Hoop Coaches International, in partnership with Phoenix Petroleum, Philippine Airlines, and Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines, hosted a two-day coaching clinic last June 18-19 at the Kerry’s Sports Arena in Shangri-La at The Fort in Taguig City.
The clinic, Mastering the Dribble Drive Motion Offense with Coach Vance Walberg, was conducted by none other than Vance Walberg, the proponent of the dribble-drive motion (DDM) offense. The veteran coach was in Manila for almost a week attending basketball-related activities.
“The whole visit has been great,” said Walberg of his visit and coaching clinic in the country for the first time. “Coach Ariel [Vanguardia] and his family had been really great to me and my wife. I had a good time,” the Sacramento Kings assistant coach added.
Regarding his thoughts about the whole seminar, Walberg was positive with the way things turned out for him and the coaches who took part in it.
“I think the coaching clinic went well. We taught a lot of things at them; there’s a lot of learning, a lot of teaching, but I think the majority of the people really enjoyed it,” the former Pepperdine University head coach stated.
The first day of the coaching clinic started with the introduction to the DDM, and then proceeded to fundamental zones and position breakdowns. Walberg also taught 4-man drills and dribble-drive scheme formations after transitions. The day capped off with the Daily 45 Drills, which is the lifeline of the DDM that helps players get accustomed to the system.
The second and final session of the clinic focused on setting up full and half court presses; how to utilize the dribble-drive against zone defenses; 1-2-4, 2-3-4, and 1-4-5 breakdown drills; and dribble-drive plays. The clinic concluded with Walberg putting all together the topics discussed about the DDM.
Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters and De La Salle University Green Archers were the teams who participated and served as Walberg’s players in demonstrating the whole system bits by bits for coaches to thoroughly analyze and understand.
Notable coaches from the Philippine Basketball Association were also in attendance, such as Barangay Ginebra Head Coach Tim Cone along with his assistant coach Richard Del Rosario, and Star Hotshots Head Coach Jason Webb.
The Walberg session was a brainchild of Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters Head Coach Ariel Vanguardia’s desire to bring in foreign coaches to the country to conduct clinics and impart knowledge in front of his fellow Filipino coaches.
“I thought of this [almost] twenty years ago, when I started coaching in ’97. I thought of bringing someone here so the coaches won’t have to travel to the US,” said Vanguardia.
Vanguardia, who has become a disciple of the dribble-drive system as he goes back into the professional league, was all praises for the event’s turnout.
“It was a success. It was a dream come true to bring him (Walberg) here,” said the former Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers head coach, who was the one who invited the American coach six months ago to come over to the Philippine shores.
The former Talk ‘N’ Text assistant coach admitted that the whole coaching clinic was not just a plain clinic; the proceeds of the event will go to charity, particularly to the medical assistance funds of his mentor back in College of St. Benilde, Coach Bong Go, for whom he served as an assistant coach in 1997.
“He suffered a stroke. It was his third one two years ago, so he’s not at a hundred percent. He can barely walk. Siya nagturo sa akin, kaya thankful ako sa kanya. I wish he was here,” he shared.
Now that the Walberg clinic has wrapped up and garnered success, Vanguardia revealed his and Hoop Coaches International’s plans for the coming months.
“We’ll try to bring in another NBA coach by September, pero ‘di pa sure kung sino. I’ve been talking to Mike Budenholzer (current Atlanta Hawks Head Coach) dahil nag-observe ako last year sa kanya. And kay Darvin Ham (current Atlanta Hawks Assistant Coach) din, player ko dati sa Talk N Text,” he stated.
