By Waylon Galvez
For the past three weeks, PBA players have used their social media pages as platform to encourage people to stay safe and healthy as the country continues to deal with Covid-19.
Their posts include calls to support the frontliners and the people in need of assistance especially food, appeal to ‘stay home’ so as not to be infected by the virus and – yes – examples of their respective training regimen at home to keep a physically fit body.
These workouts are not just for encouragements, but also for them to stay in shape once the league announces its return.
What about the coaches?
Well, almost all believe in a Greek saying ‘A sound mind is in a sound body’ – reason why PBA mentors do workouts too despite the Luzon-wide lockdown since a healthy body keeps their mind sharp.
The demands of preparing a team for the season opening Philippine Cup, which began exactly a month ago before it was halted, and the rigors of doing ‘game plan’ is stressful for a coach. Minus that stress, they continue to find ways to study, learn and improve on their craft.
TIM CONE
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
22-time champion coach
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.
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.
NORMAN BLACK
Meralco Bolts
11-time champion coach
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.
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 coach
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. Nanonood din ako ng mga games – NBA, FIBA, and iba pang liga abroad. I try to observe what they’re trying to do.
YENG GUIAO
NLEX Road Warriors
7-time champion coach
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.
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 coach
Of course araw araw nagwo-workout. Kasi kung maganda ang katawan, I mean physically fit, 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 hinagawa yung mga yun.
LOUIE ALAS
Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters
Coach
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 namin before, I’m sending them game 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.
