Coach Shaq has extra motivation this upcoming season.
It wasn’t just player movement that made headlines in the PVL offseason.
Teams also decided to make some changes to their respective coaching staff, some even bringing in foreign mentors to take charge for the upcoming season.
Of course, the Nxled Chameleons got a headstart late last season, with coach Taka Minowa coming in from Japan to take the reigns of the rookie PVL team n the Second All-Filipino Conference.
And with the Chameleons seeing some success, the team won four games in their debut conference, other teams have taken notice.
[ALSO READ: Nxled rising stars express true feelings about coach Taka Minowa after debut season in PVL]
During the offseason, the Farm Fresh Foxies decided to try their luck with foreign help, inviting Kurashiki Ablaze coach Hideo Suzuki as the team’s consultant, while also hiring Master Shimizu to help with training Foxies. Coach Suzuki of course, guided the Ablaze to victory in the 2023 Invitational Conference.
It doesn't stop there.
The Petro Gazz Angels also recently announced Koji Tsuzurabara as its new head coach, a late blockbuster to the pre-season activities.
But daunting as it may be, Cignal HD Spikers coach Shaq Delos Santos is welcoming the challenge of facing highly-touted foreign coaches in the league.
“Ang good thing, for me, mas macha-challenge kami bilang local coach na meron dumadating na foreign coach,” Delos Santos told select reporters. “Siyempre para sa amin, ang laking opportunity rin ito na ito kalaban naming na coach eh, so kailangan ma-prove din naming sa sarili namin na meron kaming kayang gawin na I think puwedeng manalo or puwede mas maging okay.”
“Kung makaka-experience kami ng hindi maganda, siguro absorb lang and then laban lang ng laban,” he added.
Not to be outdone, Delos Santos recently came back from a trip to Japan where he, along with other Filipino coaches, studied the Japanese volleyball system.
For coach Shaq, the 2024 season has essentually already begun, and prep work is huge.
“Meron kaming mga nakita na puwede nating ma-iapply sa team namin. I’m sure mas magiging plus samin ‘yun,” said Delos Santos. “We know naman ‘yung ibang teams merong Japanese coach talaga. Ang magiging challenge samin dito kung papaano i-maximize.”
The PVL is gearing up for what should be an exciting season ahead, and amid all the offseason movement, one thing is for certain for coach Shaq: the challenge is on.
“Ang good thing lang [is] napapasok na tayo ng mga Japanese coaches na alam kasi natin kung ano kaya nilang gawin, but it doesn’t mean na magpapabaya kami. Ako, mas sisipagan ko tas tatrabahuin ko talaga na mapaganda takbo ng team namin,” said Delos Santos.