It’s not that it is not a priority, but we understand that there are more pressing matters for the Aquino administration to resolve, not only poverty but the factors that are aiding it. Personally, I believe that education, not merely the diploma, is the way out of poverty.

But one thing I should point out to the administration is the renewed focus on physical education. I’ve read somewhere that PE classes are now only reduced to 30 minutes in a week.

This is troubling not only because this is far lower than what is the norm during our time.

Without video games, kids during our time have time to exercise, knowingly or unknowingly, by playing any local sport with friends or simply walking around the neighborhood. So whether or not we had less or more PE time is not really a problem.

With the lack of parks and the security in question nowadays, kids would rather stay at home. We would have to notice some kids who are now obese, mainly due to poor eating habits but also the lack of exercise.

I am not sure if the Department of Education now under secretary Bro. Armin Luistro will be in a better position to reinvigorate physical education when the focus should be the three Rs (Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic) or the skills needed to create a responsible citizenry.

But we would have to take into consideration that physical education is also needed to make sure that the citizenry functions to the best of abilities and potential without the hindrance of poor health or incapacity coming in. Simply investing in physical education might eradicate bad habits that affect health and possibly drive down health costs for the government in the near future.

If not the DepEd, should the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) take the lead? As we all know, the PSC is more into athletes who are trained to compete in international competitions. And I am not sure, that if the PSC will have money to fund other activities like PE other than what the law mandated it to do so.

Probably, the local government units would be in the better position to handle and impose physical education.

But LGUs should not only focus on competitive sports like basketball but also expand the range to other sports, for those who are not physically able or comfortable to play a certain sport. It does not really matter if you play basketball or not, but as long as you indulge in physical activities that improve your physical and mental wellbeing.

Comments would usually concern these things and here are usually the answers to be considered before jumping into conclusions:

1) Why wasn’t this or that player utilized for the game? –There are so many answers to this question. Fact is, we only get a part of the picture. It is possible that the player has an injury and it would be more prudent not to use him for the game after gauging the game and prospects for the team at the long run. It could also be possible that the player was not practicing hard enough and even if he is the star of the team, the coach has to make the decision to bench the player and give the minutes to a much more deserving player.

2) Why is this player getting more minutes than the other?—There are also a lot of answers to this one. It is possible that the coach is keeping the team fresh by shuffling his players based on a pre-game plan. It is also possible that based on the said team plan concerning an opponent, this or that player would get more minutes based on the matchups. Or simply which players would give the team the advantage offensively or defensively at any given game.

3) Related to No. 2, a coach may opt to utilize combinations that are normally not standard. We have seen teams use three or four big guards (particularly when the guards involved are big enough and fast enough to fill to other spots, thus giving the team the advantage when the coach wants to speed up the game and take advantage in transition). Same with a coach who uses several big men who can both play outside and inside with the same motive.

4) Why is the team running instead or using halfcourt offense? It is possible that the coach feels that the team has the advantage of getting easy points in transition although this depends on defensive rebounds and how fast the pointguard can bring the ball downcourt even before the opponents defense is set up. There are cases that when the action gets too helter-skelter that the pointguard needs to call a play to set things in order.

5) Why is this player getting the ball more often? Let us realize that there are go-to-guys in the team and then there are those who fill in roles. Very rarely is a team made up of offensive players and if this much if true, then a lot of egos would have be smoothened in terms who gets the most number of touches. Some coaches depend on rhythm and once they see a player practically catch fire and find this sustainable, then the ball should be in his hands by all means necessary.

6) Zone, man-to-man, man-zone, etc.? A coach can opt for zone if he feels that this could curtail an opponent’s inside game by concentrating the most personnel at the shaded lane. But playing strict zone can also be a gamble if the opponent can shoot the ball from the outside. Some teams opt to trap after every basket and every freethrow made. It is a case to case basis on how the coach sees where the bigger defensive advantage would lie at any given time.

Some self-styled basketball experts may comment all they want from the comfort of their ringside seats, but it is really different once you are the one making all the decisions at the bench. Faced with so many details (particularly with the game on the line), a coach has to give importance to the things that he feels are the most important.

Winning the provincial crown was B-MEG Expert Cebu while Smart-Manila annexed the National Capital Region crown in contrasting fashions with B-MEG winning by nine points (75-66) and Smart-Manila utilizing its immense firepower in whipping Xavier School-San Juan, 92-53.

With these victories this corner also says kudos to the winners of individual awards, namely James Regalado of Cebu who was named Most Outstanding Player and Rhonnel Lastimosa, who was named Burlington Most Promising Player.

Also making it to the mythical five in the provincial side Lomell Loyola and Tristan Perez of Smart-Olongapo, B-MEG Cebu’s Edcor Marata and Kiervin Revadavia of Trace College-Laguna.

In the NCR division, Baser Amer of Smart Manila was named Most Outstanding Player while the Burlington Most Promising Player and the Sportsmanship Award went to Timothy Dumas of Magnolia Paranaque and Bryan Tan of San Juan, respectively.

Comprising the mythical team are Xavier School’s Jeron Teng, B-MEG Integra Manila’s Mark Cruz, Tolomia, Mark Ollano of Magnolia Paranaque and Smart Manila’s Alfonzo Gotladera.

