Watch out for the NBTC D-League Finals set to be in May of 2010. For more information about Nokia, its products, and its programs, visit www.nokia.com.ph
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E-mail me at enricomiguelsubido@yahoo.com.
