Allen Ricardo faces a busy schedule ahead as he juggles coaching two teams at the same time.
Ricardo was recently named the interim head coach for Colegio de San Juan de Letran's seniors basketball team that will run concurrently with his coaching job for the school's juniors squad, which is currently seeing action in the NCAA juniors basketball tournament.
Ricardo, however, stressed time management will be the key, especially in handling two proud programs.
"We'll take it day by day so kailangan lang i-manage ‘yung schedule but ayun lang naman ‘yung commitment ko so I guess manageable naman to handle nang sabay," Ricardo said following Squires' 88-72 upset loss to San Beda University on Friday, just hours after being named the temporary coach.
(We'll take it day by day so we just need to manage the schedule but that's my only commitment so I guess it's manageable to handle both teams.)
Ricardo, a Letran alumnus, said he will convene the Knights next week to kick off the offseason training, adding that the Knights have not been practicing in close to two months now.
After gathering all players for weeks, Ricardo and his coaching staff, which will be composed of the same deputies he has in the juniors ranks, will select 25 to 30 players who will be part of the program. He added that some 50 players are currently in the fold, which includes players from provinces and amateur leagues.
"I guess by next week, Monday or Tuesday, magsisimula na kami ng training so more than 50 players ata ‘yon," Ricardo, who led the Squires to Season 98 championship, said.
"Parang 38 holdovers, kasama na ‘yung Team A at Team B doon and then may mga dumating pa form Pampanga, from the UAAP, and from other NCAA schools so we're trying to select kung sino ‘yung makukuha doon sa top 25 to 30."
(I guess by next week, Monday or Tuesday, we will start training so I think that's more than 50 players. That's almost 38 holdovers, including Team A and Team B, then others from Pampanga, the UAAP, and other NCAA schools so we're trying to select who will be included in the top 25 to 30.)
While he will get his hands full with the two jobs, Ricardo said his focus remains on leading the Squires to rare back-to-back juniors titles, stressing he can't say for sure whether he will accept a permanent Knights coaching job if ever he gets the offer.
"Hindi ko pa masagot as of now, we'll see from there kung ano ‘yung magiging resulta dito sa juniors. Kumbaga ‘yung focus ko andito muna sa juniors," he said.
"For the meantime, while naghahanap pa sila ng head coach, I guess, magdadalawang buwan na atang walang practice ‘yung college team. For the meantime, sasaluhin ko muna while naghahanap sila ng coach."
(I can't answer that right now, we'll see from the juniors tournament what will be the results. I'll focus here first. For the meantime, while they are looking for a head coach, I guess it's almost two months of no practices in the college team. For the meantime, I'll run it.)
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