Although this corner may praise the said teams for keeping up with the spirit of the Nokia NBTC D-League, which is to produce leaders and not merely basketball players. This could also be said of the rest of the field, even those teams which did not make it as far the regional finals.

As this writer reiterates over and over again, the focus may be the winners but this does not veer away from the purpose of the Nokia NBTC D-League existence and mode of training.

For sure, with the varsity basketball season coming up, these same players and coaches from the different city and provincial teams will be doing their other teams a favor by passing on the basketball knowledge earned during the five-month training.

The core activity of the Nokia NBTC D-League is the unified training for all teams. These focus on fundamentals which will benefit both the team and the individual capacities of the players themselves.

The coaches, too, will be able to pass on the knowledge they learned from the seminars and the actual implementation of the coaching methods during actual games.

It may be too early to gauge the results of the program that was done with the blessings of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, but most the likely the results will spring up positively in the coming years.

For making this league’s season a success, we thank sponsors like Nokia Philippines, TAO Corporation, San Miguel Pure Foods Company, Smart Communications and Burlington. We pray that more private sector sponsors would come forward to make Philippine basketball a rousing success anew.

Xavier School
July 19 to September 12
Monday & Thursday
4:00-6:00pm

Clubsixfifty, Libis
July 23 to September 12
Friday 5:00-7:00pm
Saturday 10:00-12:00nn

The Zone, Makati & San Beda College Alabang
July 24 to September 12
Saturday & Sunday
10:00-12:00nn

RATES:
P8,500 for 16 sessions (twice a week) inclusive of one (1) set uniform
P5,000 for 8 sessions (once a week) inclusive of jersey only

For more info, call 631 1195 / 668 4347, text 0908 884 6947, email info@coach-e.com

“Making EXCELLENCE a HABIT”

COACH E BASKETBALL SCHOOL

SUMMER MODULE

XAVIER SCHOOL, SAN JUAN

April 5 - April 26, 2010

Monday - Wednesday - Friday

8:00-10:00am (7 years old and below AND 12 years old and above)

10:00-12:00nn (for 8-11 years old)

SAN BEDA COLLEGE ALABANG

THE ZONE MAKATI

*MARIA MONTESSORI, MERVILLE*

April 6 – April 25, 2010

Tuesday - Thursday - Saturday

10:00-12:00nn

Fee:

P6,500 for 10 sessions (inclusive of 1 set uniform)

*FOR MARIA MONTESSORI, please inquire rate at (632) 828-7156/58*

For inquiries, you may contact us at 668 4347 or 0908 884 6947 or email us at info@coach-e.com.

FEES:

P8,500 for 16 sessions or twice a week (inclusive of 1 set uniform)

P5,000 for 8 sessions or once a week (inclusive of cut-off shirt)

For inquiries, you may contact us at 631 1195 or 0908 884 6947 or email us at info@coach-e.com

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

In the wake of this tragedy, Coach E basketball school has decided to move our opening of the second module to give time for all of us to recover from “Ondoy”. Our original opening was slated to start on October 12, and we decided to move it to the week of November 5 (see full schedule below). The module will have the same personalized intense basketball training and the one day tournament at the end of the module which will be on December 6.

Aside from that, we have also shortened the module from 16 sessions to 10 only at a discounted price of 6500 pesos only, with part of the tuition going to the victims of typhoon “Ondoy.”

We hope we could see you in our special second module of the Coach E Basketball School. If you have any questions or inquiries, please do not hesitate to call 6311195 or text us at 09088846947.

Thank you very much and stay safe. God bless the Philippines.

Sincerely,

Xavy Nunag

President

Eric Altamirano

Founder

COACH E BASKETBALL SCHOOL MODULE 2

XAVIER SCHOOL, SAN JUAN November 5 – December 6, 2009 Monday and Thursday 4:00-6:00pm

CLUBSIXFIFTY, LIBIS November 6 – December 6, 2009 Friday 5:00-7:00pm Saturday 10:00-12:00nn

THE ZONE, MAKATI November 7 – December 6, 2009 Saturday and Sunday 10:00-12:00nn

SAN BEDA COLLEGE ALABANG November 7 – December 6, 2009 Saturday and Sunday 10:00-12:00nn

FEES: 

P8,500 for 16 sessions or twice a week (inclusive of 1 set uniform)

P5,000 for 8 sessions or once a week (inclusive of shirt only)

For inquiries, you may contact us at 631 1195 or 0908 884 6947 or email us at info@coach-e.com

Registration will be one the first day of classes, July 21 (Tuesday), 4:30pm. Fees are P8,500 for 16 sessions (or twice a week) which includes one set uniform (shirt and shorts).  There is also an option of enrolling once a week, 8 sessions, P5,000 which includes shirt only.

For more inquiries, please contact us at 02 631 1195 or 0921 756 2639 or email us at info@coach-e.com during office hours, Monday-Friday, 9:00-5:00pm.

Location Map for STI (click here): http://sti.edu/images%5Cmap%5Cmanila%5Cglobal_map.jpg