Van Halen Parmis returns to the Cesafi, this time with the SWU-Phinma Baby Cobras coaching staff. CDN Digital photo | Gerard Vincent Franciso
Cebu City, Philippines—As the players of the Southwestern University (SWU)-Phinma Baby Cobras started to warm up, a familiar face stirred the Cebu Coliseum up.
Now wearing a black and maroon polo shirt that bore the Cobras insignia, Van Halen Parmis made his much awaited return to the Cesafi after a two-year absence.
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A former assistant and lead scout of the powerhouse University of the Visayas (UV) basketball program, Parmis has since moved on to become the athletic director of the fast-growing Sisters of Mary School (SMS)-Boystown.
However, when SWU-Phinma head coach Jerry Abuyabor came calling after the Baby Cobras lost to the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U), Parmis said he couldn’t refuse the opportunity that was being offered.
“It’s my way of paying coach Jerry back. He was really instrumental in getting the 3×3 to Boystown and Girlstown so I really wanted to help him as well,” said Parmis. “Plus, I’m familiar with some of the players that he has as they come from Leyte, so I know I can help.”
Parmis admitted that he had butterflies in his stomach when he entered the Cebu Coliseum.
“I felt nervous of course. It’s been two years since I last was here. But I know my role and I know what I can do to help the players.” /bmjo