IATF's Allowing Team Practices Helps Regain Sense of Normalcy

We Filipinos love basketball. It's as if we have an undying love affair with the game and that when the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic forced the world of basketball to go on a hiatus, we lost a part of our lives. We lost something that has become a normal part of our daily routines and that is watching basketball regardless if it's the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), or the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the United States. 

Fortunately, basketball is gradually returning to our system as the NBA is set to resume action later this month as 22 teams will be playing eight regular-season games each to determine who will move on to the playoffs. And just yesterday, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Disease has finally allowed professional basketball and football teams to resume team practices upon the request of the PBA as well as that of the football associations in the country. And while this decision coming from the national government doesn't guarantee that the PBA season will resume soon, it moves us a step closer towards seeing the league back to action again. 

For one, allowing "health-enhancing physical activities and sports" to be held means that PBA players can finally begin training again as a team because even though individual players are able to do their workouts at home, being able to practice with your teammates is different and better in terms of being able to build working chemistry with your teammates that will enable you to play as one unit. According to the IATF's resolution, teams will be allowed to hold practices as long as limit it to just four players and one coach of trainer per practice session to control the personnel count inside the practice venue. 

After hearing the government's decision, PBA Commission Willie Marcial said that he and the league are happy with the improvement while adding that he will be meeting with coaches to discuss the additional measures that the league will put in place to avoid further infections. 

Now, what makes the IATF's decision to allow team practices to be held under certain limitations good is that it also helps fans in slowly regaining that sense of normalcy that they have just by watching basketball. And it works both ways for the players and the coaches because if you've been watching the past episodes of "Bull By the Horn" by Benny Benitez, there's always one sentiment that stood out from the players and coaches: they miss playing the game. And more importantly, they miss playing for the fans. After all, basketball has become more than just a game for these players. It has become an integral part of their everyday lives and while we might need to wait a little longer to see actual live games on TV, knowing that our favorite PBA teams are gradually resuming team practices is enough, for now, to know that slowly but surely, the game we all love, will come back to our lives. 

Photo is from philnews.ph