Finding Jesus by CNN International

Here is a great documentary on the modern quest for Jesus Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact and Forgery.  Produced by CNN International and aired as a run up to Easter in the last three years. The film used recent archeological findings and manuscripts to support and explore biblical texts suited to audience of different backgrounds.

Watch it and learn something new... discover something new.

Scholastic Basketball Camp Summer 2017

Scholastic Basketball Camp ® is an annual program by Creative Education Services® to allow school-aged children to make the best of their summer by learning basketball. Training is handled by able and expert coaches and instructors who use the modern, scientific approach. More importantly, the program incorporates character-forming lessons. Players learn the STAR Values as promoted by Jr NBA: Sportsmanship, Teamwork, Attitude (Positive) and Respect.

Enroll now!

Visit us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CEIPhils

National Basketball Training Center Philippines

Yesterday we played our final game for our 2016-2017 SM-MVP NBTC North-East Cavite.  We played two games within four hours, first and last game. In the first game, we played against one of the strongest team in Cavite, University of Perpetual Help-Molino. Coach Rodney of UPH-M was "sports" enough to give leniency to my players did not ask his team to play to the fullest. Even with this approach, wwe lost by more than thirty points. In the second game, we were up against a team that boasts of big, wide-bodied grade 11's. We were down the whole game but miraculously, in the last 25 seconds of the game with the ball possession on my team, we had a shot but due to the inexperience of my team, including me, we took an early 3-pointer and didn't go in.

At the end of the game we lost by only five points.

My team played and fight till the end. I asked my team to give each other a round of applause, something the crowd were not expecting. I asked them two questions which everyone answered with an affirmative. One was "Did you give your best in the game?" and the last one was "Do you now believe you can play better than you think you can?"

This is the reason why I've been a sports coach in the last sixteen years. This is the reason why I chose to stay in this country instead of teaching special education in the US of A.

I finished BS in Occupational Therapy in college, completed my academic requirements in Special Education from De La Salle University-Manila. Have taught from kinder to college too but mostly, I've been teaching in the international schools here in the Philippines.

All this time, I have seen the power of sports as a learning and teaching tool that attracts students of all abilities. For you to understand the power of sports among the students, this is one question I always get from the teachers and school administrators: "Coach, how could these boys be so focused, motivated and happy training and playing while in the classrooms they're a different person?"

And my answer is always about them and the sports: "I can never force anyone to play the game or attend a grueling 3-hour training. They are here because they want to, they are here because they can see their value in the team and among their peers."

This year, I excluded my seniors (10th graders) and fielded in eight middle school students (7th and 8th graders) and seven 9th graders. This group of fourteen to fifteen year olds fought against teams which boasts of full athletic scholarships including board and lodging and several year-round tournaments.

Following the founders' principle behind NBTC, Coach Eric Altamirano and Coach Alex Compton's vision of providing a grassroots basketball tournaments, I wish I could reach out to more students and give them opportunities in life thru sports, thru basketball. I wish I could stay healthy and live longer as I travel this journey of teaching, coaching and learning. I pray too that more school administrators and teachers realize the true value of sports in developing the youth and at the same time benefiting this country of mine.

This year, I ended my NBTC tournament with zero wins and three losses. This year I also saw how terrible the effects are on a basketball program if the school administrators sees sports more of an expense than a tool to help develop students. Having shared these to you my readers, I would also like to share that no matter what is thrown at you, as long as you hold on to the reason why your into youth basketball as a coach, as a parent coach and as a volunteer trainer, all these problems are just a stepping stone to bring you to a place where changing the lives of your students for better is a given. Thanks to Coaches Eric E and Alex C! Thanks to our Cavite Head Macky Torres and our area head Alvin Guadines. Special mention to Coach Jun of CVS. Thanks too all the coaches who pushes me hard by trying to beat my teams all the time.

And with that I say goodbye for now NBTC! See you next season.

Coach Francis

Chess: Reminders for the Tactical Warriors to Be

After a long post on the Study Plan for Chess Students, I felt like sharing a couple of diagrams to show you what I meant. But knowing how rich the Internet is for chess literature and resources, I felt it would be better to share websites that offer training on the said topic: Tactics.

Here they are:

1. Introduction to Chess Tactics
2. Chess Tempo
3. Chess Tactics Server
4. Red Hot Pawn

You can also look for paid resources and one of the best sites for chess training is ICC or the Internet Chess Club. It is the place to be for all chess-related needs, for a fee.

