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NLEX Head Coach Yeng Guiao. Photo by Tristan Tamayo / INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – The prospect of playing and living within a bubble environment is intriguing as it is closely monitored due to the health concerns surrounding COVID-19 and the fact that it will be held for the first time in the history of the PBA.
It has pros and cons that the league can resume its 2020 season, but at the same time, big adjustments and sacrifices will have to be made as players try to get used to being locked in Clark, Pampanga for the duration of the match. bubble.
Away from their families and with no fans present, players will experience an environment like no other and it is this scenario that NLEX head coach Yeng Guiao has been preparing his players for.
“Several weeks ago, when we learned there was a possibility of a bubble, I was already psychologically preparing them during our meetings at Zoom and in our practice,” Guiao said in a conversation with Inquirer Sunday.
“I kept reminding the players that this is not a walk in the park, this is not a picnic or a vacation.”
The league will begin hitting the bubble on September 26 and will stay at the Quest Hotel with team games starting the following day and official matches beginning October 9 through mid-December, where a champion of the Philippine Cup.
With the threat of the virus ever present, strict protocols have been put in place including regular testing and limited movement.
Once inside the bubble, nobody can get out and those who leave will not be able to return.
“You have to be psychologically prepared and the full concentration is on basketball for 24 hours,” Guiao said. “Your goal is to improve yourself, be competitive, win games, so for more than two months your goal is basketball.”
“Psychologically, it is really a burden. We need to follow the protocols, and we have been trying to instill it in their minds. “
To help players and those who live in the bubble cope, the league has already prepared access to golf courses, water sports facilities, swimming pools, a horse ranch and indoor sports such as billiards and table tennis.
Guiao, who does not play golf, said that the mere presence of a wide open space filled with greenery will be enough for anyone to relax, but it is always best if you enjoy the surroundings while winning.
“Personally I don’t play golf, maybe the players who do enjoy it, but the simple activity of walking among the trees, the grass, the fresh air will be enough. There are facilities, but eventually you will get bored after two weeks, ”Guiao said. “Perhaps the consolation is that if you continue to win, then it is easier to accept the fact that you are living in a bubble. But if you are losing, it will be more difficult. “
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