Summer vacation. Two words that makes every parent either shriek in delight–or fright.
Yes, we love having our kids home without the stress and routine of schoolwork. However, it can be difficult for kids to entertain themselves. Two months with the kids can be a great time to bond with your children and maybe even let your own inner child come out to play. But if done wrong it can also be one of the most stressful times of the year (the other ofcourse is Christmas) as kids can misbehave out of boredom or maybe they’re missing school.
So now that we are in the midst of the summer holidays, its best to prepare yourself with an arsenal of activities to keep the little ones busy and out of mischief—and that doesn’t mean giving them gadgets to watch YouTube or play mobile games all day.
For most of us, summer meant freedom — freedom from school, freedom from schedules, and freedom from routine.
Now stop and think about the summers you spent as a kid.
Our family didn’t travel much, and since our parents were too busy running the family business, we had to learn how to keep ourselves entertained. There was no cable TV yet, no internet but we did have a SEGA which was enough for us.
The other thing I loved about summer was being able to play outside all day. I might not look the least bit sporty but believe me, I played basketball with my siblings all day. We’d go home sunburnt and all sweaty, but as soon as the sun starts setting, we’d play basketball some more.
But as much as we loved playing basketball, there weren’t a lot of basketball clinics back then to develop our skills unlike today.
Last week, I met up with my friend Yugel who enrolled his kid Ryde to Cholo Camp at the Colegio de San Agustin. And I must admit, seeing all those kids brought back a lot of childhood memories, I almost signed up for Cholo camp, but alas! I’m a few years (make that decades) too late hahaha. (they only accept kids –both boys and GIRLS! aged 3 to 18.)
Now I’ve seen Ryde’s Facebook videos of him playing basketball with kids much bigger than him and the kids got game and now I know how he got those skills.
Cholo Camp: Setting a new benchmark in basketball training
Before he became Coach Cholo, Pocholo Iñigo Villanueva helped De La Salle Green Archers to the UAAP championship (becoming finals co-MVP with JVee Casio). He then played for the PBA with Burger King and Global Port. But coaching seemed to be more of Cholo’s passion and he soon joined his former DLSU Coach, Franz Pumaren as the Assistant Coach of Shopinas which was renamed later on to be Air21. He also joined the Coaching Staff of JRU (Jose Rizal College) under Vergel Meneses’ leadership helping them get into the Final Four of the NCAA once again.
To further hone his coaching skill, he joined the coaching staff of both DLSU under Franz Pumaren and three PBA teams. And then he coached the DLSU Graduate School, Jose Rizal University, and other commercial teams. He currently coaches the Makati Super Crunch Team of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League and the DLSU ladies team.
We got to chat a bit with Coach Cholo who took a short break from personally “teaching” his students. So it wasn’t surprising that he knows every student.
He says Cholo Camp began five years ago, as his way of giving back to his high school alma mater, “I wanted to give back something to my high school alma mater Colegio San Agustin. I believe that building a grassroots basketball program and developing kids with passion for the sport would pave the way for future college or professional prospects,” he said.
“A good basketball skill set can be acquired, especially by the young wired to embrace the beloved sport,” How it’s actually achievable depends on the know-how and its proper execution.”
The camp had its roots in a small village court in Paranaque City nearly a decade ago, with Coach Cholo using his spare time to teach kids during one summer. His initial training sessions with some young players prompted them to dub the activity Cholo Camp.
In 2014, Cholo Camp was officially launched in Colegio San Agustin in Dasmarinas Village, Coach Cholo’s alma mater, as part of its summer basketball program. It was immediately extended in the school year calendar because parents were happy with the newly-instituted Camp. Now it is annually running five programs. It has even branched out to De La Salle Integrated School and Colegio San Agustin Bulacan.
Cholo Camp has since emerged as one of the most sought after and most effective basketball programs for the youth with year round programs and several other venues besides CSA.
Just like his training program, Cholo Camp is running like one cohesive unit—running a one-stop shop carrying out basketball activities attuned to the current times.
Parents have admired Cholo Camp for it knows how to handle kids and adults alike. Coach Cholo himself trains and orients members of his staff in accordance to the level of quality and values the Camp is now known for.
Yugel said since Ryde joined the Camp, he has improved a lot in various aspects of the game. “For one, exposing him to a shooting program really helped in developing that particular skill of his. And he’s also shown more discipline and focus when playing. It’s a big bonus that Cholo’s voice possesses that authority and calmness that the children need in following instructions and absorbing the takeaways.”
Check out one of Ryde’s plays in the video link below:
https://www.facebook.com/kaye.villagomez/videos/10157256043171202/
The Camp now has an average of 150 players per program; and holds five programs every year—three during the schoolyear and two in summer. It is present in Colegio San Agustin-Makati, Colegio San Agustin—Bulacan, De La Salle University Integrated School, and Beacon International School. Around 15 to 18 coaches exposed to intensive training themselves handle each program.
Each training program in Cholo Camp is basically a stretch of 10 training days, two hours each session, and significantly focused on a particular facet of the game like shooting and ball handling.
In Cholo Camp, each student, boy or girl within the age bracket of 4-18, is taught to value physical, social, and moral development. Youngsters are being developed to be ballers with basic and competitive skills, basketball IQ, manners, and class. More importantly Coach Cholo promises a more personal approach to training making sure that each kid is evaluated for their skills strengths and areas they need to improve on.
Team Cholo Camp is composed of a good mix of coaches with experience in professional playing, coaching, and pre-school teaching, professional referees, licensed P.E. teachers, physical therapists, and varsity players. A good working environment is critical to the success of Cholo Camp with a personnel equipped with knowledge, patience, and values running the training hours.
Cholo Camp is also into organizing leagues and tournaments, and customized training.
In championing the youth, Cholo Camp also partnered with Kuya Center for Street Children, primarily to host basketball camps in communities with street children, for free. This year, a ten-day basketball camp, twice a week is set to begin on April 24 and end on May 29.
We asked him if using his name added more pressure, to which he replied, “I like to think that putting my actual name on the label keeps me on my toes. I mean, this is my personal mark. The whole program is reflective of me. Cholo Camp is a way for me to contribute to the basketball community. Aside from teaching basketball and sports values to kids, it also employs coaches and referees who share the same enthusiasm about basketball and teaching.”
(For inquiries, visit their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CholoCampor call +63 939 910 6743)
