GETTING TO KNOW THE MAN BEHIND THE DLSU COACH!

   

Coach Gee Abanilla.   

Everything is serious business!

The team intently watching tapes with the coaches.

With the UAAP season coming close, I have been following the pre-season leagues to see how the La Salle team is doing.  I made sure to catch their first game against San Beda and also their first game under Coach Gee Abanilla.  I had no expectations regarding the team because it was still too early to have any conclusions based on one game after such a big revamp.

However there was something that intrigued me and I just couldn’t shake it off.  Who is Gee Abanilla? Many of us know the name but very few really knew much about the person. 

I have had the good fortune of interviewing Coach Franz Pumaren many times and always had something new that I learned about him.  However, I knew nothing about Coach Gee except that he has coached in the PBA, PBL, NCAA (with College of St, Benilde) and even was a member of the coaching staff of the national team.

So, I asked around.  Both my sons Tony and Aaron, who are with AKTV, said that he is really low key   and very nice guy.  That’s as far as I got.

With the help of Nongnong Calanog of the Office of Sports Development, I was able to get an appointment to interview Gee Abanilla beforE team practice on May 17. 

I got to Razon Gym at 1:00 pm and not long after Nongnong brought me to meet with Gee.  After the usual introductions, we both sat down and began the interview.

My first impression of Coach Gee was quite surprising.  He looked very calm and collected.  He was very amiable and most importantly (as my sons had told me) he seemed a like really nice guy.

Gee is a full blooded Lasallian, having gone to De La Salle Zobel for grade school and high school and to DLSU for college.  When he got to DLSU, La Salle was still not a member of the UAAP.  He enrolled in engineering and also tried out for the basketball team.

However because of scheduling difficulties, he decided to discontinue trying out for the team to concentrate on his studies.  This all changed when La Salle was finally accepted into the UAAP.  He decided to switch to Lia-Com, tried out and made the team, then coached by Derrick Pumaren. 

Gee has had almost a decade of coaching experience.  He was once an assistant coach during the Franz Pumaren era.  His first stint as head coach in collegiate basketball was with the College of St. Benilde.  However, because he had so much on his plate at that time, he felt guilty that he could not give CSB the attention that was expected of him.  So, with a heavy heart, he had to give up that position.  That tells a lot about him.

Green Mind (GM):  What did you feel like when you were formally informed that you would be the head coach of La Salle?

Gee: When people were telling me that I was going to be the head coach, I did not really believe it.  Then I got a call from Br. Bernie for a meeting and that’s when I realized that it was true.  I felt really surprised, very happy but most of all extremely honored that I had been chosen because it was an opportunity for me to give back to the school that gave me so much.  I would not be who I am today if not for the education that I got from La Salle.

GM:  Was coaching La Salle something that you really wanted?

As a coach, especially in the early years, I always dreamt of something big.  Being young and ambitious, it was always a goal for selfish reasons.  Now after many years as a coach it’s no longer about me.  It is about developing players and giving back to the school and that is what my Lasallian education has taught me.

GM:  What do you look for in a player?

By the time you make it to a collegiate team, it is obvious that the skills are there.  That is not enough for me though.  I look for 3 things: 

The first is impeccable work ethics.  I look not just for their work ethics on the court but also in their academics.  I take the term “student athlete” very seriously.  You can have all the work ethic on the court but if you don’t have it in class, it’s not enough. 

The second is discipline.  Again this is not just discipline on the court but off the court as well.  As a player, you represent a prestigious institution that is La Salle.  Discipline is also what gives one focus and direction in life which is absolutely necessary.

The third is character.  I want to impart to them that they should never give up, whether it be on the basketball court or anywhere else. They need to realize that when you fall you can rise again. Learn why you fell and when you pick yourself up, you will definitely be better.

I want them to learn that they have to build self confidence.  They need to learn that they are part of a team and act as such. 

More importantly they have to build the character needed to be a Christian Gentleman and thus becoming a pride for their Alma Mater. This is most often the hardest to teach but it is what bears the biggest results.  If you strive to improve, it also means that you evaluate yourself to see what areas you need to improve on.  The humility that comes with this is also what creates character.

