When the Basketball Efficiency and Scientific Training Center’s summer clinics started last month, organizers were delighted to find one participant different from the rest.
Nope, he wasn’t the kid who was tallest, or the bulkiest or even the smallest. As a matter of fact, he wasn’t a kid at all.
Johnny Roa, a 56-year-old seaman, still found the time to learn how to play basketball the right way.
While waiting for a call to board his next ship, Roa did the “unthinkable” and signed up at the BEST Center clinics at Xavier School in San Juan.
“Dati ko pang plano na maghanap at mag-clinic sa basketball,” said Johnny as he enjoyed an afternoon of drills and scrimmages with his son Carlos and nephew Kimchu, both students of La Salle Greenhills.
Roa has 30 years of experience as a seaman manning cargo vessels going to Europe.
Three years ago, he became a captain of a cargo vessel.
Since then, he found the need to stay in shape in order for him to be able to keep up with the younger generation of seafarers.
“Happy ako dahil habang bakasyon, may ginagawa ako,” added Roa, who played while his wife Liberty watched on the sidelines.
Roa is set to board his vessel again for another tour of duty soon.
His best friend Edwin Pena even came and watched. Both are buddies, who play streetball in their neighborhood in Mandaluyong.
He had the privilege being under the wings of retired Jose Rizal University coach Boy de Vera, who gamely let him join drills that were meant to be for kids, mostly in their teens.
“Normally, mga bata ang tinuturuan namin. They love basketball kasi,” said De Vera. “Kakaiba ito. But I think, he’s up to the task of running with the young ones.”
The basketball clinics started last month, one is set Malate Catholic School and another in Alabang, Muntinlupa.
BEST Center founder and president Nic Jorge and his wife Marlene were among those who quietly watched as Roa went on with the Level 1 drills, which are meant for beginners.
Throughout the next three months, listups for the basketball clinics, sponsored by Milo, are available for Levels 2, 3 and 4 from 1 to 4 p.m. in different venues.
Four more provincial venues will be opened this summer, while new sessions are set at the Ateneo covered courts starting June 4.
The Ateneo clinics will be from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. They will be held on June 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16 and 19.
The provincial schedules begin May 21 to 26 in various venues such as Tagaytay City; Valencia, Bukidnon; Laoag, Ilocos Norte; and Balagtas, Bulacan.
The Best Center is a recipient of the Olympism Award from the Philippine Olympic Committee and is a Hall of Fame awardee by the Philippine Sportswriters Association.
“We have been the leading basketball training platform for kids, and in this case, not-so-young ones, for the past 40 years. For us to have lasted this long, then we must be doing something right,” said Jorge.