STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE

Navarra (left) in action against a UST player in an off-season tournament last year at the USJ-R Basak gym.
contributed

With alma mater needing help, Navarra returns to lend hand

Rare is the student-athlete that thinks of his school first before self. But such is the rarity of one Nelvin Navarra, who declined several lucrative job offers and returned to the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars to help what is an undersized frontcourt.

With their supposed reinforcement Segamars Kingsley deemed ineligible and another big man Edmundo Bayhonan transferring to Southwestern University (SWU)-Phinma, USJ-R came knocking on the doors of the Agusan del Norte-native.

With glowing academic credentials, Navarra harbored plans of going abroad and was already fielding job offers. However, when news got out of their reinforcement’s ineligibility, the 6-foot-3 forward did not hesitate to make himself available for the Jaguars.

“This is my passion,” he said. “This is my way to pay back to my alma mater because they need my services,” said Navarra, who graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering and just recently became a registered Electrical Engineer and Master Electrician.

An All-Star last year, Navarra joins a smallish frontcourt that is composed of Albert Catiloc (6-foot-2) and makeshift power forward RJ Dinolan (5-foot-10).

“We’re kinda small this year. We don’t have an import so expect us to speed up the game again.”

Still, Navarra is confident of the team’s chances this year.

“The core of the team is intact. Only two of the ‘fighting 10’ has left,” said Navarra with a smirk, as he remembered last year’s campaign when they fielded just 10 players.

He said he would have stopped playing this year to focus on his career as an engineer. But he can’t turn away from the school that helped him accomplish his dreams.

“If only the import could play, I wouldn’t have come back. But the team needs me. They helped me be who I am now so this is my way of thanking USJ-R.”