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MORE VIEWS ABOUT BASKETBALL There were several reactions to my column last Friday (A Big Boost For Collegiate Basketball). Let me share a discussion with someone who spent more than 30 years of his life immersed with the intricacies of the game. I'm referring to Coach Joe Lipa. Joe Lipa remains one of the more ardent personalities in Philippine basketball, relentless in his desire to improve the current state of the sport – for the sake of its players, coaches, referees, the Filipino fans and even the nation's glory. He can talk non-stop about the game, which is what exactly happened when we made a land trip together to one of those out-of-town meetings in connection with the launching of the Philippine Collegiate Championship, a nationwide tournament being organized by the Philippine Collegiate Champions League in partnership with BAP-SBP. While Joe appreciates the resolution of the FIBA sanction on the Basketball Association of the Philippines last year with the timely formation of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, and the subsequent merger with the BAP (hence, the SBP-BAP), a lot still needs to be done towards improving the state of basketball play in the country. First on Joe's agenda is the improved performance of the It goes without saying that those involved in Philippine basketball have expressed a desire to have many long-standing problems, some even so basic as availability of playing venues, to be resolved. For example, how long have the conflicts when forming a National Team been festering? Over the years, the tug of war over players, coaches and team staff between mother teams and the concerned national basketball body continues. Is this ever going to be resolved? Corollary to this, Joe feels that there is urgent need to rationalize the country's basketball calendar in synch with FIBA competitions. Conflicts continue to exist among member leagues' schedules, something that should not be a problem if only people would talk and set aside personal (or whatever) motives. The present regional directors' roles could also be enhanced, and their contribution to local basketball be evaluated in measurable terms. Most of these local guys are sincere and committed, and just need a unified and coordinated program. They also need help in terms of skirting political interests. Strengthen existing student leagues Joe and I are totally in agreement when it comes to strengthening grassroots leagues – and even expanding and adding more of them. One of the persisting problems is the uneven development of school leagues and school teams. Many schools are hardly able to form just one competitive team while some others have stables large enough to accommodate two, even three good teams. There is widespread migration of student players, contributing to the lopsided formation of teams in schools. Of course, schools with better resources are able to attract all the budding basketball athletes that they want, and this has proven to be a hindrance to creation of a competitive and healthy environment essential for proper development of players. Again, this is a problem that has been staring the face of our school sports administrators for the longest time, but has so far not found a champion who would find a suitable solution to the problem. With the high cost of maintaining a school basketball program, no wonder that many are not able to participate in more games, something that is extremely important in the continued strengthening of the teams. Commercial and professional leagues While the country now is able to count a growing number of active commercial leagues, i.e., the Philippine Basketball League, the Mindanao-Visayas Basketball league, Partners Cup, etc., the opportunity to further strengthen them through integration and cooperation should be seriously studied, observed Joe. On the professional level, very few people will disagree with the prevailing observation that the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) needs some serious adrenaline shots. Joe has this suggestion to explore the idea of an Asian-Pro basketball league, a concept first discussed in the ‘90s by American congressman Ralph Harding. Incidentally, FIBA-Asia has started in motion some projects leading to the creation of an Asian-Pro. This should help speed up another idea of Joe's – a player-exchange program with other Asian countries. We have become too dependent on expensive American imports that do not seem to be lifting the PBA hardcourt's playing sizzle. Don't forget the coaches and referees I am reserving my last paragraphs in today's column on the need to improve the mettle for our coaches and referees, something that Joe is infinitely more passionate about. He likes to repeat over and over again that there are many coaches but only a few can teach the game. Many Filipino coaches are influenced by Western basketball philosophies, something that is now becoming recognized as inappropriate largely because of the Filipino's difference in height and heft. We need to seriously develop our own mantra for successful basketball play given the physical attributes of our basketball players. Our coaches should be regarded as specialists in sports science with ample knowledge of human kinetics, particularly that of the Filipino body. Lastly, there is a big room for the improvement of basketball officiating, particularly in the grassroots level. There are so many officiating groups, with their own ways of interpreting and implementing FIBA rules. Again, this is something that could be easily resolved once the programs initiated by BAP-SBP aimed at upgrading the local referees' skills level are in full swing. All the above problems beg for attention. Our SBP-BAP leadership has its hands full and needs all the support from those who love the game; squabbling and divisiveness definitely will not help get the job done. Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center,
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