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Tagumpay Chronicles is a series dedicated to the players who represent Team Pilipinas and the people who made it possible – their coaches.

Season 52
Chapter 1: Ramsey Paspe - The Journeyman
Chapter 2: Ron Encomienda - Cebu's Pride
Chapter 3: Paul Emery - Calculated Development
Chapter 4: Bill Leon del Prado - On the Shoulders of Giants

Last edited by fpanzer10 at 02/13/2021 07:37:42

Chapter 1 - part 1
Ramsey Paspe: The Journeyman

You can see it in his face - Ramsey Paspe was clearly tired when he exited the Clark Skyforce practice facility. Nonetheless, he gave his signature half smile before wearing a mask, and indulged our request to be interviewed. Little did he know we also invited his former coach and mentor, ichigo111 from the Celebes Sea Smugglers. Paspe was surprised to see ichigo111.

“How long has it been coach, 6 seasons? It’s good to see you again,” Ramsey said upon seeing his former coach. You can immediately see Coach ichigo111 face change from happiness to regret, “I’m sorry I had to send you to Bosnia, I am happy you are doing well.” It was an emotional moment for the two.

Coaching Experience & Training

“As you are aware, this is not my first rodeo. I’ve coached two other teams before and retired from both stints to focus on my business and family. I had to prioritize my transfer from the Zamboanga Peninsula to Cagayan. It was stressful, but I do not regret that move at all,” ichigo111 said to start the conversation. “I have coached long enough for me to recognize talent when I see it, and I immediately knew Ramsey would make it big. Sure, he was sorely lacking but the potential was there. He was a diamond in the rough, it was only a matter of honing his skills.

“The training sessions I had were really difficult, especially if you are someone of my size doing drills with our guards. It was nerve-wracking, but definitely worth it,” Ramsey said when asked about his early years training with ichigo111. “I was expecting to develop my inside game, but did not expect to get trained on front court skills as well.”

“I invited Lolo Smithz and Fabio Menta to serve as consultants for Ramsey’s development. They also saw his potential to be a big contributor for the National Team, and they would drop by from time to time and monitor his progress,” Coach ichigo111 said. “I remember Ramsey losing the ball a lot of times in our drills because he could not control it. He would stay behind and practice for an extra hour or two with our training coaches before calling it a day. Speaking of which, I have not seen Lolo Smithz and Fabio in ages, I hope we can get together and catch up once this pandemic blows over.” Coach ichigo111 then pulled out his phone, showing us pictures of the three coaches taken from a wedding they attended in Calatagan, Batangas.




Last edited by fpanzer10 at 02/04/2021 07:04:54

Chapter 1 - part 2
Ramsey Paspe: The Journeyman


The move to Bosnia

“Salary management is always an issue, especially when you are training big men and building your income as a franchise at the same time. This is why I was forced to send Ramsey to free agency and eventually be claimed by a Bosnian team. It reached a point where we simply cannot afford him anymore because of his skill set. I must admit, that moment was my scarlet letter,” coach ichigo said when asked why he let go of Ramsey. “We had to set expectations and make it clear to Ramsey that the plan to move him was not his fault, but at the time it was the best decision to make considering the state of the franchise. It was one of the most difficult conversations I had to make with a player.”

Training Advice

We then turned our attention to Ramsey, who was already starting to doze off. We had to nudge him before asking what’s his secret to success. “Always make it a point to talk to your coach and discuss what you want your training regimen to be like. There are a lot of things to consider: your youth, what existing skill sets do you have, and what can you immediately work on based on your current situation. Aiming for a spot in the National Team is not easy, because you have to balance your training time as well as making sure your team does not tank the season. Lastly, it always pays to have a supportive coach.”

It was at this point where ichigo111 chimed in, “If I may add, always consult with the other managers who are willing to help you out. At the end of the day, we are one big family. We may slug it out in the hardwood for 48 minutes, but we still see each other during social events – or by doing something as simple as shopping for groceries.” It was visible that the team work is still there, even if they are now in different teams. Ichigo111 continued, “I’m very proud of what Ramsey did with his career. I saw him blossom from an untested rookie to being a surefire contributor for a PPL team (Clark Skyforce), to representing the country in the world stage. Maybe you’re not being treated well, can I get you back for half your current salary?”

Everyone laughed as we all watched the sun set to conclude the interview with beer, chicken piyanggang, and beef kulma.

Chapter 2
Ron Encomienda – Cebu’s Pride

The lights were shining bright and there were a lot of people in their early to mid-20s when we visited Cebu Orcas coach Mob Barley in one of his business ventures, Mob’s Coughieshop – a known dining spot along Fuente Osmeña frequented by millennials who want to enjoy good food and music, and vape enthusiasts who want to upgrade their vape pens.

“Come on in, you’re right on time!” said Mob when he saw us. We were asked to sit at a table with a “Reserved” sign and two servers placed dishes that were very appealing to the eyes – a plate of lechon (that is said to rival Rico’s), and a bowl of vegetable soup locally known as Utan.

“I always wanted to train quality players and take them with me as I move up and win the PPL title – that is my aspiration. I want to win against the bigtime coaches in the country,” said Mob. “I may be one of the younger coaches out there, but that will not stop me from achieving my goal. Did you know I am taking classes on the side so I can be a licensed engineer? Bet you didn’t know that.”

