YOU have to doff your hat off to Allen Ricardo, the founder of Got Skills Basketball whose ambitious year-long program is the envy of many a basketball tournament organizer.
Ricardo, also an assistant coach in various age groups at De La Salle Greenhills, has put together several age group competitions since April in line with his advocacy to promote youth sports in the Metro Manila area year-round.
For the 30-year-old Ricardo, promoting grassroots youth basketball has been his passion since completing his collegiate studies at Colegio de San Juan de Letran in 2007.
This has caught the attention of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), the country’s national basketball federation that is recognized by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), so much so it has accredited Got Skills Basketball as an associate member and sanctions the latter’s various tournament projects.
“Basketball, being the Filipinos’ national pastime, never stops in our country,” declared Ricardo. “It takes a lot of hard work to organize an event but we are up to the challenge.
“At Got Skills Basketball, we take pride in being one of the stepping stones in a youthful athlete’s climb to greatness by providing them a forum to showcase their basketball skills.”
Last April, there was the Got Skills 3-on-3 basketball event. Then came the three-month Milcu Elite Showcase that attracted 32 teams in two age levels – 14 in the Juniors Division (for players age 16 and under) and 18 in the Seniors Division (for players age 25 and under).
Prominent collegiate schools like Ateneo de Manila University, National University, Far Eastern University, Adamson University, Arellano University, University of the East, San Sebastian College Recoletos, College of Saint Benilde and Lyceum of the Philippines University and Mapua Institute of Technology treated the Seniors Division games as tuneups for their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) or National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) campaigns.
The competitions concluded in late September with Ateneo beating National University, 84-71, in the finals behind athletic frontliner C.J. Perez, who earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors.
Enderun Colleges edged Adamson, 65-63, to finish third.
In the Juniors Division, Chiang Kai Shek College emerged as the champion with a 61-60 win over UE in the titular match. NU wound up third.
The twin Elite Showcase tournaments was primarily supported by Milcu Philippines and its partners Slam Magazine Philippines, Magic 89.9 FM Radio, Gatorade Philippines, LGR X Titan Sports Wear, Coach Athletic Trainer’s Tape and Secret Fresh (Ronac San Juan City).
As basketball never stops, Got Skills Basketball is coming up with another tournament named “Elite Stars Hard to Guard.” It begins this month and will last till February next year.
Competitions will be held in four age groups – 12-under (for players born in 2003 and after), 13-under (born in 2002 and after), 15-under (born in 2000 and after) and 25-under (born in 1990 and under).The games are open to all schools, club teams, companies and others.
For more details on the upcoming Got Skills event, call Lui at 0917-8943943.
For Ricardo and Got Skills, basketball-playing is a never-ending growth process.