Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Philippines 2016 by Alaska Sets New Tip-Off Attendance Record for Coaches and Youth

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Philippines 2016 presented by Alaska hosted 281 coaches from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao during the coaches clinic while the open clinics trained 1,068 youth from ages 5-16, setting a new attendance record for the Jr. NBA tip-off event at Don Bosco Technical Institute, Makati.

NBA Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson welcomed participants to the ninth consecutive staging of the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Philippines program, which launched its inaugural event in the same venue nine years ago. Harry the Atlanta Hawks mascot and assistant Leighton together with Alaska Aces mascot E-Cow entertained children, parents and coaches with a dance showdown featuring kids from the audience.

Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Philippines 2016 presented by Alaska, running from January 23 to April 24, will teach basketball fundamentals and impart its core values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, a positive Attitude and Respect at the grassroots level to improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents. The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program is free and open to boys and girls between the ages of 10-14.

Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Philippines is comprised of four stages: skills clinics in schools and communities, Regional Selection Camps, a National Training Camp and an NBA experience trip. The skills clinics will be held nationwide from January through April with stops in Bukidnon, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Dagupan, Davao, Iloilo, Metro Manila and Puerto Princesa, and first-time locations in Batangas, Catanduanes and Cavite. Select players from these clinics will have the opportunity to showcase their skills in tryouts during the Regional Selection Camps, which will be held in Baguio (Feb. 20-21), Davao (Feb. 27-28), Cebu (March 5-6) and Metro Manila (April 9-10). The top 50 boys and 24 girls from the Regional Selection Camps will advance to the National Training Camp in Manila April 22-24.

An NBA and WNBA player or legend will be at the National Training Camp which will culminate with the selection of 10 Jr. NBA and five Jr. WNBA All-Stars who will enjoy an overseas NBA experience trip together with fellow Jr. NBA All-Stars from Southeast Asia. The 2015 Jr. NBA All-Stars traveled to China to watch the NBA Global Games in Shenzhen featuring the Charlotte Hornets and the L.A. Clippers.

“The Jr. NBA Philippines is the league’s longest-running youth basketball program outside the United States,” said NBA Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson. “The program continues to positively impact the lives of children, parents, and coaches, and reinforces the positive values that go beyond the four corners of the court. Together with Alaska, we are committed to providing world-class basketball instruction to more communities to further our mission of encouraging an active lifestyle among Filipino youth.”

“These holistic programs train children to be confident, disciplined and hardworking because Alaska Milk Corporation aims to prepare them to be winners in life in the future,” said Alaska Marketing Director Blen Fernando. “Moreover, this year’s program includes new locations such as Batangas, Catanduanes and Cavite to reach more children and coaches and discover unique talents across the country.”

In addition to the player camps and clinics, the search for the 2016 Jr. NBA Coach of the Year will begin on Jan. 22 in Manila, which will be led by Jr. NBA Head Coaches Craig Brown and Chris Sumner along with Alaska Power Camp Coach Jeff Cariaso. Ten Jr. NBA and four Jr. WNBA coaches will be selected as finalists and trained at the National Training Camp.

Through the promotion of proper nutrition and an active lifestyle, Jr. NBA /Jr. WNBA presented by Alaska continues to be an effective platform in implementing Alaska Milk’s NUTRITION.ACTION.CHAMPION. program that helps address the issue of overweight and undernourished children in the Philippines.

CloudFone, Gatorade, and Globe Telecom serve as Official Partners of the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA in the Philippines, while Spalding is a Supporting Partner. ABS-CBN Sports + Action, Basketball TV and NBA Premium TV are the Official NBA Broadcasters of the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA in the Philippines.

The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program is free and open to boys and girls ages 10-14. Coaches and participants can now register online at www.jrnba.asia/philippines, where the program terms and conditions can be found.

Fans can also follow Jr. NBA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jrnbaphilippines. For all things NBA, visit www.nba.com and follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/philsnba) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/nba_philippines).

To learn more about the Alaska Milk Corporation, visit www.alaskamilk.com and www.playph.com.