PBA: It’s all in the mind

 

By WAYLON GALVEZ

For the past three weeks, PBA players have used their social media pages as a platform to encourage people to stay safe and healthy as the country continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their posts include calls for support to frontliners and people in need of assistance especially food, appeal for people to remain in their homes and show their respective training regimens to stay in shape.

These workouts are not just encouragements, but also a way to be ready once the league announces its return.

What about the coaches?

Well, almost all believe in the Greek saying that “A sound mind is in a sound body,” reason why PBA mentors do their own workouts despite the Luzon-wide lockdown.

The demands of preparing a team for the Philippine Cup, which began a month ago before it was halted, and the rigors of doing game plans is welcome stress to a coach. Minus the challenging stuff – scrimmages, scouting, strategizing, viewing films, brainstorming with assistants – coaches have to work overtime to fill up gaps.

Here are six coaches and their routine during this lethargic period:

 

 

TIM CONE

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel

22-time champion

I really try to stay busy and keep my mind and body active. I spend most of the mornings working on a couple of writing projects while taking a short break to do a light workout.

Every other day or so, I’ll make time for an hour to call my daughter or son in the States on Viber to check on how they’re doing. My son is in San Francisco, while my daughter is in Washington, D.C.

Then after lunch, I make it a habit to watch and break down one NBA game in replay, picking out a team that I want to investigate – how they handle the pick and roll defense, how they transition into their offense, what are their multiple actions, their out-of-bound plays, etc., and I store it for later use and study. I also have a couple of Twitter basketball sites that I visit, and I have watched one of the free on-line seminars.

In the early afternoon, I spend a little more time working out – jump roping, band-work, etc. Then at 4:30, I work with my son in our small shooting court. He’s 14 and nearly 6-foot tall, so he has a chance to be a player. We work mostly on form shooting and balance and occasionally on ball handling.

Then, in the evening after dinner, I read fiction or sometimes listen to John Maxwell leadership audiotapes. Before drifting off to sleep, I’ll watch a little TV with my wife.

The very important moments of the day, though, are the lunches and dinners I have with my wife and son.

 

NORMAN BLACK

Meralco Bolts

11-time champion

I’ve been watching lots of YouTube games, NBA games and even old PBA games they’ve been showing on PBA Rush. I’m just like everybody else, just basically trying to keep myself busy.

I try to look at a lot of films, which is actually just a normal thing – because that’s part of the job being a coach. We always watch tapes, try to learn, try to pick up new things. Luckily for us we have the Internet, where we can pick up new ideas.

I also keep in touch with the players, I keep on reminding them ‘stay in shape’ as best as they can. Engage themselves in some type of activities at home. I told them to keep track on their weight – less playing time if they gain weight.

For me, I didn’t gain weight. As you know, I’m a physical fitness fanatic, even without the lockdown, I workout six days a week.

 

LEO AUSTRIA

San Miguel Beer

8-time champion 

The moment na sinabi sa amin ng PBA na cancel muna pati ensayo, naisip ko na at least two weeks or probably a month bakante tayo.

Talagang ako I really gave time to my health. You know naman na in the past five years halos nasa championship kami every conference, yung expectations sa amin of winning a title nanjaan palagi. So in the past five years nanjan yung stress. Wala halos pahinga. Ngayon, I devoted it sa rest, eating the right food and exercise.

But of course, I’m always thinking about our game plans. Ngayon mas madaling magisip kasi refresh and recharge e. Iniisip ko na now ano ang mga gagawin kapag balik ensayo na kami.

Ako binabalikan ko yung last game namin when we won against Magnolia to start our Philippine Cup campaign. We’re inspired kasi with that victory. Alam mo naman wala si June Mar Fajardo, but we were able to win.

Ano yung mga ginawa namin na maganda in that game, and what are the things that needs to be polished.

I personally call my players, reminding them to maintain their condition by doing lost of things on their training and to stay focused. Hindi rin kasi natin alam kelan ang balik ng PBA. So kapag sinabing balik na, ready kami.

