CYBL Vismin Games

Cebu Youth Basketball shifts into high gear this week with the staging of the Cebu Youth Basketball League (CYBL) Vismin Goodwill Games 2012. After five years of playing games among Cebu-based school teams, the CYBL spreads its wings further when it brings in teams from Davao, Bacolod and Iloilo for a series of goodwill games this week. The games kick off tomorrow at the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Campus in Canduman in Mandaue City. Before anything else, as a disclaimer, we’ll have to state that we’re directly involved with the organizing of the tournament as a sportsman and supporter of grassroots youth basketball.

Coming in from Davao are the SBP teams of Ateneo de Davao and Assumption College of Davao and the Assumption’s Passerelle team. Joining them from Iloilo is the SBP team of Ateneo de Iloilo. Bacolod’s St. John’s Institute is making a second straight trip to the Goodwill Games after visiting Cebu last year in a prelude of this year’s games. The SBP line-up of teams for the Goodwill Games will see Cebu’s SHS-Ateneo de Cebu, Cebu Eastern College, University of San Carlos and Don Bosco face off against Ateneo de Davao, Ateneo de Iloilo, St. John’s of Bacolod and Assumption College of Davao. On a smaller scale, five Passerelle (Under 15) teams will also have their own series of friendlies with Assumption College of Davao as the lone visiting team. Cebu will be bannered by SHS-Ateneo, USC, CEC and Don Bosco. We’ll thus have 13 youth-based teams ending their summer with a tournament that hopes to help them prepare for the upcoming hoops wars this schoolyear. For the first time in Cebu youth basketball history, top teams from the Vismin get together for a series of friendlies with the over-all goal of strengthening the region in terms of competitiveness. We’re already left behind by Manila and there’s a need to catch up fast. And the best way to do it is through more games.

At this point, it’s no longer a case of wanting to know who’s the strongest in the Vismin. It won’t serve our common purpose if that’s what we do. We’re just out to strengthen all the Vismin teams so that the region as a whole can compete with Manila. The games will not be for any prestigious title or crown. We’ll leave that goal for the likes of the Milo-backed BEST SBP Passerelle Tournament, the CVIRAA, Palaro and the CESAFI. What we lack are more games that help us attain our goals of winning the big tournaments, whether here or elsewhere. More games mean more exposure, more experience, more maturity and a chance to develop one’s confidence. I’d like to believe that Cebu’s experience in the Under 16 and Passerelle ages is proving that it’s working. With healthy competition, SHS-Ateneo de Cebu is now being seriously threatened by the University of the Visayas. While the Magis Eagles won its second straight Passerelle national championship of the BEST SBP Passerelle tournament, UV took the SBP National U16 and Coca Cola PBA Cebu and Visayas Regional titles. The Baby Lancers are currently in Manila to participate in the ongoing national finals of the Coca Cola PBA tilt. And where was the UV Passerelle program three years ago? There wasn’t any at all. With more games, UV rose to become a Passerelle power themselves. It’s our wish that the same follow suit for the University of San Carlos which is undergoing a rebuilding to prepare for the coming schoolyear. My other wishes are that the University of Cebu reconsider its plan to let go off its Passerelle program and that Don Bosco revive its program which produced the likes of Dondon Hontiveros, Oping Sumalinog and Britt Reroma. Cebu has to grow together as a unit and now that it has expanded, the Mindanao has to be in the mix as well. They shouldn’t be viewed as competitors but as partners in growing the Vismin. After all, we all speak Bisaya, don’t we?

 And so we welcome another milestone in Cebu Youth Basketball. With the CYBL Vismin Good will Games, may the Vismin grow as a region. Play on!

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Time-out: Happy birthday to Boy “Ali”: Montes and Marvin “D Pooh” Florida! >>> You can reach me at [email protected].