For Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao, true beauty lies in the messiness itself.
This philosophy extends to basketball as well. During his one-hour session at the Milcu Sports Got Skills Basketball Coaching Clinic on March 30, the seasoned PBA champion coach discussed the importance of primary and secondary breaks, along with managing mistakes on the court.
With years of experience as a professional tactician, Guiao understands that perfection isn’t always achievable. And for him, that’s perfectly fine.
“It’s part of the learning process e. You cannot really execute perfectly for most of the time. I think the beauty is in the messiness itself, being able to cope with the imperfections na hindi mo talaga mape-perfect ‘yung executions mo but at the same time, that’s where the challenge is,” the 66-year-old Guiao said at the Greenhills West Clubhouse.
“So we have to embrace that, we have to accept that the team that wins is the team that manages their messiness better.”
Guiao brings a wealth of experience in the PBA and the national team after having called the shots for multiple club teams like Red Bull, Air21, NLEX, and Rain or Shine. He found most of his success with Red Bull, which he led to three PBA titles from 2001 to 2006.
He also steered the Elasto Painters to a pair of championships in the 2012 Governors’ Cup and 2016 Commissioner’s Cup. Currently, he’s back at the ROS’ helm and is leading a youth-driven revolution, featuring rising players like Adrian Nocum, Andrei Caracut, Anton Asistio, and Gian Mamuyac.
Guiao had also taken the reins for Gilas Pilipinas, guiding the nationals during the 2019 FIBA World Cup in Spain.
Despite his vast experience, Guiao understands that perfection is often impossible.
“Gusto ko lang ma-emphasize ‘yun kanina kasi everyone’s really looking for the perfect execution, but that can only happen very few times,” he added.
“For the most part, it’s going to be imperfect, messy, or you will make mistakes. But the key to winning is really managing those mistakes.”
And Guiao urges both aspiring coaches and those with years of experience to impart the right principles to the younger generation.
“I try to participate in (coaching clinics) as much as I can with the limitation in my time because I know mga Filipinos, they love the game and even if they’re not coaching, you can appreciate the game better if you understand how to coach,” he said.
“So ma-e-enjoy mo ‘yung laro and even better if you’re able to coach maybe a community team, a ballclub, or even just your kids. To me, even sa gano’ng level, tama ‘yung itinuturo natin.”
