LILOAN, Cebu – On a cold Monday morning, Edsel Vallena prepares a cup of coffee on the dining table of his bungalow type house.
Behind him, three of his players lie beside each other, still fast asleep, on what was supposed to be his living room. One player was hugging a basketball.
Vallena carefully prepared his coffee, making sure none of his players, and the others in his house, are awakened by the sound of his stirring.
This is how Vallena, a coach of 20-plus years, starts his day everyday. He makes sure his players, whom he treats as his own sons, are well rested and fed.
He does this, he says, “for the love of coaching.”
Coach Edsel Vallena and his Skygo Team in 2002
“Kaning trabahoha, mao ning trabahoa nga love kaayo ni nako. Dako kaayo kog utang kabubut-on aning basketball. Kutob sa inyong makita ron diri sa balay, basketball na, tungod na sa basketball,” Vallena says, while taking a sip from his cup.
(This job of mine, this is the job I love so much. I owe a lot to basketball. Everything you see in this house, it’s because of basketball.)
A successful basketball player during his time, Vallena actually made a name for himself in coaching. His passion for coaching shows with the way he cares for his players. It goes beyond the court.
Ask Key Suano, Rusell Bunagan, and John Jabonete, his players from the Cebu Institute of Technology-University, where he spent a lot of time with, and you’ll know what we mean.
Coach Edsel Vallena coaching in the VisMin Super Cup
Leaving a legacy
During CDN Digital’s visit to coach Edsel’s home, he actually had five players under his roof—the two others being Adrian German and prospect Jylou Comeros, a raw talent he found in Davao. He is 6-foot-8, by the way, and is still 17 years old.
He takes care of these players like they were his sons. He spends out of his own pocket.
“Para nako, pag makatabang ta, mas maayo kaysa kitay tabangan,” Vallena said.
(For me, whenever I can help, it feels better that being helped.)
Aside from the players he is being a ‘dad’ to, also living in the house are Vallena’s wife, his youngest son, and 84-year-old mother.
Coach Vallena said aside from his love for basketball, he is being a father to some of his players because he wants to leave a legacy.
“When I’m gone, I would want that I would leave a legacy, where players would say I was able to help them,” he said.
Vallena admits what he is doing isn’t easy at times.
“Pinaka challenge gyud nako, ambot matawag bani’g challenge, kanang na hutdan bitaw ka sa budget, niya kabaw ka nga naa kay gipa kaon nga mga anak, kay gi consider man gyud ni nako silang anak. Unsaon nako pag diskarte ba nga makakaon gihapon mi. Pero kalooy sa Diyos naa biya gyuy mo abot,” he said.
(The challenge, I don’t know if we should call it a challenge, is when you run out of budget, and you know you have ‘children’ to feed, because I consider them as my own. How would I make things work so we could still eat. But thank God, there’s always graces that we receive.)
He said he is lucky that he has a very supportive family, especially his wife.
“Swerte kaayo kos akong asawa kay di gyud mo palag!”
(I am so lucky with my wife, she never complains!)
Coach Edsel said he doesn’t expect anything from the players he helps, and he has helped a lot.
“Malipay nako nga ma abot sila sa taas nga inig interviewhon sila, mo ingon ra sila nga ‘salamat kaayo ni coach Edsel Vallena’,” he said.
(I am just happy when times come that when they are interviewed on television, they’d say ‘Thank you to coach Edsel Vallena.’)
Coach Edsel and his Bohol team
Who is coach Edsel Vallena?
Coach Edsel Vallena says he is from Masbate.
He came to Cebu for his education. He studied at the Cebu Central Colleges (now University of Cebu). This is where he started his basketball career.
He said he was discovered while he was playing in the school’s Intramurals.
He made it to the Team B of the school’s varsity then went on to play ‘panalay’ games. This is where he got discovered by another school, the Cebu Institute of Technology, where he would end up playing and coaching at.
His coaching started in 2001, while he was still playing in commercial leagues in Cebu.
An old photo of one of the teams Vallena coached to the crown.
He then became head coach of two different commercial teams and went on to win several titles with each.
With CIT, his first year saw the team getting into the championship round but losing to the University of the Visayas.
Coach Edsel says throughout his long career, he has never gotten tired of coaching.
“Mao nang gi ingon nga ang pinaka importante kay ganahan ka sa imong trabaho, kay di ka kapoyan mo bangon. Pero kung wa ka ka uyon sa imong trabaho, bisan dako pakag sweldo—kapoy man.”
(This is why I say that what’s important is that you like your job, because you really won’t get tired getting up this early. But if you don’t like what you do, even if you’re paid big, you’d be tired to get up.)
As he continued with his day, Vallena set off to drop one of his players, Comeros, to school. He then proceeded to the gym where a basketball team he is a consultant with is practicing.
Vallena says if not tending to the teams he handles here, he runs a basketball clinic.
When he goes back home, he continues taking care of his family, which includes the players who need his help.
Among the players who have learned a thing or two from coach Edsel are Cebuanos Paul Desiderio and JR Quiñahan, both now notable players in the country.
Coach Vallena says he will continue to coach as long as he can, hoping that he will be able to help more basketball players make it to the pros. He also aims to inspire other coaches to not only help teams win championships, but also help players achieve their goals.