LIKE many former PBA players, Chris Calaguio could not stay away from basketball. He joined the family business after retiring from the league 10 years ago, but when a call went out to have him coach in a small school in Pangasinan, Calaguio jumped at the chance.

The eight-year PBA veteran who had stints with Shell and San Miguel, is now coach of the Panpacific University of Urdaneta which competes in leagues around Northern Luzon and represented the Ilocos region in the Palarong Pambansa.

The players under him are mostly in their mid to late teens, and many hardly recognized him as a former PBA player or as an NCAA star from his time with the Letran Knights.

“Syempre I have to somehow explain to them my experiences and share it with them,” he said of his team called the Gritty Sharks.

Calaguio, who was an All-Star in 2003, understands that none of his players have seen him when he was at the peak of his game and thinks their parents are more familiar with him.

“They’re too young to have watched me but aware naman sila. May internet na ngayon para makita nila yung clips noong naglalaro pa ako,” he said, laughing.

He even doubts that these young players recall his brief stint with the Marikina Shoemasters in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) in 2019 – one that he said was nothing more but a favor to his former Letran teammate and friend Elvis Tolentino.

But the 1998 NCAA MVP, and the fourth overall pick in the 2002 PBA draft, knew Father Time is undefeated.

“Eight minutes lang yata yung nalaro ko doon. Sabi ko pa nga kay Elvis, dapat mga two to three days’ notice pag maglalaro ako kasi masakit na sa tuhod,” he said.

Calaguio has been coach of the Gritty Sharks since 2018, a job he took to go with his day job in the family-owned enterprise whose businesses include building the largest solar power plant in Pangasinan.

As coach, he helped the Gritty Sharks earn a return trip to the NBTC North Luzon Regional Championship for the second straight year after ruling the Lakay Danny Ildefonso Development League, the East Pangasinan local qualifying tournament.

Though Panpacific U failed to pick up one of the four tickets to the National Finals, the experience was something for the young kids to cherish as the team had to face older and more experienced players. The Gritty Sharks averaged 17 years old in the 19-and-under tournament.

PHOTO: MBA

“It brings us great pride na we’re representing our province. Napagdaanan ko rin naman ito dati noong naglalaro pa ako. Kaya when they respond, doble ang saya mo,” Calaguio said. “Aminado naman kami na hirap kami makasabay sa teams na may 19 years old, but we use it as a challenge for our players to always compete.”

“Gratifying is when you see them succeed. Winning the championship with the players that you’ve helped, masarap talaga. But more than that, it’s building their character. Alam mo naman yung players from the provinces have a different mindset, na not everyone is focused on personal growth. So what I’m proud of is to see them graduate in school,” he shared.

“Tri-sem kami so mabilis ang transition ng players kaya as much as possible, we try to teach them all we can, impart to them all we know on and off the court. And if they want to pursue [basketball] and have the potential, we try to help them get to the next level.”

But there’s one thing he really wants his Gritty Sharks to learn from him if they decide to make basketball a career.

“Kailangan shooter sila,” said the 6-foot-2 Calaguio, a career 34-percent three-point shooter in the PBA.

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