Over 100 hopefuls take part in Sirlitz cage clinic

Over a hundred aspiring hoopsters joined the 2nd Sirlitz One-on-One Play Like a Pro summer basketball clinic, which started the other day at the Guadalupe Sports Complex.

Training camp director Edsel Vallena said although the enrollees dropped from more than 200 last year, he was still elated with the huge turnout of entries during the two-day registration.

Vallena said he understands the economic situation at the moment and that the others may have already enrolled to the other summer camps that started ahead of him.

Vallena is hopeful there will be late enrollees especially that he will be conducting a second batch of training in May.

Most of his students last year re-enrolled including the members of the Inter-Clinic champion. Some of them were even tapped to help him conduct the training to assist Rainwell Ramos, Joseph Guangko and Bal Lañohan.

A registration fee of P1,000 per student has been assessed inclusive of a reversible jersey and a basketball to be used during the one-month training.

The training camp is fully supported by sports patron Lito S. Gillamac Jr. The annual summer clinic is also sponsored by Motomania, a brainchild of Gillamac who is also the Tribu Sugbu co-team owner in the National Basketball Conference.

Vallena said Gillamac is always happy watching young kids learn the rudiments of the sport at a very young age.

Rather than a profit-making venture, it is more important for Gillamac to have students that is why they are only asking a very minimal fee.

For a more effective training, the participants are divided into two sessions-- the beginners class from 10 am to 12 noon and the advance from 1-3 pm.

After the one-month program, Gillamac will hand out awards to deserving students as well as distribute certificates of graduation to all the campers.