Rollers eyeing two trips to PH in 2012

The Rollers Basketball Club has multiple off-island competitions lined up for 2012, two of which includes the group’s first-ever journey to the Philippines.

Head coach Joe Diaz and the Rollers were invited by Tamuning Typhoons Basketball Club head coach Else Ulloa to travel together and compete in the 2012 Manila-Pacific Rim Goodwill Games slated from July 23 to July 30. The two clubs will field teams in the U14B and U15B age groups.

“This is an exciting opportunity for our players and although we have a lot of fundraising to do, I have faith in my boys. We have never traveled this far before and I think it will be a great experience for the kids,” said Joe Diaz in an interview Tuesday.

The RBC’s adult Rollers, meanwhile, are planning its second appearance in Guam’s March Madness tournament and will travel alongside the Typhoons to appear in its own competition in the Philippines later in November.

After facing stiff competition its first time around, the Rollers were invited back to the March Madness tourney to contend in the recreational division.

Being the start of a new year, RBC is currently collecting membership renewals and new members are always welcome.

The group has a lot of activities lined up for 2012 and was fortunate to pick up some more coaches in 2011.

John Dela Cruz and Eli Rangamar have come in to help coach RBC’s youth divisions along with veteran players Paul Camacho and Fred Litulumar.

RBC’s David Diaz and Lawrence and Rainer DeLeon Guerrero are the next generation of seasoned players that also help out as recreational referees. Various other players also volunteer as table officials along with Diaz’s fiancé Verna Babauta.

According to Diaz, Litulumar and Camacho have been refereeing for about two years and both underwent first-level referee certification through Unified Basketball Association. Rufino Aguon and James Lee instructed the course.

Diaz hopes the pair continues to progress as referees because it would have a great impact on the reputation of the club.

“All of these guys serve as excellent mentors not just because they invest a lot of time in developing our younger guys not just as players but as people. They coach, oversee practices, and I particularly like the idea of Fred and Paul taking on the challenge to serve as certified referees,” said Diaz.

Notably, Rangamar has ties to FIBA and may help the duo register for some of its training courses in the future. Camacho and Litulumar currently hold a Level 0 recreational referee status.

Looking back to last year, Diaz observed significant improvement in his U15 Docomo Rollers.

“Everyone is coming along great across the board, but the Docomo guys have been playing together for two years now and their chemistry really shined through in 2011. I am proud of the way they competed in Guam and am really looking forward to see what they do this year,” said Diaz.

Diaz noted Irvyn Malonzo, Prince Factor, J.P. Iglesias, Emerson Feria, Ted Divero, Toshi Pangelinan, Sam Darag, Mike Espinosa, and Alcor Admana as just some of the most improved players in 2011.

Right now, the club is finishing up its 2nd Annual IT&E Youth Christmas Tournament, which was originally scheduled from Dec. 28 to 30, but had to be postponed due to rain. The U12, U15, and U17 division championship matches start tonight at 5pm in Garapan.

Then after a two-week break, the RBC convoy will take part in the Garapan Community Development Center’s Family Fun-A-Thon on Jan. 28.

The event features a 3-on-3 basketball tournament where the whole family can get on the action. There will also be volleyball and other various side games.

Medals and prizes will be awarded to the top two place finishers of their respective divisions. Awards will also be presented to the winners of GCDC’s 3-on-3 Christmas Basketball Tournament held last December.

The Family Fun-A-Thon is open to the public as the purpose of GCDC’s event is to get the word out to the public that its services are ready and available.

The GCDC offers daily after-school programs and forms of counseling throughout he week.

In February, the RBC plans to send its U15 players over to Tinian for some camping mixed with some healthy competition on the hardwood.

Then the next big mark on its calendar is the group’s fourth appearance in Guam’s Take Care Thanksgiving Hoop Fest.

“The Guam trip is by far what my players have looked forward to the most in recent years. The best part is that they have shown a lot of improvement and I am really curious to see how well they fare this year. We won a few recreational divisions, so we might mix things up and assemble more than one team in the competitive divisions,” said Diaz.

Diaz also said he might focus on bringing only the RBC’s younger age groups and work separately with his older players.

“I want to mesh together my U18 players with the adults in an effort to create a more diverse squad with a variety of weapons. I think both the older and the younger up-and-coming players will benefit from the move. I’ve also found that it’s just too hard to watch overall five age divisions at once. I think things would run smoother in general if we break it up into two main groups,” said Diaz.

The RBC is just shy of 100 members in five age divisions and its youth classes hold weekly practice sessions at the Garapan Basketball Court.

There is $70 annual fee to become a member. The money goes to uniforms, water, ice, and incentives for coaches and referees. Members will also receive an ID badge, which can be redeemed for various local discounts.

They play basketball year round, conduct a variety of creative independent fundraisers, and participate in a number of civil services such as beach clean ups.

Call RBC’s Diaz at 285-4141 for more information or email joediaz41@gmail.com. You can also visit www.rollersbasketballclub.yolasite.com or look them up on Facebook.