Whether it be 3×3 basketball or 5×5, lady coach Mau Belen seems to posses the magic formula that works.
Officially the first female coach in the Philippine Basketball Basketball Association, Belen motivates her players to be at their best and gets good results in return.
That’s what made her click in leading her TNT Tropang Giga to the championship of the inaugural leg of the PBA 3×3 tournament.
“Unbelievable. With short preparation, we really didn’t expect much but the team’s mindset was to win one game at a time and that’s what we did,” said Belen, who is also one of the assistant coaches of Chot Reyes with the TNT team that won the recent 2021 PBA Philippine Cup.
Making her business in a man’s world, Belen knew she had to make her messages clear to her TNT bunch of Jeremiah Gray, Lervin Flores, Almond Vosotros and Samboy de Leon. And they responded well by beating Limitless Appmasters, Purefoods, Platinum Karaoke and Zamboanga Valientes on the way to the best finish among 13 teams.
“Give our best effort. It’s our 4th game that day and we really had a few left in the tank, so I told the players just give it your all and the rest will follow,” said the 29-year-old mentor.
Belen’s main job at TNT is basically working on the videos to help in scouting and analyzing statistics. It was the same job by Fil-American Erik Spoelstra in his early years with the Miami Heat before becoming an assistant coach and now the head coach of the team.
Belen said she’s not rushing things and so far she has her hands full yet again as the second leg of the PBA 3×3 went underway, with her Tropang Giga taking on the Zamboanga Valientes, Sista Super Sealers San Miguel Beermen and, Cavitex Braves.
“I am focused now on the task at hand which is the head coach of 3×3 team, plus I’m also fulfilling my task in the 5×5 team, so will see how this goes and hopefully we continue our successful campaign on both 3×3 and 5×5,” she said.
Her coaching style got the nod of his players who are as motivated to prove themselves.
“Hindi siya ganu’n na sobrang higpit sa laruan, pero napakagaling din talaga magturo sa amin,” said Flores in a previous interview by Tiebreaker Times. “Tinututukan niya kami.”
“‘Yung gusto niyang ituro, hindi mo kailangan ma-pressure pero nakukuha mo,” added the 6’5” center.