Here's one paid site that I feel should be promoted because I have found the resources  and content to be very useful for my chess teaching: Professor Chess.

Go happy finding those tactics!

Study Plan for Chess Students

So much has been written and said about the 'right" approach for learning chess and not one is completely wrong but most are not completely right either. Because of several factors that play in the learning process, the right approach would always be the hit-and-miss for the completely isolated, self-study chess beginner. The single most commonly forgotten factor when we talk about these so-called study plans for chess students is of course this --> Human factor.

I advise you to visit and read through the following links: Chess Study Plan from CHESSDOTCOM, Confessions of a Chess Novice and Dan Heisman's Get Better at Chess.

What are the commonalities from these programs? Can you find the 'em? Then let me know by writing your comments on the comment section of this blog.

But here are my thoughts for the title of this post:

1. Keep playing and NEVER RESIGN from any game. Just like any endeavor, sports, academics, music, arts and other sort of stuff, you need to immerse yourself in your pursuit. One caveat: know when to rest.

2. Tactics, tactics and more tactics.  Chess is a strategy game and with strategy comes tactics. The Internet has so much to give for free when it comes to practicing and improving your tactical abilities. Solve puzzles at least 30 minutes a day.

3. Work on simple and basic Endgame study. Start with your K and Q checkmate, move up to K and R checkmate and continue on to other k plus other pieces combination. Its interesting to note that the K+ B+N checkmating practice never cease to give me headaches. Try it for yourself.

4. Annotate your games. Having said that, it means you have to notate your long games, review them and replay them. Postmortem so to speak.

5. Limit your games to long games, 60/G would be a great starter for this gives you the chance to adhere to Richard James important reminders. In his book  called School Lessons Volume 1 he shared the following "what-to-look-for-when-its-your-turn-to-move:

Checkmates

Checks

Captures

If on your move you could not find any of those three ideas mentioned above, you can do the look for the following:

Threats

Development

Center Control

And always, you should be looking out for two things:

Your King Safety

Attacking your Opponent's King

I hope this helps even for a bit and I wish you keep pushing those pawns all the way to your cherished dream of  chess domination.

Chess Endgame: Hunting for the Win

Here's another post on chess, tactical exercises for finding checkmates. The diagram below asks you to find the mate in 3 with Black to move.
























This one: look for Mate in 2 with White to move first:

 

Whatya' think Mike?

Chess Tactics Guide: The Fork

The Fork is a tactic where a single piece makes two or more direct attacks at the same time. It is what I call hitting two birds (sometimes more) with 1 stone.Oftentimes, two pieces are threatened which is why it is also known as double attack. A successful fork usually gives the attacking player a gain in material by capturing one of the opponent's pieces. Because of its nature, the defender has difficulty countering such attack.

 You can look into the following examples at Chess Tactics Guide: The Fork and Chess for Novices.

 

FIBA Olympic Qualifiers 2016

Today in the Philippines, July 5, 2016, is the beginning of our National Men's Basketball Team's journey to Rio Olympics as Gilas Pilipinas tries to secure a spot in the Olympics 2016 at Rio.  There are three Olympic Qualifying Tournaments held around the globe which gives more opportunity to basketball countries like the Philippines.

There are 18 nations competing across the three respective tournaments, with six teams going head-to-head at each of them. The winners of each of the three tournaments will all take the highly coveted last remaining tickets for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

This is a new system for FIBA Qualifiers for the Olympics. Fifteen (15) teams are given another chance at the Olympics plus three (3) more teams will compete as hosts of the three OQTs to be held simultaneously from July 4-10 2016.

These are the teams:

Host/Location: Italy

Group A: Greece, Mexico, Iran
Group B: Tunisia, Croatia, Italy

Host/Location: Serbia

Group A: Serbia, Angola, Puerto Rico
Group B: Japan, CZE, Latvia

Host/Location: Philippines

Group A: Turkey, Senegal, Canada
Group B: France, New Zealand, Philippines

Visit Bleacher Report for the complete schedule of the games here. The Sixth Man will surely help Gilas so please come and watch the games at Mall of Asia Arena. Tickets available at SM Tickets.

This will be a great ride for us! Let's go Gilas!

