COACH Jong Uichico hopes to elevate the level of coaching in the province with the Samahang Basketball ng Pipinas (SBP) coaches clinic.
Uichico, who heads the SBP Coaches Academy, was in Baguio City to facilitate the two day seminar at the University of Baguio where close to 60 local bench tacticians attended.
The seminar was open to all coaches, players, teachers and basketball enthusiasts who want to hone their craft and knowledge of coaching and the sport itself. Among those who have already registered are coaches from the youth-based leagues, schools, ballclubs, teachers and officials.
Uichico said the clinic is part of their investment in the development of coaches and enable them to raise the number of players that we will help improve exponentially.
“Developing our coaches on the grassroots allows SBP to help improve the quality of coaching in the provinces and hopefully become at par with those in Manila,” said Uichico.
Uichico added the objective of the clinic is to bring new coaching methodology closer to home adding coaches need not go to Manila to train but rather SBP will hold different clinics nationwide.
The curriculum includes basic fundamentals of coaching, from teaching simple to complex drills, up to the team concept perspective. Character-building and coaching philosophy are also given emphasis.
The SBP coaching academy is now on its fifth leg for this year in bringing its effort to improve games in the grassroots.
“This is our fifth staging this year and the 41st in the two years that we started doing the clinics,” said Uichico.
Uichico said that they are eyeing at least two coaches training in a month as they train coaches improve their basketball knowhow.
“It is difficult for them to go to Manila to improve their skills, so we go to them,” he added.
Uichico, head coach of the Bataan Risers in the Maharlika Professional Basketball League, said 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 the higher level. So simula muna sa level 1,” he added.
Uichico even said some coaches go abroad to improve their skills, like what he did that made him as 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 in Naypyidaw, Thailand in 2013.