(Conclusion)
Coach Joe Lipa throughout his remarkable coaching life has influenced those who’ve become an even bigger influence on a generation that genuinely loves the game of basketball.
Derived from whose respective achievements, be it a player, coach, executive, or sports journo, they have shaped the Filipino’s perception and opinion about the game, which is practiced in the country like it is a religion. The featured personalities in CJL’s memoir, whom he mentored barely scratch the iceberg tip as to the actual number of people the burly, Bobby Knight protege whose lives he has touched. In fact, during his almost half a century engagement, it can run in the thousands at least.
Being considered a trailblazer for the grassroots programs in the private school sector during the 1990s, as the founder of both the Xavier Basketball Academy (XBA) and the Ateneo Basketball School (ABS), a continuous wave of learners/athletes are produced on an annual basis under the foundational precepts CJL has established.
Then of course, his nationwide acclaim as the father of provincial basketball due to the tournament of varsity titlists he instituted in the early 2000s, has impacted the lives involved in these noble endeavors for the propagation of the sport. Aligned with CJL’s desire to instill the core values he stands for, above and beyond everything else, being kind to one another and being a better human being is where he places a premium.
Please see the current versions of the Alvin Patrimonios, Alan Caidics, Samboy Lims, Yeng Guiaos, Ronnie Magsanocs, Eric Altamiranos, Benjie Parases, Alfrancis Chuas, Ricky Dandans, Jojo Villas, Milton Yus, Chino Trinidads, Goldwin Monteverdes, of the world, and a host of others who demonstrate genuine empathy and kindness.
They all stood on CJL’s broad shoulders of greatness, to provide them with a vantage point to see what their future versions would be like. The mentor sharing his vision to his ward is and always be priceless, just because Coach Joe Lipa sowed the seeds of tough love.
(Sonny “Peter” Regalado Lopez, is currently a player development coach, marketing communications consultant, and book author. He collaborated with coach Joe Lipa in publishing Basketball 101, a book that aims to coach the coaches and provide reference material for Physical Education teachers in the K to 12 curricula. The 53-year-old Lopez is a San Beda College, Manila, BSC Marketing Management graduate, who currently is working on publishing the memoirs of great coaches Joe Lipa, SJLC’s Larry Albano, and San Beda’s, late Edmundo ‘Ato’ Badolato, all in coffee table book format.)