End of Scholastic Chess Camp 2016

Today we had the final day of Scholastic Chess Camp 2016 @ Wack Wack Golf and Country Club. We celebrated our last day by playing in several chess tournaments online-- at chessDOTcom and Chesscube. It was fulfilling to see my newest camper, Mike Al win his first championship over at chessDOTcom. Mike Al's only goal was to rank up his rating to at least 1200 but at the end of the day, his rating was much higher than Drew dlr.

"I've done it coach!" -Mike Al

Drew dlr placed fourth in a tournament where we both qualified to join in and in fact we played against each other in the 4th round. I will surely miss this boy as he moves on to high school. I have high hopes for him in his academics and when he represents his school in chess in the next four years. This year he will be reunited with David F and other former teammates. I'm sure they will bring pride and honor to their school.


Sandro F was quite a bit confused the entire 2 weeks of chess camp but the good thing is that he was aware of it. Mike and Drew were very supportive of him and that they made sure they offered help when Sandro needed one. Sandro would need to put in more "chess time" this summer so he can provide the necessary points for us to win our sixth MISAA Chess tournament this coming school year. Fingers crossed.

I have posted several photos of our day-to-day activities in the last eight days on our Official Facebook Page.


I would like to thank everyone who supported our camp especially the Lola of Sandro F for allowing us to use her place as our venue, thanks Ma'm!

Thank you too to the parents of our campers, Drew dlr and Mike Al, for entrusting their kids' chess development to me in the last six years.

Thanks be to God!

And with that, I officially begin my summer break.

Hanggang sa muli!  

My 40th Birthday Alphabet AKA The Mind Inside

Anticipating antsy audiences

Becoming brave bastards

Calmly cooling and chilling

Deciding direct dissection

Energizing, exciting eulogy

Featuring friendly foes and fiscals

Gravitating gaze galore

Hiding her hurts and heartaches

Inside intimate intellectuals

Justified jokes and jazz

 Keywords: Knockout Kings

Lovely language, letters and long-lasting laughter 

Mothering may matter

Naughty and naive neighbors

Offering oddities and oxymorons

Partnering people's perspectives

Quarantining the Queendom of the Queer   

Restless, rusty, random roundabouts

Secret society's super simple solution

Translating tremendous & troublesome tiny taboos 

Uniting universal uniqueness

Voicing out voluntary visions of Valentinos &  Valentinas

Waiting for wanna-be's, warriors & watchamacaliit

Xeroxing xylophones and xenons

Your yearly yonderly yuppy

Zapped, zigged and zagged.

Chess Camp 2016 @ Wack Wack Village

Our Chess Camp 2016 begins tomorrow at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club. We are on our fourth year of offering this by-invitation-only chess camp. Everything is set and everyone's rarin' to push those pawns and pieces.

Scholastic Chess Camp 2016 will run for eight sessions from June 6-9 and 13-16 with weekend breaks including Fridays.  I'm in the process of having a guest player join our camp on our last day for our tournament. Hope this one pushes through.

Summer Time 2016

It is summer time for me and last weekend one of the things in my "must-do" list was accomplished: fix the roof before the rainy days become typhoon days. Water spout cleared and installed, roof nails hammered-in and sealant was applied all over.

I have six weeks for this summer break and I intend to make it as productive as I can. Tomorrow my daughter's teammates are coming over for a two-hour basketball training. I haven't met any of the girls in the team but my daughter P cautioned me that everyone's on the beginner level. And with that, I plan to follow the fundamental drills used by Coach Aik Ho in his basketball clinic in New Zealand:


And so I review the video.

Summer 2016 Pocket Tournament

Scholastic Basketball Camp Summer 2016 Pocket Tournament from May 28 - June 5 at the Basketball Court of Southern City-Tanzang Luma IV. Details:

1. Minimum of 6 Teams. 5 Teams and lesser, NO TOURNAMENT.

2. DEADLINE of SUBMISSION of TEAM LINE UP and TEAM REGISTRATION FEE of 3,500.00 on May 25, 2016 @ the residence of Coach Francis, 7:00 PM or EARLIER.

3. Player's Age Requirement: 17 Year Old and Below or BORN 1999 or YOUNGER. Photocopy of Birth Certificate is SUBMITTED together with the TEAM LINE UP.

