Consultant creates sports academy in Baybay: Giving back to my hometown

Van Halen Parmis | Parmis’s Facebook page

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Sisters of Mary School Boystown and Girlstown sports consultant Van Halen Parmis brought his passion in sport to his hometown in Baybay, Leyte by establishing its first sports academy.

Parmis known for the renowned volunteer-based grassroots program in the SMS Boystown and Girlstown recently established the “Miguel Aloysius Sports Academy” at the Candadam Gym in Baybay City, Leyte.

The sports academy caters to young aspiring basketball and volleyball players ages 8 to 18 years old who want to hone their skills under top-notch coaches from Parmis’s team. 

“The main goal of having this sports academy is to give an opportunity to the aspiring sports enthusiasts and those who have in themselves the passion and grit to learn,” Parmis told CDN Digital.

“This academy embraces the youth of any status. Also, we want to train the children, give them exposure, and hopefully help them grab a scholarship through sports,” the sports consultant said.

“Besides the opportunity of discovering talents also in my hometown, this is important to me and something beyond. It is more like a sentimental (thing). I started my career in this very place and I wanted to give back to where I came from because I realized that it is good to look back from where you came from,” he further said.

Grassroots program

It can be recalled that Parmis initiated a sports grassroots program at the SMS Boystown and Girlstown in 2017 as charitable activity for his birthday. The program turned into a full-blown grassroots sports development program involving volunteer coaches from Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) and the Cebu Provincial Sports Commission that catered to over 5,000 kids who wanted to become athletes.

This time, he is bringing the same level of grassroots program to his hometown which also aims to drive the youth away from vices and to pave the way for talented athletes to earn a scholarship in universities. 

“Our sports academy is an advocate of “NO TO DRUGS. YES TO SPORTS” movement. We want to divert the children’s possible attention from harmful drugs, to playing sports which is way far productive,” he said.

“We also want to help the children to have a balanced lifestyle because during these times, most of them are into mobile games and live a sedated habit. Through sports, we want to help them live an active life,” said Parmis who once served as assistant coach for the UV Green Lancers and part of the SWU-Phinma Baby Cobras coaching staff. 

Parmis is also known for organizing highly-entertaining pocket play-for-pay tournaments in several provinces across the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

Consultant: Athletics, arnis

Besides basketball and volleyball, Sports Consultant Parmis and his team are planning to add more sports such as athletics and arnis. 

“What really pushed me and gave me the motivation to establish this is because of the pandemic. The pandemic destroyed many lives and left many children unschooled,” he said.

“Since we are now slowly recovering, we want to help them get back on track through sports. Sports is powerful; it can change someone’s life dramatically,” the sports consultant said.

“And because I believe in the power of sports, I use sports to help children. Also, I want to give opportunities to children in municipalities that are not that exposed to sports,” Parmis further said.

Visit the Miguel Aloysius Sports Academy Facebook page for those interested in joining its program.

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