Unbeknownst to most of us, the concept of being an overseas Filipino worker does encompass sport, and not just athletes. In the ultra-competitive Philippine basketball milieu, some coaches are forced to seek employment overseas. There are no organizations or networks to back them up or protect them.
Eric Samson has been a basketball coach for close to two decades, and has been coaching overseas since 2019. Aside from coaching professionally in the MPBL, he has worked in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and even the Maldives. Such a list of locations has presented diverse challenges from living conditions to language barriers, among others. There are also certain sensitivities regarding religion, gender or local customs to be aware of. But one hardship always stands out.
“The longing for the family is the hardest,” admits Samson, who was most recently mentor of Thailand’s women’s national team. “I worry about my wife because when our daughter travels, she’s alone at home. I check on her more than once a day. But it’s part of the job.”
Unfortunately, job security is one thing you cannot count on as a foreign coach. Most contracts are only for a year or even less. The pressure is on to perform well even with new uniform teams and role players. Improvement and qualifying for the next stages of rare tournaments is the only way to guarantee contract extension or renewal. It sounds cruel, but the market dictates what a coach is going to get.
“The contract is usually at least three months,” says Eric, currently coach of the PNP in the UNTV Cup. “You have to show improvement, or make the semifinals. That’s the only way to get extended or renewed.”
So you see, there are many Filipino sportsmen and women who bravely seek employment overseas at great risk with no assurance of tenure. In seeking a better future for their families, while following their passions, they add to the credibility of Philippine sports and expand their knowledge. Along the way, they also build goodwill and facilitate the transfer of technical knowledge to the country. And they do all of this without fanfare or even awareness of their countrymen.