4. Number of Players per Team: Maximum of 12 Minimum of 10. PLAY ALL Rule.

5. Questions and protests will only be entertained on the opening day.

6. Elimination Round: SINGLE ROUND-ROBIN

7. Top 4 Teams after elimination round:

Top 3 vs Top 4: Battle for 2nd and 3rd Runner Up Finish

Top 1 vs Top 3: Battle for Championship

Schedule:

May 28, 2016 Saturday:       Day 1, 3 Games (Games 1-3)

May 30, 2016 Monday:         Day 2, 3 Games (Games 4-6)

May 31, 2016 Tuesday:        Day 3, 3 Games (Games 7-9)
June 1,  2016 Wednesday:   Day 4, 3 Games (Games 10-12)
June 2, 2016  Thursday:       Day 5, 3 Games (Games 13-15)

June 4, 2016 Saturday:         Day 6, 2 Games (Games 14-15)

Game #14:      Battle for 3rd
Game # 15:     Battle for Championship

Awards:

Mythical 5
Tournament MVP

Champion: Trophy

1st Runner Up: Trophy
2nd Runner Up: Trophy
3rd Runner Up: Trophy

Thank you.

Let's do this!

Philippine National Elections 2016

On May 9, 2016, our Nation will be going through the democratic process of choosing and electing our national and local leaders. There will be 18,083 positions and 44,471 candidates for this year's polls. While we have been amused, terrified and taken-as-bobotantes by the circus-like election campaigns of these TRAPOS, the truth of the matter still stands---we are in for another change.  Whoever is sworn in on June, the people will be hopeful and watchful of how truthful the elected politicians will be to their plataporma de gobyerno.

We are expecting more than 54.4 million registered voters to come out and there are 92,509 precincts all over the county. And for those based overseas and wanting to vote, there are 82 foreign posts to serve 1.38 million of them.

It's been said time and again, none of the Presidentiables have taken sports as their primary objective when they take the highest post in the land. With all the issues hounding and pounding our society, I have never heard any of them talk about improving the sports program of the Philippines.

Why oh why?

Education? Poverty alleviation? Health services and delivery? Tanim-bala? Airport problems? Taxation? Transportation? Crime and Drug abuses? Police and Military abuses?

No one cares about the arts and sports development program in a land where more almost everyone is an aspiring athlete or an aspiring artist.

Whatever happens, there will always be that Resiliency of the Filipinos and this spirit is empowered and boosted by our natural and held-on belief on our Universal God. Be it God the Father or Alla, we Filipinos have been a very spiritual nation. We just have to keep holding on, believing in God and working on to reach our highest potential as a country and individually.

And before I regress, I'd like to share the following links for voter's education:

• Official COMELEC Website
• Online Voter's List 
• Online Status Verification

Rappler Philippines have posted a series for voter's education:

• Guide to 2016 Phl Elections
• By the numbers: Candidates in the 2016 Elections

May the Divine assistance be always with us!

Feast of St. Joseph the Worker

On May 1, we celebrate the life and work of one of the holiest man who've ever lived on Earth, St. Joseph the Worker, protector of Jesus Christ and most chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. St Joseph is the Patron of the Universal Church, unborn children, fathers, workers, travelers, immigrants and a happy death.

According to Catholic Online:

"Joseph was foster father to Jesus. There are many children separated from families and parents who need foster parents. Please consider contacting your local Catholic Charities or Division of Family Services about becoming a foster parent."

Here is a YouTube video about St. Joseph:



Let me end this post with a prayer to St. Joseph: 

"Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God. I place in you all my interests and desires. Oh, St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession, and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.Oh, St. Joseph, I never weary of contemplating you, and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me and ask him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls - Pray for me."

Queen of Heaven, pray for us!

The Golden Arrow Prayer

One of my "quick-hitters" for prayers, The Golden Arrow. I found this prayer in the Pieta Prayer Booklet which I carry with me wherever I go. Its either in my bag, in my bike, inserted in my books, notebooks and my notes.

Aside from praying my set: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Fatima Prayer, St. Michale Prayer, Guardian Angel Prayer and Memorare, I make sure to pray the Golden Arrow often within a day. I hope you guys pray these prayers too on a daily basis.

