Dear parents and cagers,
On Sunday were the various division championships of the Metro Manila basketball leagues. The elimination round of the juniors competition of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) just wrapped up with the Final Four scheduled this coming Friday. The National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) National Championships (for high school) are just around the corner.
The latter is actually the culmination of high-school basketball competition. And after that, the graduating players will try their luck with college programs while others will just look to hang up their competitive high tops and just study. Assuming they study.
And that bring me to the meat of this letter.
By now you know that basketball in all levels of this country is highly competitive. Agents will want to handle you. Programs will recruit you and promise you a lot of things—whether financial or otherwise; even both. You start to daydream—wearing the jersey of this fabled team, playing in the UAAP or the National Collegiate Athletic Association, in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), Gilas…the lure of fame, money, stability, and well, the pinnacle of the local basketball world is huge.
A word of caution though…
Choose a school because it is the right one for your son or daughter.
And that they will get a diploma (I cannot stress enough that your kid must have brains between their two ears).
The higher you go, the smaller the basketball pyramid gets. It shrinks and it becomes even more competitive.
Choose a school, too, because you child will learn something, too. And the coach is someone that is admirable, can be a father-figure to the kid, and has a good reputation. Just because one played in the PBA doesn’t mean he is a good coach. Being a good player doesn’t automatically mean one is a good coach. Not at all. Ask for the reputation. Ask around. Does this guy have skeletons in his closet? You know—benta, nanguupak ng player (yes, these people exist), playing time depends if you sign up with him as your kid’s manager? And so on.
And coaching? It isn’t merely Xs and Os. Can he properly guide your child?
Ask the coach and the manager that should your son be cut (and his future as a basketball player is in doubt), can he finish his schooling? Ask that. If they say yes, get them to commit that on a contract because a great many college programs cut their players some in the middle of the school year and take away the scholarship. And even if your kid goes to class and has decent grades, they remove you. They do not believe in nonperforming assets. Listen, most schools recruit kids as athletes and not student-athletes.
Make sure that the agreement is written down. Record your meetings but make sure they know you are recording them. So there is no, he said, she said. And listen…handshakes don’t mean much to many people. It is fake etiquette. If it is on paper, you can sue the bastard.
And speaking of coaches, find out if this coach is walking on thin ice? Does he have a winning or losing record? If they haven’t been winning, he might get the boot. And if you go there and he gets the boot, there is a possibility that you might lose your place on the team, because the new guy might want to bring in his own players.
Some of you will agree because they offer signing bonuses. I get you. You don’t have a lot of money and you could sure use it.
Now some, will be realistic. They will say, we can place your son on our Team B kung saan magpapahinog. Some programs recruit heavily all-year round. So factor that in. What are his chances of moving up? Is it guaranteed?
Some of you will see peso signs when you see your child. Let me tell you now that might work sometimes when you peddle your child as a commodity. But many a player have seen their careers get sidetracked because of the parents.
This is a tough balancing act. It is. This is a bad and crazy world we live in. Just because it is the way of the world, it doesn’t mean that we hold on to what we hold dear. Unless you worship money.
Having said all this, you know, I love it when players like Jorey Napoles and Ranidel de Ocampo—to name a few—get into the PBA. They played in small schools and even smaller leagues. But they made it. Now that chance isn’t always given to all. But there is a chance.
I think what is important is that one plays commercial ball after his college days are done—para magpakilala.
So take your time. Listen to everyone. Look at everything. Study and do your research so you can send your kid somewhere where he can maximize the opportunities available to him.
These are the cold, hard facts. Now listen and be smart. Because if not, you’ll be faced be the harsh reality that college sports aren’t college sports anymore. Hell, amateurism died a long time ago. It’s cutthroat. It’s like a professional league and you’re in division two. Welcome to the new reality.