THE National Basketball Association’s (NBA) global youth participation program, Jr. NBA, kicked off its 10th year in the country at the weekend with proponents eyeing to build on the gains of the last decade and further grow what has been an “effective and successful movement.”
Built around the core mission of helping develop participants’ fundamental basketball skills, build character and encourage an active and healthy lifestyle, the Jr. NBA program in the Philippines, geared as well to grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents locally, has achieved a lot since its maiden holding in 2007.
Since opening its doors for the program, the Jr. NBA has seen 57,000 players and more than 3,000 coaches participate; 94 Jr. NBA All-Stars selected; 64 municipalities and cities play host to the program; 10 NBA and WNBA personalities, including Tina Thompson, Gordon Hayward, Nerlens Noel, Muggsy Bogues and Ruth Riley, join the conduct of the program; and a number of players move on to play in various leagues, including Aljon Mariano and Raphael Banal who are now in the Philippine Basketball Association, and Kobe Paras, now a freshman at US NCAA Division 1 team Creighton University.
Also, the Facebook page of the Jr. NBA Philippines has steadily grown its followers, now numbering more than 133,000.
“It has been a great ride for the Jr. NBA Philippines. To see the number of kids who have benefitted from the program it makes us super happy in the NBA to contribute to their development,” said Carlo Singson, Managing Director of NBA Philippines, in an interview with a group of sportswriters on the sidelines of the Jr. NBA Philippines 2017 tip-off last Saturday at the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Makati City.
“For our 10th year, we know there is room to be better so we are going to visit more cities and municipalities to reach more kids. We have raised the number of Jr. NBA All-Stars to 16, eight boys and eight girls. And we also have lined up a court refurbishment initiative under the NBA Cares platform,” he added.
RIGHT PARTNERS
Now on their 10th year, the NBA Philippines official further said that the program would not be rendered a success if not for the help of the right local partners, highlighting that for the Jr. NBA to sustain its gains it is important for them to continuously engage likeminded organizations.
“It is extremely important to have the right partners. Jr. NBA is not just an event but a movement. We are trying to help kids live an active and healthy lifestyle and learn positive values. It’s important for us to partner with the right organizations that have the same vision as ours. There is only so much we can do and to amplify things we need our media partners, marketing partners, basketball partners to spread the word about the Jr. NBA program,” Mr. Singson said.
And one of the steady partners of the program in its run is Alaska Milk Corp., the presenting partner of the Jr. NBA Philippines.
“Alaska has been a great partner for us not only for its reach but also with its basketball expertise through its coaches in our camps,” Mr. Singson said.
For Alaska Milk President and CEO Wilfred Uytengsu, Jr., whose group has been partner with Jr. NBA for seven years now, the program has been beneficial for them as well as an organization.
“I believe it’s a great collaboration between two fantastic organizations, who are committed to the youth in particular. We are no strangers to basketball being part of the PBA for a long time now but this also allows us to use the Aces as an icon and aspirational part of basketball, giving back to the youth, to the community. And the NBA gives us that expertise,” said Mr. Uytengsu in a separate interview.
“It also highlights Alaska’s emphasis on gender equality, encouraging more girls to play basketball and providing them opportunities through the Jr. WNBA,” the Alaska executive said.
A decade of Jr. NBA in the Philippines, Mr. Singson said they are more than ever determined to further its growth and build on its legacy as an effective program.
“The legacy of the Jr. NBA is all over us with various alumni making their mark in various basketball leagues as well as in other fields. But I think one of the great legacies of the Jr. NBA Philippines is being a model for the expansion of the program to other Southeast Asian countries. Apart from the Philippines, we are now in five other Southeast Asian countries and it’s a testament to how it has succeeded here,” Mr. Singson said.
The skills clinics of the Jr. NBA Philippines 2017, open to boys and girls aged 10 to 14 for free, will be held nationwide from January to April with stops in Bacolod, Batangas, Cagayan De Oro, Cavite, Cebu, Metro Manila and Subic. The National Training Camp where the top participants will be invited and trained by NBA and WNBA personalities will be held in Manila in May. After which the top 16 players comprising the Jr. NBA All-Stars will be selected and gifted with an overseas NBA experience with fellow All-Stars from other Southeast Asian countries. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Proponents and alumni of the Jr. NBA Philippines program which is now on its 10th year. — Jr. NBA Asia Facebook account
Participants do some drills during the tip-off of the 10th Jr. NBA Philippines at the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Makati City last Saturday. — Jr. NBA Asia Facebook account
