Living up to its name

It all started as a small dream of a young coach who wanted to find a way to spread the enjoyment of the game of basketball, but also keep the emphasis on fun. Strangely enough, the training camp which is the subject of this piece started not in basketball hotbeds like Metro Manila, Pampanga or Cebu, but in General Santos City in 1998.

“I was thinking of a way to transmit what I was learning in the sport to kids, and let them discover their passion for the game, says Camp and Play founder Dayong Mendoza, whose company AJM Sports Management Services runs the camps. “One thing led to another, and we are constantly surprised by the interest in Camp and Play from so many different places.”

Growing up in sports was inescapable for Dayong, son of sports editor and columnist Al Mendoza. Dayong also suited up for the UP Maroons in college, then dabbled in the fine arts, and eventually became an accomplished painter who had several solo exhibits of his work. But basketball ran deeper in his blood than he realized, as deep as his thirst for knowledge for the game. Dayong did not confine his learning to the Philippines. His resumé includes apprenticeships at St. John’s in New York, UCLA, Stanford University, and professional teams like the New York Knicks, the Brisbane Bullets in Australia, and the New Zealand and Philippine national men’s teams.

Coach Dayong has also attended coaching clinics by Nike with Norm Roberts, the Miami Heat’s Eric Spoelstra, Euro League’s Vlade Djurovic, the USBA’s Tom Newell and Australia’s Brian Goorjian and Joey Wright. For the last five years, coach Dayong has been one of the pioneering video scouts in the PBA, helping the Purefoods Giants (now B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados) to their first Philippine Cup title in five years.

“I make it a point to learn something new every day,” coach Dayong says. “Everywhere we go, we make sure that kids come away with something that will help them not just in basketball, but in life.”

Camp and Play has been teaching children the basics of basketball for 13 years now, and has quietly built a huge base of players who have sworn by its teachings. On March 28, Camp and Play opened its 2010 season at the Ateneo de Zamboanga with four-time PBA MVP Alvin Patrimonio as guest coach. This past weekend, PBA MVPs Willie Miller and Kerby Raymundo hosted their own legs of Camp and Play, and made sure the clinics had their stamp on them. Children were wide-eyed to have firsthand instruction from their PBA idols in the flesh.

“What I love about that is the players enjoy the camps, and teach the kids practical applications, the things that really help them win games,” Dayong adds. “That adds something special. The kids know that what we teach them works because the pros themselves use them and pass the learning on.”

Camp and Play will proceed to hold clinics (sometimes in as many as three venues simultaneously) in Makati, Taguig, Quezon City, Subic, Pangasinan, Cebu, General Santos City, and Sarangani. In the past 13 years, they have also held clinics in places as diverse as Tarlac, Cotabato, Marikina, Quezon, Leyte and Olongapo. In fact, the first Camp and Play Hong Kong edition is already being prepared for launch in August. The plan is for Camp and Play to fly Raymundo, James Yap and Paul Artadi to Hong Kong after the PBA Fiesta Conference to teach children of Filipinos based in the former British colony, another dream come true for its founder.

What makes Camp and Play unique is that it takes itself seriously, so the kids can have fun while learning. The coaches themselves go through a workout prior to each leg. Then the participants are rated in terms of fitness level and skill, and are given drills in active dynamics, plyometrics or aqua training (depending on the venue), playing different positions, defense, and team play. Immediately after the drills, the children are divided into teams and are allowed to play in live game situations.

“The kids react with urgency once they encounter a defender or see an open teammate,” Dayong explains. “And it accelerates their learning.

The repetition is reinforced by the emotional impact of actually playing right away, and the kids absorb the lessons faster.”

Initially a personal investment, Camp and Play has attracted several sponsors merely by word of mouth. Aside from the obvious support given by Purefoods and B-Meg Derby Ace, other sponsors like Universidad – who were total strangers to the organizers, weighed in heavily with very generous support. This year’s sessions are also supported by Skin Active White, Regent Foods, Nike, Snitch Chocolates and partners Left Hand Graphics and 1224 AD Print Graphics, many of whom were drawn by reviews of the camps, which also adjust to the budget and needs of its clients.

Perhaps its most noble goal is to help camp graduates earn basketball scholarships and receive free high school and college education.

They’ve already succeeded in placing players in the UAAP and other leagues, having armed them with the skills, values and enjoyment of the game that few other camps offer.

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For inquiries on Camp and Play clinics in your area, call 480-4500 or text 0922-5644820.