So here is a copy of the prayer:

THE GOLDEN ARROW PRAYER
MAY THE MOST HOLY, MOST SACRED, MOST ADORABLE, MOST INCOMPREHENSIBLE AND UNUTTERABLE NAME OF GOD BE ALWAYS PRAISED, BLESSED, LOVED, ADORED AND GLORIFIED, IN HEAVEN, ON EARTH AND UNDER THE EARTH, BY ALL THE CREATURES OF GOD, AND BY THE SACRED HEART OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, IN THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR. AMEN. 

After receiving this prayer, Sister Mary of St. Peter was given a vision in which she saw the Sacred Heart of Jesus delightfully wounded by this "Go/den Arrow" as torrents of graces streamed from It for the conversion of sinners. 

Queen of Heaven, Pray for Us.

John Kerry Carries the Same Tune: Religion

And just like that, Secretary of State John Kerry spills the beans on a very sensitive matter: R-E-L-I-G-I-O-N. Almost a decade ago, its then Prime Minister Tony Blair who thought of studying religion and reaching out globally and say "Religion is the future of the world".

John Kerry said in a speech at Rice University:

“The more we understand religion and the better able we are as a result to engage religious actors, the more effective our diplomacy will be in advancing the interests and values of our people,” 

And adds:

“It is up to us to recognize that we can’t lead a world that we don’t understand,” ...  “and that we can’t understand the world if we fail to comprehend and honor the central role that religion plays in the lives of billions of people.”

Tony Blair's Leap of Faith  carries the same tune right?

Click here to read the entire speech, as well as the question-and-answer session that followed at the speech of John Kerry at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Safety.

Life on Hold

Got a call from my wife
Her tone, her voice can't make much of a lie
And then she said "Got back from a meeting...with the nuns"
And so I knew it wasn't good, the meeting not nice

For a year or almost a year
I worked and coached a high school basketball team without fear
I learned the ways and went through the maze
Of working for this school that's not really blessed with grace

When friends and colleagues learn about my team
They look at me with silly grin
They ask sheepishly "how are you doing in that gym?"
I answer "Everyone's adjusting and everyone's learning"

And after about ten months
During this Summer Camp month
All hell broke loose from the nun's camp
They are asking for a lump sum

My camp it seems too good for the nuns
How come it had to be me running the camp?
Why didn't they see this in the last 50 years?
It took me and not them to see the beauty of the beast

They've gotten used to their ways
Their abusive and tyrannical days
Their teachers have learned to sway
But were always dumped in favor of the Greys

To end the meeting with the Greys
A shot was fired in a sense
Telling my wife that I won't be back
As a coach for next year daw

Do I care about it?
I'll be ready to leave today
The school that's been there for 50 years
And yet only has 600 students for the past year

A school that asks for 50k a year
But gives nothing for the kids
How can you expect them to grow
When the parents are campaigning to leave

I gave my best
I worked my best
I tried my best
Its your turn PS

Give back, give back
Help and share
It's time you give what's due to the students

I'll be perfectly fine. I wonder what will happen to my players and to the parents who opted to stay because I was there?

I wonder.

The Buzz on Amoris Laetitia

We had our regular round table discussion (without a round table) after our Holy Rosary prayers today and focused on the recently released Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love). I haven't read the entire document though but watched the EWTN's World Over Episode with Raymond Arroyo:
  

I don't know what will come out of this but it doesn't look good.

Let us all pray for the enlightenment of those who appears to be in error and for those given the opportunity to help and in a position to rectify the situation, may they provide the true and correct solution to the "errors".

May the Queen of Heaven, Mother of God pray for us!

Hour of Code Discovered

Our school is going to celebrate S.T.E.A.M. Week (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) and in the first two days of the celebration, there will be Hour of Coding for our middle school students.

Just what is Hour of Code?

"The Hour of Code is a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries. Anyone, anywhere can organize an Hour of Code event. One-hour tutorials are available in over 40 languages. No experience needed. Ages 4 to 104."

There are 198,474 Hour of Code events around the world and its interesting to know that my students will be participating. And guess what? Participants are learning in 40 languages.



Who's behind this project?

"The Hour of Code is organized by Code.org, a public 501c3 non-profit dedicated to expanding participation in computer science by making it available in more schools, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. An unprecendented coalition of partners have come together to support the Hour of Code, too — including Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the College Board." 

There are so many things to do and learn from in the whole wide internet. Try this one out for your class or for your kids or even for the kids in the community you're helping.

Check it out!