Raising champions through sports

MANILA, Philippines - Many parents acknowledge that engaging their kids in sports is undeniably one of the best tools in molding them into well-rounded adults with a fit body and a sound mind. And this was evident during the NCR finals of the 27th SBP-Passerelle, where kids competed for the chance to win the title of the country’s most prestigious inter-school competition.

Organized by The BEST Center, the Milo-sponsored SBP-Passerelle has been providing kids ages 9-11 and 12-14 a platform to showcase their basketball skills on a national level, as well as foster camaraderie and sportsmanship among the participating schools, the players, and parents.

 “We are very thankful for the confidence and support schools and parents have been giving us through all these years,” says BEST Center founder Nic Jorge. “And we are also proud to have a lot of participants whose parents are either past graduates of BEST Center or have competed in SBP-Passerelle, proving that they see the value of being part of the clinic and the program.”

Coach Binky Favis, whose son Vincent Karlo played for the winning De La Salle-Zobel team during the SBP NCR finals, believes that every parent should encourage their kids to engage in at least one sport.

Also present to support the games and cheer for his son Migo was Rodney Santos who played for some of the biggest teams in the PBA. “I always accompany Migo to all his games to support and guide him. I believe that activities like this where kids can learn values like teamwork and discipline should not be relegated to their yayas.”

Vanni and Maricel Jugo are proud parents who saw improvement in their son Julian. “Julian developed discipline. He started taking care of his body by sleeping early and became more focused not just on his game, but on his studies as well,” says a beaming Maricel. “Most importantly, Julian has developed a winning attitude,” adds Vanni.

While some parents may consider their kids’ getting into sports as an unnecessary expense, many other parents believe that the benefits gained by their kids in competitions as prestigious as BEST Center’s SBP-Passerelle far outweigh the time and money they spend.  As coach Binky Favis aptly explains, “It’s an investment for the future of their children because the experience will teach them lessons that will last them a lifetime.”

The SBP–Passerelle Visayas finals was held at the Iloilo Sports Complex last October 20-21. This was followed by the Luzon finals last November 3-4 at the University of Assumption in Pampanga.  The Mindanao finals is slated on November 17-18 in Davao with the national finals happening on December 1-2 at the Capiz Gym in Roxas City.