Doing it the hard way

It’s finals season, as the PBA Governors Cup reached a dramatic Game 7 finish last night, the MBA opened its first phase championship, and the PBL approaches the climax of its playoffs.

But, silently, and without much funfare, there is another team that is patiently working to claim some glory for the country, albeit without the support or attention its older brothers have.

The Philippine Burlington Youth Team has been toiling in the stymieing heat of the Rizal Memorial Coliseum amidst the clucking and head-shaking of observers, in preparation for its defense of the South East Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) Junior Championship being held in Malaysia in June. If the team places first or second, they will earn a berth in the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) competition set for Kuwait in December.

Weeks ago, the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) president Tiny Literal sounded the alarm. They needed support. Painfully, only a few companies, like Burlington Industries Philippines, answered the call. General manager Rudy Tan even attends the team’s practices at Rizal Memorial.

The Youth squad participated as a guest team in the current Philippine Basketball League tournament, but failed to win even a single game. Naturally, critics are wondering how coach Johnny Tam’s team will perform in international competition, and whether these 15- to 18-year olds have what it takes to at least not embarrass the country, which has been faring well in the region’s junior competitions since 1970.

To help mold the boys’ civic spirit as well, the team traveled to the Napa compound in Parañaque two weeks ago to join a Couples for Christ outreach program that builds houses for the urban poor. The project, coordinated by Rene and Mimi Bello, has already built ten homes for the less privileged. The players had a friendly game of 3-on-3 with local youth before painting two of the newly built dwellings.

"We want to deepen the connection between the players and the community," explains Tan. "This way, the boys will know who they are playing for, and this will also help inspire them."

"This is a dream come true for us," said a touched Toti and Imelda Abellegos, owners of the new home, as the towering youngsters toiled on, unmindful of the scorching heat of the sun.

Six-foot five Claiford Arao searched for the words to describe the experience. "It’s a special feeling," he said in the vernacular. "We’ve helped create a better life for a needy family in our own way."

The Youth team has a tiring schedule ahead. Despite their participation in the second Ambrosio Padilla Cup, they continue to hold daily practice, sometimes immediately before or after games. Today, they will have a scheduled plant visit at Burlington. Tomorrow will be their official picture taking, and, on Friday, Sta. Lucia Realty head coach Norman Black will conduct a special training on transition offense and defense.

Although they have the weight of history on their shoulders and an unbelieving audience showing its indifference, these boys are hoping all their hard work will bring them to their goal of making it to the ABC tournament. Tam has yet to come up with a final line-up, but is optimistic that the team will bag the SEABA crown. For now, they are also helping the boys build their character off the court, racking up wins that don’t appear in the win column.

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ESPN will hold its annual NBA Finals Party at the Glorietta Cinemas on June 8, coinciding with Game 2 of the Finals. Last year, the event was packed to the rafters with rabid fans cheering for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers. Hundreds of prizes were given out to lucky members of the audience. Who will they cheer for this year?