CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Milo BEST Center Basketball Clinic held in several regions in the country is one of the most awaited events for kids during the summer.
And, not even the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic can stop it.
Milo and the BEST Center will still be holding a series of basketball clinics, but this time, it will be done online, via instructional videos uploaded on Youtube.
“It’s a series of online weekly drills that 7-12-year-olds can follow on youtube. Milo & the BEST Center developed these for basketball and volleyball. It’s actually a snapshot of what the BEST Center summer clinics are like. Milo also has other online clinics for other sports,” said Rico Navarro, the organizer of the clinic here in Cebu.
The Basketball Efficiency & Scientific Training (BEST) Center, sponsored by Milo, was founded in 1978 by former national basketball coach, Nicanor Jorge.
It was the first to teach the fundamentals of basketball using a scientific and systematized approach and has become the benchmark of basketball training in the Philippines.
Among its recent graduates are Thirdy and Kiefer Ravena and Chris Tiu.
In recent years, the program has expanded to include taekwondo and volleyball.
While coaches may not be able to do hands-on training, going online has also its advantages—it is free of charge and can be viewed several times.
“Yes. Free as it’s online. Public service in this time of pandemic. Many were actually asking if the summer clinics would be held. But we had to politely tell them all clinics are put on hold until this (COVID-19) is over,” explained Navarro.
Navarro added that this concept came about because nothing can stop Milo and the BEST Center from teaching the fundamentals to young aspiring basketball players.
“Summer & sports clinics have been a norm for the BEST Center & Milo since 1978. Milo and the BEST Center agreed to be creative & ‘keep it going,’ albeit in a different way. There was no way this annual summer clinic was going to be stopped; not after 42 years,” said Navarro.
According to Navarro, not only is it free but the kids can learn at their own pace.
“It’s a loss of income for the organizers & coaches but it’s for a good cause,” said Navarro. /rcg