Of course yung first five years ko sa team, yung eight championships namin it’s always in my mind – kumbaga fresh pa lahat sa akin yan. Kaya kung ano yung mga bagay na nakatulong sa amin para manalo, lahat yan iniisip ko ang kasama sa preparation for every game.

Nanonood din ako ng mga games – NBA, FIBA, and iba pang liga abroad. I try to observe what they’re trying to do.

Ang kaibahan lang ngayon talaga is yung stress, yung pressure nawala ng konti – kasi wala kang iisipin na game tomorrow. After two weeks, parang nabawasan nga yung ‘putting’ buhok ko.

 

YENG GUIAO

NLEX Road Warriors

7-time champion

Sa kakapanood ko ngayon ng YouTube, binabalikan ko yung mga games nung last World Cup. Hindi lang mga laro natin, pinapanood ko din yung ibang mga games like Argentina-France.

Dahil nga wala basketball sa TV (live)… or NBA, pinapanood ko din yung mga matches ng teams sa Europe, yun ang mga pinapanood ko. Ang daming napupulot, so parang lalo nadagdagan yung knowledge, it stirs your creativity.

Ang dami pa palang improvement and concepts, ang daming materials and maraming mapupulot pa. Sa tagal ko na na I’ve been coaching, parang iniisip mo nalaman mo na lahat.

Pero maski alam mo na yung isang bagay, there are other ways pa din yung mga ibang coaches in doing it. So puwede mong magamit, kaya now parang gusto mo na agad makabalik uli and magamit sa ensayo.

I think one way to cope in this situation, now that we are all in community quarantine, it’s not just we actively stay physically fit but mentally. So for me, that’s what I’ve been doing now in this situation.

I try to stay both mentally and physically active.

 

CHITO VICTOLERO

Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok

1-time champion

Of course araw araw nagwo-workout. Kasi kung maganda ang katawan, I mean kapag physically fit ka, makakapag-isip ka ng maayos.

Medyo nakapahinga and na refresh din ngayon habang naka quarantine tayo.

Maisip mo yung gusto mo ma-achieve or gusto mo maalis sa system. Madami ka actually na naiisip now na situational when it comes to the game. After workout, saka ko ginagawa yung mga yun.

Pinapanood ko yung mga dating games namin, and then I take notes. Ako binabalikan ko yung mga games namin last year, or noong 2018. Papanoorin ko tapos analyze.

May mga tapes ako na dinala dito sa Bulacan (Sta. Maria) and after ko panoorin yun, after ko ma-review, pinagaaralan ko ano mga positives, ano pwede maimprove para sa campaign namin this season, lalo ngayong Philippine Cup.

 

LOUIE ALAS

Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters

Madalas na tinatawagan ko yung mga assistant coaches ko, team doctors. Tinatanong ko sila palagi about the condition of the players. Of course, health wise and yung physical condition nila kasi hindi natin alam kelan ang balik ng PBA, so ready dapat lahat.

Halos everyday din ako mismo tinatawagn ko yung mga players ko and kinukumusta ko sila and their families. Siyempre iba yung panahon ngayon with the health crisis we’re facing now.

Actually pati ball boys kinukumusta ko din, tinatanong ko sila about their health… kasi pagbalik namin sa ensayo dapat pati sila ok din. Pinaghahandaan na din namin yung pagbabalik ng PBA, kaya sabi ko sa players tuloy-tuloy lang ang training sa bahay – at least ready kami.

I’m in touch with the trainers and players. Ang tingin ko kasi diyan, dapat kapag sabihin ng PBA na bukas or next week laro na, ready kami. Hindi yung parang back to zero ka.

For me, ang nabago lang sa ngayon – as a coach – yung lockdown. But as far as the things that I’m doing together with the coaching staff, ganun pa din naman and wala naman halos nabago.

Kagaya ng mga ginagawa naming before, I’m sending them clips (through email) that they’ll breakdown and edit, and then ibabalik nila sa akin with notes. Well, mas dumami lang ngayon yung pinadadala ko sa kanila.

Ang hindi lang talaga nagagawa ngayon is maglaro ng basketball, pero kung ano iyung mga bagay na ginagawa namin as coaches, ganun pa din naman. Trabaho pa din kami as coaches.

Source: Manila Bulletin