LEARN FROM THE BEST. Former San Miguel coach and nine-time Philippine Basketball Association winning coach Jong Uichico "comes to the grassroots" to teach the basics of coaching in the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) coaches clinic on Saturday and Sunday at the University of Baguio gym. This is the fifth edition of the coaching clinic by the Samahang Basketbolista ng Pilipinas. (PNA photo by Pigeon Lobien)
BAGUIO CITY – The Samahang Basketbolista ng Pilipinas (SBP) goes full throttle to improve games in the grassroots as the 5th SBP coaching clinic will be staged at the University of Baguio (UB) gym on Saturday and Sunday (March 7-8).
“This is our fifth staging this year and the 41st in the two years that we started doing the clinics,” said coach Jong Uichico, head of the SBP coaches academy on Friday night at the Luisa’s Cafe.
Uichico said they are eyeing at least two coaches training in a month as they train them to improve their basketball know-how.
“It is difficult for them to go to Manila to improve their skills, so we go to them,” he told sports scribes here as his group of coaches expect about 60-70 participants in the two-day level 1 coaching clinic.
Uichico, head coach of the Bataan Risers in the Maharlika Professional Basketball League, said that there are three levels in the coaching clinic with level 1 as basic.
“We want them to learn the basics first before they go to a higher level. So simula muna sa level 1 (So we start with level 1),” he said.
Uichico hopes that with the training, coaches can improve their skill to be at par with those in Manila.
“Malayo ang agwat and it’s not easy to go to Manila to undergo training (the skill level difference is big),” he said, adding that it will be costly for the coach.
He even said some coaches go abroad to improve their skills, like what he did that made him one of the most decorated Filipino coaches.
Uichico has nine Philippine Basketball Association crowns under his belt and was named twice as coach of the year (2000 and 2007) and a two time PBA All-Star head coach (2001 and 2007).
He was a member of the FIBA Asia Under 18 team that won the gold in 1982 and the head coach of the Philippine team that won the gold in the 2013 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) in Naypyidaw, Thailand in 2013. (PNA)
