Gilas Pilipinas into Spain 2014

Wow. What a game. After having to get out of the comfort of my house to stand in a crowd of basketball fanatics, I do not regret watching an international basketball game. This basketball leg is the counter part of an Asian qualifier of the FIVB Asian volleyball games where I am more known to be a fan of. The FIBA was definitely worth watching. Most especially when it was the Philippines in the semi-finals. Our country was doing very well and actually had a shot at the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain. To make things short, they did it! 

Held in the Mall of Asia Arena

Inside the MOA Arena with all the participating countries' colors.

Chinese Taipei and Iran, which emerged victorious, were the first of the semi-final games.

Warm-up time for the main event, semi-final match between the Republic of Korea and Republic of the Philippines

Gilas Pilipinas played with pure heart to get to where they are now. And that's Jimmy who hit crucial three pointers.

The Final score

The Philippines celebrating their right of passage into the FIBA World Cup for 2014 and a place in this FIBA Asia's Championship game against Iran.

Actual proof of wearing white for the home team.

Kids Summer Volleyball

It has been sometime I've posted in this blog. School now starts again, and what has kept Sport It Everyday busy? Last summer was spent teaching and developing children's volleyball in a different approach. A mix of traditional fundamental skill training, with a mini-games approach to understanding the game of volleyball was a pilot short-term module in summer clinics. Finding new ways to attract and motivate children to play volleyball and be delighted with the game were sought through this special program of summer volleyball that did happen everyday!

Fun Games with the kids.

Kids learning how to dig pass from spikes.

Mini-volleyball games in small courts.

Volleyball Workshop at the National Conference on Sport Pedagogy 2012

Basic concepts for better coaching analysis.

So, I've been a bit busy recently. As a physical educator in the University of the Philippines, the first semester is ending (as of the time I typed this entry). For teachers like us, it is time to check papers. But in our college, the College of Human Kinetics, the faculty have decided to share their knowledge through the National Conference on Sport Pedagogy. That adds a bit more to the semestral ender work. Of course, in a good way, since other teachers will gain more knowledge from the seminars and workshops to be presented. It is in fact our duty as teachers to do such services to our fellow country and its countrymen. This leads to one of the reasons to why I was hired in my college, and that is to teach volleyball. 

I decided to lead the volleyball workshop for the conference as I already have been previously teaching this sport in other regions of the country as well. What I offered to teach however for this conference was something new. Aside from the usual seminars I give, what I took notice was the knowledge the teachers already had for the basics of volleyball. I had to give "new thinking" to a sport of more than a hundred years old. Simple, basic, but very much effective is how I wanted share my knowledge with my fellow professionals. What I taught were details seen in volleyball that are not particularly noticed all the time or given thought of. The understanding of it, and transfer of this understanding from player to coach, could be possible for further improvement of their students, players, or athletes. It is an understanding I apply in any sport I play or encounter. It has guided me through learning volleyball the quickest possible way. Let's just leave it with that for now (I might have to do a whole workshop in my blog).

Participants ready to serve and apply the basic concepts.

The experience was good. The challenge to teach something else aside from my usual routine and help other teachers understand these concepts were new lessons which the participating teachers and I learned together. I'd like to believe that the concepts were accepted well. To notice such ideas also made the participants think while using their bodies during movement. As the saying goes, mind and body should work together.