By Raymart Escopel
ILOILO City – To improve sports programs in public schools and aspire Filipino athletes, the Sun Life Foundation, Inc. has recently provided a special training for public school coaches.
In partnership with Get Passionate Productions, Sun Life Foundation, Inc. has gathered a total of 29 coaches coming from General Santos City National High School and Abellana National High School to attend a week-long training program held at the Cebu Grand Hotel in Cebu City.
The said coaches handled sports including basketball, football, athletics, baseball, softball, sepak takraw, table tennis, gymnastics, swimming, and taekwondo.
The participants were taught of an introductory course dubbed as “Coach Advancement Program (CAP).”
CAP is the first part of a six-month development program that aims to provide coaches with proper training and resources which they can utilize in molding student-athletes in the best way possible.
Hercules Callanta, a participant and an associate professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman – College of Human Kinetics, said the program is unique as it gives attention to details and looks at the totality of the coach, not just in terms of technical expertise, but also the human side of coaching.
Meanwhile, Sun Life Foundation executive director Joub Miradora said the program is part of their company’s corporate social responsibility in terms of promoting health and wellness.
Furthermore, he added that “coaching the coach” is very crucial in providing young Filipino athletes in public schools a proper guidance and training to reach their full potential.
On their part, Sebastian Ripoll of Get Passionate Productions expressed his gratitude to Sun Life Foundation, Inc. by giving students the opportunity to hone their skills and develop their character.
“More than being an extra-curricular activity in school, sports is a good platform for the students to learn discipline and understand the value of hard work and sportsmanship,” he noted.
Catch the coaches’ experiences in the television show “Team U” airing every Sundays, 11:30 a.m., on ABS-CBN Sports+Action. Hosted by Gerald Anderson and Piolo Pascual, the show follows the journey of young athletes under the care of their respective coaches./PN
