Photo courtesy of www.rpyouth.com
The Philippines’ decades of futility in international basketball competitions may soon be a thing of the past.
For one, veteran professional head coach Eric Altamirano has been at the helm of the RP Nokia-Under 16 men’s squad, which just a few days back finished a respectable fourth place in the FIBA-Asia Under-16 Men’s cage championships in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Composed of the country’s next big names in basketball, Altamirano was able to bring the best out of these youngsters, who played their guts out in matching up against the bulkier and more physically mature opponents from countries like eventual champion China, Iran, South Korea, among others.
But here’s what makes my heart leap for the future of RP youth basketball: Altamirano is a Christian, who walks the talk and shies away from politics.
In the 2007 and 2008 Nike Elite Camp, where I was blessed to be part of as one of the camp chaplains, I was able to see first hand his passion to blend in skills development with godly values throughout the week-long cage camp held in Brent International School in Mamplasan, Laguna.
Every night in the camp, Altamirano includes an hour-long valued-formation session called Life Talk with these kids age 14-18 years old as we discuss principles on discipline, hard work, vision, etc. and how they could live these out as student-athletes.
Altamirano’s able partner in the camp is Alex Compton, another Christian, who is as passionate as coach Eric because together, they desire to contribute immensely in the renaissance of basketball and its eventual return to the global map.
Altamirano is not new to basketball’s challenges—having been a part of the national youth team in 1986 with the likes of PBA greats Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim, Jerry Codinera where the Filipinos finished with a bronze medal in the Asian Games in Seoul, South Korea.
After spending several years in the PBA with teams like Alaska and Shell, he became part of the Purefoods coaching staff of then head coach Chot Reyes.
In 1996, he was named head coach of the UP Fighting Maroons, leading the team to a Final Four appearance after several fruitless campaigns.
In 1997, his first try as head coach in the PBA, he led Purefoods to a league title after beating Gordon’s Gin in the All-Filipino Cup.
His resume of basketball success is long if we are to mention it all.
Meantime, Compton attended Victory U-Belt’s youth service last Friday with his fiancée and Cameroon national by the name of Jean, who will be playing for the NU Bulldogs in the UAAP in the future.
Compton said his recent resignation from his assistant coaching post with Rain or Shine was a decision he made in order to concentrate on his role in helping develop the national youth basketball program.
The Philippines is blessed to have two of the game’s best coaches to prepare and lay down a solid foundation in the national team.
I’m excited to see basketball players in the future who are not just playing on pure talent but with godly values as well.