The Goducate Sports Program in Laguna, Philippines, is drawing in an average of over 300 people each night to watch the Goducate-organized barangay (village) competition.
When I was there last week, I attended the competition held in the barangay of Tranca, the second village where Goducate has introduced the basketball program. The highlight of that night was the presence of Paul C Zamar, the son of the Head of Goducate Sports Program, Boycie Zamar. Paul is one of the rising basketball stars in the Philippines. He is presently in the PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) D Team waiting to be drafted into the professional ranks of PBA.
Paul took on 7 of the top shooters in the barangay for a 3-point shoot-out. As he netted one shot after another, the gasps from the crowd could be heard. The final score— Paul 138, the 7 others 39! Paul then gave out his fan-club T-shirts to the gallant 7 and went on to autograph many more T-shirts that night.
Over 300 spectators each nightPaul C Zamar (in blue shirt) with the gallant 7 with Paul Zamar T-shirtsPaul C Zamar banner
So far the Basketball program has trained about a dozen referees —who can now earn 300 pesos for each official game they referee. Coach Boycie has also got a sports scholarship for a young basketball player from to attend a university in Manila. Five more talented young men are now going for trials in different colleges in Manila.
Besides helping men to earn some extra income as referees, and getting
sports scholarships for young men unable to afford a college education, the Goducate Sports Program trains young men in discipline, punctuality, sportsmanship, and other life-skills that will help them to become more employable.
Goducate Sports Program helps Asians help themselves.
Goducate aims to help Asians help themselves. In Laguna, Philippines, we’ve imparted livelihood skills to help many people there. Many ladies are now supplementing household income by producing soap, dish-washing detergent, fabric conditioner, and perfumes for sale to their communities. Many young people have been trained to teach music and the money they earn by giving music lessons helps fund their own schooling or music lessons. Recently, many men have been trained to be basketball referees or table officials so that they can earn money by officiating at basketball competitions.
Last week I was there to watch the kickoff of another livelihood training program, namely, training young men to be life-guards and do swimming-pool maintenance. Laguna is known as the “Resort Capital of the Philippines” because of its proximity to Manila and the presence of many hot-spring resorts there. Most of these resorts have swimming pools. Philippines’ law requires the presence of life-guards at all public pools.
A licensed life-guard and well-known swimming coach from Manila, Jojo
Rivera, who is also a basketball coach who has helped in our basketball program, volunteered to teach our young men life-guard skills. Eight men were selected to undergo an introductory course in life-guard skills. The two-hour introductory course conducted in the Goducate Model Farm was followed by another two hours of practical life-saving in a nearby swimming pool.
Coach Jojo lectures on the basics of life-savingCoach Jojo demonstrates the art of saving a child
We hope that some of these eight men will be found to be suitable to undergo further training so that they can be certified life-guards and to be competent at maintaining swimming pools.
"This is how you save a drowning man!"
Goducate hopes that this will be another means to help Asians help themselves
Within weeks of being appointed Goducate’s Sports Director, David (Boycie) Zamar, implemented Goducate’s first basketball program in Barangay Pupuy, in Laguna Province, The Philippines (a barangay is the smallest administrative unit in The Philippines).
The 4-week program, which has just been completed, included 2 sessions of coaching to be table officials, and 2 sessions of coaching to be referees.
The program also included a basketball league, which 11 teams, each consisting of 12-15 players entered. The program was held at the barangay’s gymnasium, which the barangay council and its youth council allowed us to use. The players brought their friends and families along, such that some 300 people turned up on the weekday evenings (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday), and 500 on Sat evenings. The teams consisted mainly of underprivileged and out-of-school youth. The idea of the league was for us to identify players who might qualify for sports scholarships. Unlike some previous basketball matches in the area, which had to be discontinued because of unruly behavior among players and spectators, our league matches ran smoothly, possibly because of the emphasis we placed on discipline and sportsmanship in the address to both players and spectators before the matches.
Within a week of the start of the program, an out of school youth was offered a college sports scholarship on the strength of his basketball skills. He will receive free tuition, accommodation, as well as an allowance. By the end of the 4 week program, 7 other players were selected to be presented for sports scholarships. The players will continue their training at basketball camps. We are also planning a tie up with TESDA (the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority), to channel some of these out-of-school youth towards its courses.
Several members of Goducate staff were among those who attended the training for table officials and for referees. Jonathan, a Goducate staff member has been selected to go Cebu City for the National Private Schools Athletic Association and National Referees Accreditation to be held in the 3rd week of April. If he passes the test he will be our first member of staff to receive a license to officiate nationwide at basketball events.
Importance of stretching exerciseCoach Boycie addressing potential referees
The training sessions were conducted by Coach Boycie and his two friends, George Magsino (an FIBA licensed referee) and Jojo Rivera (a licensed basketball coach). Jojo has invited the Goducate Sports Program to run the Basketball Clinic for Kids and Youth in April at BF Homes, Paranaque, a middle and upper class residential development south of Manila. Although the youth in this area are privileged kids who will not need Goducate help, our involvement there will enable those from the poor areas who qualify as table officials and referees to earn some income there.
Coaching in progress
For now, the Goducate Sports Program has started sessions in Barangay Tranca for underprivileged youth. We hope to run programs in many other barangays soon, and to get as many people as possible back to school on sports scholarships before the start of the school year in June.
There have been other outcomes of the Goducate Sports Program. One is that FESSAP (Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines) has appointed Goducate as its partner. FESSAP has also appointed our Sports Director, Boycie, to be its Chairman of the Coaches Commission, and me as Chairman for Youth Development at barangay/barrio level.
