The absence of a coaching school in the Philippines prompted the Davao Association of Catholic Schools (DACS) to conduct its 2nd Davao Coaches’ Forum at the university’s Community Center for First Companions yesterday.
“Coaches, walang school of coaching dito sa Pilipinas. Dahil walang school of coaching, the scary part is we coach differently,” Ateneo de Davao University Athletics Dir. Noli Ayo said.
For this reason, he emphasized the importance of the correct kind of perspective every coach should be able to impart to his or her athlete in order to form holistic athletes with the right attitude.
“Ngayong araw na ito, iniimbitahan ko kayong buksan ng konti ang pananaw. Hindi lang buksan, iangat… Bago po tayo manalo, ang tanong po, anong klaseng pananaw ang dala naiyo? Kasi ‘pag mali po ang pananaw niyo, at manalo kayo nakakatakot kayong nananalo,” Ateneo de Davao University Athletics Dir. Noli Ayo said.
He challenged the coaches to continue learning and instill the value of continuous education to their players amidst years of experience in order to embrace various outlooks more freely.
“Buksan (ang pananaw), punuan. Buksan (ang pananaw), bawasan. Buksan, ihalo. Buksan, and hopefully, maging maayos,” he added.
Bato Balani Foundation-Many Faces of the Teacher 2014 Awardee and 2016 The Outstanding Women in Nation’s Service Awardee Sabrina Ongkiko grazed the event as a guest speaker, with her talk entitled ‘Ang Halaga ng Maayos at Mahusay na Pagtuturo: Ang Maging Tiyak Sa Gitna ng Libu-Libong Duda.’
“Kapag nagbibigay ka sa sport mo, sarili mo ang binibigay mo… Pinasa sayo, na pinapasa mo sa iba. Meron munang nagturo sayo bago mo ibinigay sa iba… At yun yung trabaho natin, di ba? Tagapasa. Ibig sabihan hindi ka marunong magmahal kung walang unang nagmahal sayo,” she said.
In her speech, she focused on four points: excellence, facilitating friendship, listening first, and teaching courage.
“Magaling ka kung kaya mong gawing magaling ang iba… Mahirap maging magaling, pero mas mahirap maging mabuti,” she added, stressing that coaches should teach their athletes to aim “to win at being human” before winning games.
She also encouraged coaches to promote friendships amidst the competitive environment of sports and listen to their athletes more often.
“We have to get to the core of why they believe something son strongly. May mga hawak yung paniniwala. May mga hugot yan,” she said.
Aside from that, she highlighted that coaches should be able to teach their athletes “the right kind of courage cultivated from love” and “the courage to lose gracefully.”
“Not blind courage but courage that came after assessing other’s and one’s beliefs… Alam natin kung paano manalo pero hindi lahat at hindi palagi, alam kung paano matalo,” she said.
Lastly, she highlighted the role of the coaches that transcends more than what is deemed necessary for the game.
“Sa buhay nila, merong isang tao na naniwala sa kanilang kakayahan na nagdevelop sa kanilang potensyal. You trained them to be better. You trained them to believe in themselves. You witnessed their failures and their successes… Manalo man sila o hindi, parte ka ng buhay nila,” she stressed.
On the other hand, coaches from different schools shared their input after Ongkiko’s speech.
“Nagcoach ako kasi gusto kong magturo, Nagtuturo ako kasi gusto kong matuto,” Assumption College of Nabunturan Sepak Takraw Coach JJ Credo said.
University of Immaculate Conception Coach Aladin Saldua pushed the need “to teach coach character” to schools in the Philippines.
“We have to be self-aware to the things that have been passed on to us,” AdDU Athletics Special Project Coordinator Celina Simone Jaldon said.
The forum included talks, group discussions, group dynamics and planning for a stronger collaboration, transformation and communion in DACS.
DACS is an association of private Catholic schools, colleges and universities in Davao Region including Davao City, Digos City, Tagum City, Mati and Compostela Valley Province as the regional arm for Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines-Region XI.