Coach Belen, kauna-unahang babaeng mentor sa PBA

ni Gerard Arce - @Sports | August 22, 2021

Matapos maging kauna-unahang female coach o assistant coach sa Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) sa koponan ng TNT Tropang Giga, malaki ang paniniwala ni coach Maureen Kris “Mau” Belen na marami pang mga tulad niyang coach ang nararapat na mabigyang pansin at pagkakataon na madala ang kaalaman sa men’s professional league.

Kasunod ng tiwalang natanggap ng 29-anyos na main statistician ng TNT, mula kay coach Chot Reyes, umaasa ito na gaya niya, marami pang mga kwalipikadong female coaches ang naghihintay lang ng tsansa na makapag-mentor at mag-ambag sa kahusayan ng mga male counterparts sa kauna-unahang professional league sa Asya.

“Even before my generation we’re looking at coaches like Heidi Ong, Julie Amos, Ewon Arayi, there is a lot of female coaches that is very successful in their own field,” wika ni Belen sa weekly TOPS Uspang Sports on Air. “They are more qualified, even, para sa akin, mas qualified sila to be part of the professional basketball coaching staff, I’m not sure why it didn’t happened sooner, but hopefully talaga hindi lang sa women’s league or basketball, but I think they have a chance to prove themselves in the men’s category because alam naman natin yung men’s is more popular than the women’s in our country,” dagdag ni Belen sa programang suportado ng Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), PAGCOR at Games and Amusement Board (GAB).

Naging mahaba rin ang pinagdaanang pagpupursige at pagsusumikap ng dating mentor ng Assumption College, St. Paul Paranaque at ng PNP women’s basketball team, matapos nitong magbalik sa bansa nung 2017 mula sa matagal na pananatili sa Dubai sa United Arab Emirates bilang coach ng Filipino Youth Community roon.

Kaya laking pasasalamat nito sa pagkakataon at tiwalang ibinigay ni coach Chot Reyes na kanyang nakilala sa isang provincial coaches’ seminar na nagbigay sa kanya ng oportunidad na mas matutunan ang mundo ng basketball at ilang mga pamamaraan at mas malalim na pagdetalye sa larangan ng kanilang pampalakasan.

“Up to now, I can’t believe that it happened, yung trust talaga, I’m continuously earning it. It really big, trying to do my best to help him in any way possible. I told him in the beginning, how will I repay him on tiwala na ibinibigay niya sa akin, I’m a small time player, hindi ako multi-titled coaches ng mga university or colleges, but he still puts his trust on me, every single day that I come out of the practice, and I come of the duties sa game I make sure na ginagawa ko yung trabaho ko 100-200%,” paliwanag ni Belen, na tila nagbigay pag-asa at sigla sa mga ibang female coaches na matupad ang pangarap na makakatuntong sa professional league na pinamumunuan ng mga kalalakihan para sa men’s basketball team.

“The women’s basketball community were very happy, that it did happened even it’s a little bit late, pero natuloy pa rin, I’m very honored to be the first one but I don’t want to be the only and last coach in the professional ranks even sa men’s and women’s category. I’m here to finally open the door for female athletes or coaches to be part of the extraordinary sport milestone. Hopefully masundan ito, after pandemic and when everything goes back to normal, sana magtuloy-tuloy na.”