Level 2 Begins

On Wednesday, the first group of coaches began the two day level 2 training. The second group of coaches completed level 2 on Friday and Saturday. Sunday and Monday are off days (Thank God for Monday being a Philippine national holiday because we have been going 14 days straight counting our traveling last Sunday). Next Tuesday and Wednesday will be the last group for the level 2 training with Thursday being set aside for level 2 testing.

Sunday and Monday wont totally be off days since there still plenty of work to be done making the test for level 2 and working on the teaching materials for level 3. The coaches have started taking ownership of leading the athlete instruction for at least one of the two afternoon training sessions. That has really worked out great (beside giving Ryan and I a break) it has allowed the coaches to practice coaching the drills and exercises which will help prepare them for the practical test and to be able to teach their teams in the future.

 
The coaches have really stepped up and done a great job running the drills and the athletes really enjoy the coaches doing the instruction (especially since coaches can explain instructions in Tagalog as well as English).

POC / PowerRev Level 1 Testing

On Monday and Tuesday evening we put over 80 national coaches through a written and practical exam on the level 1 training.

It really is better to give than receive when it comes to tests :-).

 Totie administered the practical tests for the power and core stations.

Ryan ran the speed and plyometric testing stations.

I ran the dynamic movement and agility stations.

AIA volunteer, Joseph, was in charge of the strength station

 

Coaches had to pick exercises to demonstrate and teach their partner. Each station had 3 to 5 exercises that could be randomly chosen by the coaches. The practical was worth 70% of the total points and the 25 question written exam was worth the remaining 30%. Coaches had to have a score of at least 75% overall to pass. Less then 10 coaches failed to meet the passing level, but were close enough to have probationary status and be allowed to go through level 2 (if they don't pass level 2 they aren't allowed to move on until passing levels 1 & 2).

Davao Christian High School Clinic

Last Friday we traveled by plane to Davoa City which is on the southern most island of the Philippines. We conducted an AIA strength and conditioning clinic at the High School Wynsjohn, an AIA staff member, had graduated from.

We arrived later than planned getting into Davao by 4:30 PM and we conducted an informational session starting at 6 PM with 10-15 coaches. On Saturday, we spent all day doing a clinic with the coaches and 75-100 athletes from 9 AM until 5 PM with a break for lunch. Then coach Potit and Wynsjohn conducted a basketball clinic with the basketball players from 5-7 PM.

Our host Pastor Jere was great. He wined and dined us taking us to local restaurants to experience things like native chicken, BBQ Squid and other things. We also visited Kangaroo Coffee, an Australian chain of coffee houses, for coffee and desserts (Jeff should be jealous). The cool part of the coffee house was that it was owned by Christians and served as a Christian meeting and ministry place.

Pastor Jere gave each of us a box of sweet Pomelos, which is a popular local fruit from near Davao. We had to leave for the airport at 5 AM on Sunday morning. I had the chance to go and have lunch at coach Potit's house and was able to visit his church. Then we were back working with the POC by 9 AM Monday morning.

Continued POC Training and Jeff's Last Supper

Last week we continue the level 1 training at the POC working with combat sports, volleyball, tennis, weigh training, badminton, and track and filed coaches and athletes.

On Wednesday night we found a Cajun restaurant for Jeff's last supper before heading back to the states on Thursday. We all followed Jeff's lead ordering the 1-pound Cajun burger.

Campus Crusade and Chinese Church Celebration

On Saturday when Ryan and I were finishing the Manila clinic, Jeff participated in a monthly day of prayer at the Campus Crusade offices (complex) in Manila.

Last Sunday we when to Ryan's church in Makati and were able to be a part of the churches 5-year celebration of holding a service in Mandarin.  Ryan has been studying Mandarin for years with the goal of serving as a missionary in China. He has been involved in the church for all five years that they have offered services in Chinese. Jeff and I were blessed to be able to share the day with Ryan and have a great Chinese lunch at the church.

Manila Sports Association

On Friday and Saturday were worked with the Manila Sports Association. AIA has started a partnership with the association and we were hoping to work with a lot of recreational youth sport coaches and PE teachers, but there was a miscommunication and we had a mix of community leaders and city workers along with some coaches and teachers.

The city workers disappeared after our first break, but we had 15-20 coaches who attended both days. We worked with Pastor Dwayne who has a church in the city of Manila and is active with AIA. While we didn't have much equipment (none really) to work with God was still at work as coach Dwayne worked to put together a team of the coaches at the clinic that would go out and train up other coaches with what they learned. A couple coaches showed interest in becoming involved with AIA.

On Saturday, Jeff spent the day at the Campus Crusade complex taking part in a day of prayer while Ryan and I conducted a half day clininc.

Chiang Kai Shek College

During the middle of the week we were back in the Chinatown area working with the High School basketball team at Chiang Kai Shek College. We worked with the new strength coach Philip and his assistant Mark and about 30 basketball players. The players were great listening closely and learn a lot about conditioning and Christ.

Chiang Kai Shek College has 8,000 students in elementary and high school. While the school is not Christian, God has placed a group of Christian coaches that are involved with AIA at the school. Based on our two days there I think God will do great things through those coaches.

We stopped by to visit Coach Philip's main place of employment, the SPARC sports medicine center