PBA great Sean Chambers uses visual cues to help the FEU Tamaraws on offense in UAAP Season 87.
Ice Trae in the UAAP?
The FEU Tamaraws drew eyes to their coaching staff as they came out with a unique way of calling out plays during their UAAP Season 87 debut against the Adamson Soaring Falcons at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, September 8.
Instead of the usual hand signs gestured at their players, first-time UAAP head coach Sean Chambers and the rest of his staff made use of makeshift placards that bore different symbols and photos to indicate specific plays on offense.
One such card included the headshot of Atlanta Hawks superstar Trae Young.
The PBA great explained that it had a lot to do with ensuring that his players are able to understand his instructions no matter how rowdy the crowd can get, especially as the season goes on.
A full-fledged American, Chambers took a page out of American Football’s play books.
“So if you watch American football especially in college, [it’s] one of the things they do because of the sound of the crowd and the noise,” Chambers said after their 59-47 loss to the Soaring Falcons.
“We’re trying to run a play for a specific player and they can’t hear me so we put up a sign that they all know what that sign is,” he added.
Aside from the placard featuring Trae Young, others included were the number five, as well as the team logo of the Portland Trail Blazers.
“It’s just something that will help everybody understand because my goal is when we’re running the play, running the set we all know what we’re doing especially when we’re trying to get to a specific player,” Chambers said.
But of course, the approach does come with some disadvantages – such as sign stealing.
Still, Chambers is ready to adjust his play calls and toy with the signs as the season goes on. If their foes try to study the signs, they may just have a little trouble figuring them out the next time they see them.
“That’s the secret but we would change it up. Yeah, we’re running Trae Young, [but] we may come up with a different sign next time or we’ll change the name of the player. But that’s what you do… in the States people steal the signs. It became a big deal with the University of Michigan football,” explained Chambers.
“[But] if you think about the States, especially at the college level, they use multiple signs so you don’t know what signs they’re actually using. It’s something that I think will be beneficial for a year especially if we get into the win streak and we start filling up the gym like it was yesterday,” he added.
Chambers and the rest of the Tamaraws will try to make the play calling work anew when they face the NU Bulldogs on Saturday, September 14, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.