EASL clears runway for U15 hopefuls

After staging its third straight home-and-away season and before the next campaign begins in October, EASL is keeping busy laying the groundwork for a grassroots program aimed at taking the new generation of U15 players to the next level. The program is called EASL Future Champions Elite and the first edition brings together youth standouts from Cebu, Hong Kong and Macau. For the Cebu leg, EASL is partnering with Cebu City, Cebu City Sports Commission and SBP to gather about 200 applicants for tryouts to choose the best 40 U15 male players at the Cebu City Sports Institute, Barangay Sawang Calero, on Sunday.

The tryouts will be held in four batches from 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.-5 p.m. The 40 chosen players will be split into four teams of 10 to undergo eight weeks of training. The training schedule is made up of twice a week practices and weekend games. From the 40, 10 will be picked to represent the Philippines at the All-Star Tournament in Hong Kong on July 24-26. Tryouts to choose 40 players to form four teams in Macau will be on April 19 and 26 while 96 players will be selected to constitute eight teams in Hong Kong on April 18 and 25. The entire program is geared for 176 players, 40 of whom will advance to the All-Star Tournament.

Supervising the Cebu leg is former University of San Jose-Recoletos star guard Joel Co who was Purefoods’ second round pick in the 2000 PBA draft, a Brunei league import and a PBL player with Chowking, Viva and Magnolia. The program’s training curriculum was formulated by a team headed by former US U18 national coach Michael Olson, a San Antonio Spurs assistant coach in two 2016 NBA Summer Leagues. Olson, 46, was formerly the Vietnam and Chinese-Taipei women’s national coach.

“It’s a great program and free for the kids,” said EASL CEO Henry Kerins. “Great international exposure through our network.” Cebu was an easy choice for the Philippine leg as EASL held its first-ever Final Four and conducted clinics for 280 participants in the Queen City of the South two years ago. Kerins spent the recent Easter break with his family in Cebu, attended early Sunday Mass at the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino de Cebu and got the chance to tour the soon-to-be-inaugurated SM Seaside Arena in Cebu City. The Arena has a seating capacity larger than MOA Arena at close to 20,000 and conforms to FIBA standards, including eight-foot-high showers and a practice facility adjacent to the main court.

“EASL Future Champions Elite was built on a simple idea – that talent should not be limited by access,” said Kerins. “We want to find the best young players in each city, give them the resources, coaching and platform to develop then put them up against the best in the region. Cebu has a rich basketball culture and some of the most passionate young players in Asia.” SBP executive director Erika Dy said: “EASL’s vision for transforming youth basketball aligns seamlessly with SBP’s mission…we’re eager to collaborate closely and contribute to shaping the next generation of Filipino basketball players, both locally and internationally.”