Gone are the good old days when athlete allowances were at a minimum, according to five-time UAAP champion mentor Franz Pumaren.
During last Thursday’s episode of Coaches Unfiltered, presented by SMART and supported by Mighty Sports and Choi Garden, the current Adamson University head coach talked about why recruiting Fil-foreigners has been part of his process.
But compared to a decade ago, he lamented that Fil-fors know how to market themselves.
“It’s so hard to recruit Fil-Ams because they know for a fact kung ano ang recruitment right now, what’s happening in college basketball,” shared Pumaren, who has developed the likes of Mike Cortez, Don Allado, Sean Manganti, and Jerrick Ahanmisi.
“Kaya nga ako, it’s sad for me to say but it’s getting out of control eh.”
Pumaren revealed that a decade ago, an athlete’s allowance would come out around PHP 8,000 to 10,000. It would be enough to cover the daily meals of the student-athletes, since the school already covers their dormitory and tuition expenses.
But now, there are a lot of “bonuses” a player can receive.
Sad to say, regulations will not have an effect on the recruiting wars, the councilor of Quezon City’s third district shared.
“You know a few years ago, one of the board representatives of one of the UAAP schools asked me what’s the ideal allowance for a student-athlete. Sabi ko ang ideal allowance ay nasa eight to ten thousand lang,” Pumaren continued.
“But we have to accept reality — even though you pass that sa board na allowance should be this only, you think hindi mawawala ‘yung other, supposed to be, na good will na binibigay? So hindi na.”
Pumaren, who has coached both in college and in the PBA, shared that even parents have become a part of the recruiting process. They would even see if the “allowances” would cover their daily expenses.
“Ang titignan diyan ng parents, who has the best basketball program? Pero right now talagang secondary na ‘yung basketball program eh, ang leading diyan is what’s in it for the athlete, for the parents and everything.”
Now playing the numbers game, student-athletes have the power to renegotiate, shared Pumaren. And it has resulted in the proliferation of “piracy” from college to college.
“I don’t know if the schools will react. Maybe I hit a nerve, but that’s reality eh, it’s an open secret eh. Kagaya nga nung mga dinevelop kong players eh, ginagamit eh, lumpiat ng eskwela eh, sa tingin mo lumipat ‘yun because of that? Come on, who are you joking ‘di ba? ‘Yun ang sad reality eh.”