Transition

“I am used to training guards, so landing Encomienda in the draft with the second overall pick presented us with a good problem: how do I develop the big man?”, Mob said while drinking a bottle of beer. “You see, I wanted him to not be a one-dimensional player so I decided he will train with our guards while honing his big man skills. I sought the advice of coaches who were used to training forwards and centers, so I was able to come up with a special talent in Ron.”

“Don’t be mistaken. I want Ron to further develop his skills after his stint with the U21 team – I want him to represent the country and join the seniors team. Maybe he can make it in 3 seasons? Who knows, it all depends on how he improves.”

When asked what’s his secret to success, Mob would only say, “You should get a mentor who can develop your coaching skills. I am no Baby Dalupan or Time Cone, but I know a lot of coaches whom I can reach out to whenever you are in need of advice.”

“What is my training regimen to all of my prospects? I can’t tell you that.” Mob said with a smile as we concluded the interview.

Chapter 3
Paul Emery: Calculated Development

“One second, I’ll be with you shortly,” Coach Greedy said as we entered his room. “I think I am close to solving the Collatz Problem.” We were silent, not knowing how to respond.

At first glance, you wouldn’t think Coach Greedy to be the type who would write equations on the board: He is clean shaven with a neat haircut, in a casual suit and blue button-down shirt, pants, and trainers. “You see, Paul Emery’s development is a result of a carefully prepared training regimen. When we got him in the season 41 draft, he knew this will be a very good partnership.” We then gave Coach Greedy a box of Hagoromo chalk. “Ah, thank you! What a splendid gift, and it comes in the original packaging!” Greedy said with a big smile. “This is quite rare now, especially after the company closed in 2015.”

The Numbers
“My fascination with numbers is quite evident. I created an algorithm that can predict a player’s development and shared this with the rest of the Pilipinas managers. Now, a lot of teams are referring to that formula to determine how good their players are going to be.” We sat there, stunned. “I also have something up my sleeve, but I need to check on the calculations and test this first before I present my findings.”

Player Training
“I had to use Design Thinking when we thought of how Paul will be trained - Begin with the end in mind. Some Operations Research was involved as well: How do you maximize the skills of someone who is slated to have MVP potential? It was an interesting experiment, considering his height (6’5”),” Coach Greedy said with a laugh. “I wanted to make sure he is a serviceable player for my team, and at the same time have the opportunity to be part of the National Team.”

When asked what were the challenges in developing Paul, Greedy said, “It is really difficult to compete when you’re fielding a young player in crucial games, especially if we are developing him for another position. There were also moments when I had to decide if developing a new draftee or prospect from the transfer list would be the more feasible approach in maximizing my chances of making it to the PPL,”

Representing Team Pilipinas
“I am really happy for Paul to represent the Seniors team. I can see all the efforts I put in training him are now bearing fruit. At his age, I am now planning to train his successor. I am looking forward to develop a better version of Paul so I can better contribute to the country.”

Training Advice
“My advice is to set a target for the trainee and stay committed to training that player. There were times before where, admittedly, I had no training plan in place – just throw all darts to the board, and hope a lot of them stick,” Greedy said with a shrug. “Don’t get me wrong, I made a lot of mistakes. I underutilized one of my players once, and I ended up not maximizing his potential. It was a frustrating experience. Also, it helps if you get to talk to the U21 and NT coaches to get their input. That would give you an idea what your player is lacking, and what you need to develop.”

When asked to comment on sports pundits comparing Paul Emery to Chris Paul, Greedy said, “Well, they are both named Paul, but Emery is 5 inches taller!”

Chapter 4
Bill Leon del Prado: On the Shoulders of Giants

Coach Kingcap was waiting at the Kilimanjaro Kafe in pristine Plantation Bay when he agreed to meet us and talk about his budding point guard, Bill Leon del Prado. He was sporting a white shirt that has the Black Mamba with five rings, jeans, and a pair of Kobe V Protro Undefeated sneakers when he greeted us. “Thank you for taking time to visit us in the south,” was his opening remark.

“Ever since I was young, I’ve always been passionate with basketball. As you can see, Kobe played a major influence in my coaching style. I look up to him not only as a player, but as a person. I make it a point to apply the principles behind his skills and mentality to my team. If only my players could get a fraction of his greatness, I am sure we will make it to the PPL and become eventual champions,”

Bryant - Fisher 2.0

“We already had Leorio Lovino (former U21 player) when we drafted Bill in season 48, so developing him was easy – it was a matter of following the plan. I want Bill to be an all-around guard, so we make it a point to switch his training program from time to time,” Kingcap said while taking a swig of the local beer.

“The immediate challenge is to ensure the development of both guards. Lovino has more advanced skills, but Bill can cope with him. It’s fun to see them play against each other in scrimmage games. They remind me of Kobe and Derek.”
Lovino 2.0

“I am proud for both Bill and Leorio to represent the National Team at an early age. Our job, however, is not yet done so we will continue to develop both players until they are eligible to suit up for the Seniors Team.”

Training Advice

When asked what is his secret to successful training, Kingcap said, “My advice to those wishing to train point guards would be to pay close attention to their skills development. In order to develop these players at a faster rate, you need to have a training regimen that suits the needs of your team and in the long term, the National Team.