I know full well that not all these kids will not be professional basketball players and if I can impart just these three things to them, then they will have the tools to succeed whether they become pro basketball players, bankers, doctors or whatever they choose to become in the future. 

GM:  Is it true that you did not know the La Salle players when you took on the head coaching job?

Gee: (Laughter)  Yes it’s true.  I watch college basketball simply to enjoy myself.  As coaches in the pro league, when we watch PBA games,   we watch it differently.  We scrutinize it.  We dissect it.  However, when I watch La Salle play, it’s simply to enjoy the game.

GM:  So how did you start, when you were chosen to coach DLSU?

Gee:  I started with putting together a coaching staff.  The coaching staff was actually formed by accident.  At first Coach Juno Sauler declined because of his extreme workload.  I am so happy that he re-considered and now is a part of the staff. 

Then a friend called me up asking if there was an opening for Jun.  After he retired from the pros, he hibernated for awhile, which is normal for retired players to do.  When we finally got to talk, I felt his hibernation was over and I felt it was a good opportunity for him and for us to get together, after all Jun was a tremendous player and now I am finding out that he is also a very good coach.

Finally, Mac Cuan and Tyrone Bautista joined us.  I was very fortunate to have been able to get Mac and Tyrone.  Their contributions will definitely fit perfectly with the system we have in place.

The icing on the cake was when Coach Joe Ward joined us.  He is a great skills and conditioning coach.  He has worked with NBA players like Leandro Barbosa.

Then we had to create a system.  This is the backbone of a team.  Each coach has his own system and I had the good fortune of being under some of the best coaches in the country. I was able to pick up so much from them.  Finally, once the system is set, the team has to believe and buy into that system.

GM:  What do you expect from this year’s team?

Gee: I only expect one thing and that is to consistently improve.  We the coaches push the players hard and so far we have not been disappointed.  Jun works with the big guys and he is a no-nonsense person.  Mac Cuan works with the guards and I am happy at the progress there.

I know that the Alumni are expecting big things this year.  We have not had much success in the last few years and I hope that we are able to succeed this year.  My immediate goal is the Final Four.  After that anything can happen.

GM: My observation is that the team lacks a true leader in the mold of a Renren, TY Tang, Jayvee Casio and Pocholo Villanueva to name a few.  It has always been a trademark of all our championship teams.  Do you have one now?

Gee: Well we have couple of players who are stepping up.  We hope to develop their leadership skills.  However the most important element is not who we the coaches think should be that leader, but rather who the team will accept and respect that person.

GM: One question that I am sure the entire La Salle community would want me to ask you is what you are doing to improve our consistently horrendous foul shooting?  We have lost many games because of this and it has plagued us for so many years.

Gee:  We the coaches have seen this and are working on it.  Foul shooting is all about focus, concentration and repetition.  Coach Joe Ward looks at each player and evaluates their style.  If he sees that the process is really off, then he makes big adjustments.  If he sees that it just needs tweaking, then he will do so as required.

Realistically, most of these players can make their foul shots.  They make them during practice. However, during a actual game, when you are taking a foul shot, you are alone.  No one is guarding you and therefore it’s just you, the ball and the goal.  That’s where I go back to the 3 things we talked about earlier. Work ethics, discipline and character.

GM:  Thank you so much for your time coach.  It’s nice to know that a pure home grown talent is back in the helm of our basketball team.

Gee:  You are very welcome and please come anytime. 

As I walked to the court to watch some of the practice, I saw the whole team huddled around a large TV set watching videos as coach Juno Sauler was talking.  I have always believed that technology is sports’ best friend.   Coach Juno was breaking down plays on the TV scream and the look of extreme concentration from the team was evident. 

Aside from Coach Juno’s voice, every player was quiet and had their eyes glued to the screen.

I found Coach Gee to be a very pleasing person.  I was impressed by his coaching philosophy that extends further than basketball.  I liked his cool and unassuming personality.  However, the one thing that impressed me most was his obvious Lasallian values.

In my next article, I will talk about the Filoil Tournament, where we finished 2^nd, having beaten UAAP Champion Ateneo, NCAA Champion San Beda and defending champion San Sebastian. 

I would just want congratulate the National University Bulldogs for winning the championship.  This is a good team with an excellent coach.


(PHOTOS BY: RAFFY JAVIER CSB 109)