New De La Salle University head coach Topex Robinson has made it his mission to protect his players and instill in them the values of fair play and sportsmanship.
Robinson’s dedication was put on full display during a recent game against St. Clare in the 2023 FilOil EcoOil Preseason Cup, where he experienced his first ejection as head coach.
With just a little over three minutes remaining in the third quarter, Robinson was ejected after receiving his second technical foul for entering the court in a fit of fury.
His emotions had been ignited when he witnessed St. Clare’s Richard Victoriano blatantly clutching the jersey of Penny Estacio while defending the ball, despite the referee’s failure to make the call.
While forced to watch the remainder of the game in the locker room, Robinson remained resolute in his commitment to the well-being and development of his players.
“The reason we joined this league is to give our players an opportunity to learn from us,” he explained after his team’s hard-fought 83-74 victory against the Saints.
“And if we see something, especially me, that the referee is not seeing, obviously they have their own perspective, and I’m not a referee, so I can’t judge. But I’m going to protect these guys, whether or not I get thrown out. My priority is to convey to them that we’re teaching them the right way to play.”
This was not Robinson’s first encounter with technical fouls during the game. Earlier, at the 6:10 mark of the second quarter, he had received his first technical foul for passionately objecting to what he perceived as an unfair call against Bright Nwankwo.
Despite his ejection, the Green Archers triumphed over their opponents, to sweep their pool.
Robinson’s actions may have revealed an unusual side of his character, but he wasted no time expressing remorse for his behavior.
“That’s part of our growth, putting them in situations where we teach them what is right,” shared Robinson, who credited his staff headed by Caloy Garcia, Gian Nazario, and JB Sison for steadying the ship. “And if I don’t see it being properly implemented, I should be asking them about it. I’m sorry if I went overboard, but you have to go beyond what is necessary to send a message to them. I’ll never hold it against them; it’s their job, and I’m here to do mine as a coach.
“But I will always protect my players.”
