Shooting Hoops with our Scholars

Dawan Robinson

Last Nov. 17, 2018, Boldr co-hosted the “AMV Basketball Clinic” with Alaska Aces Assistant Coach, Jeff Cariaso, and his organization, Titan, a group committed to developing the grassroots level of Philippines basketball. The event featured nearly two dozen scholars from our NGO partner, A Million Voices, three coaches, and several volunteers. We were all in for a day of good sport!

Jeff Cariaso with AMV dribbling
Coach Jeff Cariaso goes through a drill with the scholars. Unshown: the amount of balls that went flying wildly until the scholars got it just right.

Like most Filipinos, our scholars' favorite sport is basketball and and what better way to share the love than through this exciting activity. The kids ran drills and learned a few different shooting techniques from some of the best and most passionate PBA coaches.

Coach Andrea with AMV Basketball Clinic
Titan Coach Andrea explains the importance of proper technique for a drill.

We had a lot of fun shooting hoops with our kids and we encouraged them to remember as much as they could so that they could share it with their friends and family at their home in Barangay Baseco.

Coach Willie AMV scholars shooting
Coach Willie runs through a shooting drill with the scholars. After a few attempts, the scholars started making buckets consistently.

It wasn't just a day of playing games, the coaches also took time to speak with our scholars about the importance of hardwork. We learned that people don’t just wake up one day successful. They work hard every single day, make mistakes, and learn from them so that they can achieve their ambitious goals.

Coach Willie Boldr scholars story time
Titan Coach Willie tells the scholars that they can't be shy or timid in life, that if they want something they have to take the ball and bounce it in the right direction on their own.

The coaches shared a lot of inspirational stories. Coach Jeff Cariaso and his team reinforced the idea of “Hindi madali ang buhay” or “Life is hard” and that only through patience and hard work each and every day can you achieve your goals. Our scholar enjoyed the stories very much. We believe it gave them a sense of purpose and hope--that by never quitting they can be wherever they want to be. We hope they will take their learning back home and inspire others to fight hard for their dreams too.

coach jeff cariaso boldr scholars inspiring story
Coach Jeff Cariaso shares a laugh with the scholars after joking about quickly they'll be able to compete against the pros. He also shares some life insights, telling them that perseverance is the key to success and happiness. And to always remember that if you aren't enjoying yourself at every step of the journey, then it isn't worth it.

Although it was a tiring day, Boldr volunteers had an awesome time. The event may have taken months to plan, but it was all worth it to see our scholars smiling and laughing and just having fun. The Basketball Clinic is just one of the many programs and activities we support as we continue our pursuit of making a positive impact in our community.

If you want to be an Impact Partner and make a difference in the community through programs like this, don't hesitate to reach out to us.

Read more about Boldr’s Impact Work

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