AS Letran is left scrambling for answers following a nightmare campaign called the NCAA Season 99, the proud institution, it turned out, didn't need to look far for the remedy that could get the Knights back on their feet in time when the country’s oldest collegiate tournament hits its century mark this September.
Coming off a 2-16 campaign – easily the worst in the 20-time NCAA champion school’s history – the Knights are now putting the steering wheel in the partnership of the young, but brilliant Allen Ricardo, and the squad’s official team manager, John Paul Beltrano.
These two men, of course, are no strangers to Letran.
The first-year college head coach steered the Letran Squires to two NCAA Juniors titles, with the likes of now Gilas Pilipinas Youth star Andy Gemao, and Jones Cup champion Titing Manalili all emerging from that brilliant program.
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Right behind him? Beltrano – a person who has taken a maternal role for the players, making sure that all their needs are taken care of day in and day out.
But those ties go a lot deeper than Ricardo and Beltrano winning two championships for Letran’s high school program. It goes back more than a decade.
Started from the bottom, literally
Before becoming the leader of the Knights’ crusade back to the glory land, Ricardo was literally a ‘squire,’ acting as a volunteer assistant to then Letran head coach Louie Alas up until 2010.
As a volunteer, that means the only compensation he’s receiving are coming from school provided meals, and the same type of allowance the players receive on a daily basis.
For Ricardo, who was just watching the Knights as a student from the bleachers, he knew that he could bring something to the table for Alas and the rest of the Letran team.
So he took his chances, sent Alas a text message and hoped for the best.
“Nagsimula ako as a volunteer, nag-message ako sa kanya na, ‘Coach baka may available slot ka dyan?’ Kasi nakikita ko wala silang skills coach e, so walang nagtuturo ng fundamentals from dribbling, shooting form, passing, so sabi ko coach baka pwede po kasi yun ang forte ko,” said Ricardo, who handled the likes of Kevin Alas during his time as Letran’s skills coach.
“Ayun, he gave me a break and the rest is history. Everytime maaga ako sa ensayo, late din ako umuuwi just to help the players mold their skills para pag dating kay coach on a team concept basis, meron na sila.”
Asked about Ricardo's promotion to head coach, Alas couldn’t hide his excitement when talking about his old assistant’s rise. He also remembers that same exact moment when he took a chance on the young Ricardo.
With the stamp of approval from fellow Adamson alumnus Ompong Segura, Alas decided to bring him along, and from that point on he knew that Ricardo was gonna leave his mark in coaching, sooner if not later.
“Hindi ko ma-memeasure yung saya ko para sa kanya, kasi nag-umpisa lang yan na volunteer. Nagtiis yan for more than a year. Very minimal lang nakukuha niyan, hindi pa nga minimal, benefits lang mga pagkain or whatsoever,” he said.
“Pero noon palang nakikita ko na ang enthusiasm niya sa lahat ng ginagawa niya. Talagang gustong-gusto niya yung basketball,” he added.
“Sabi ko [kay coach Ompong] pwedeng pwede na’tong batang to. Kasi sa coaching naman talaga na nakita mong sobrang sipag, alam mong may pupuntahan. Yun ang unang nakita ko kay coach Allen.”
For the now Ateneo assistant coach, such fire and dedication was undeniable that even if Ricardo didn’t land that Letran assistant coaching job – or in this case internship – he knew that that man was going places either way.
“The following year nagpa-participate na talaga siya, and nasabi ko sa kanya na talagang he’ll be a great coach someday. Talagang dyan talaga siya papunta,” he shared.
“Kahit di siya sakin nag-start at napunta siya sa ibang coach, magsu-succeed pa rin yan kasi yung sipag andun, yung passion andun kaya I’m really happy for him.”
In the right direction
While Alas saw Ricado succeeding in his chosen path regardless of who ushers him into it, the young mentor wouldn’t have it any other way.
Ricardo’s coaching career has taken him all over the country, from coaching grassroots in Milcu Got Skills, to being an assistant to Marvin Bienvenida’s NCAA champion LSGH Greenies squad, and even up to the UST team before the pandemic happened.
Despite all of that, he still owes his work-ethic and coaching philosophy to Alas.
In the fiery tactician, he saw a coach who valued consistency, preparation and hard work in everything. Those are the same values that he still holds dear to this day, the very mindset that brought him two juniors championships, and an eventual collegiate coaching job with Letran.
“Along the way, ang laking bagay sa'kin nun, talagang nag-grow ako kay coach Louie Alas. Dun ko na-realize na pag binigyan mo ng attention, binigyan mo ng oras ang isang bagay, babalik sa'yo ng maganda. Ganun ka-consistent si coach when it comes to practice and preparation,” Ricardo shared.
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“Sabi nga niya di tayo makakuha ng blue chip kasi let’s face it, di ganun kalaki ang financial funding natin but I guess we can develop. Yun ang lagi niyang sinasabi sakin,” he added.
“Pinanghawakan ko yun sa buhay. Nagco-coach ako sa mga developmental leagues and it’s more of the hard work, the perseverance na kahit wala kang talent, ang importante turuan mo yung bata pano maglaro both offense and defense.”
Three-time NCAA champion coach Alas can definitely see that imprint in him.
“Nakikita ko yung sarili ko sa kanya, yung sipag. Nung nagsstart ako, kahit inter-barangay nakakakita ako ng naglalaro talagang tinitingnan ko, pinanonood ko kahit ilang minuto lang baka sakaling may makita ka e,” he shared.
“Ganun si coach Allen e. Kahit ngayon nakikita ko eh. Minsan nagre-request yan na coach baka pwede kang pumunta ng practice at magturo, so detalyado din yang batang yan.”
But while Alas and Ricardo were unknowingly preparing Letran’s future heir on the sidelines way back then, their would-be manager, or ‘MAMAnager’ as his players would fondly call him, was already starting to make a name for himself in the stands.
Different role, different route
For Letran faithfuls, JP Beltrano should be a very familiar name, and face.
Ever since he stepped foot in Letran 22 years ago as a Political Science student, Beltrano shared that he probably only missed enough live games as his fingers would count.
People who’ve been covering the NCAA beat for a long time know that’s not an exaggeration.
“Yung pagmamahal ko sa Letran, parang pagmamahal ko na'rin sa pamilya ko. Kung gano ko kamahal ang nanay ko, ganun ko rin kamahal ang Letran,” he said.
“Magpalit man tayo ng coaches, iwanan man tayo ng sinuman, nandyan pa rin ako.”
If it was Alas who opened the doors for Ricardo and pushed him onto this path of being the leader of the Knights’ redeem squad, it was then Letran rector Father Edwin Lao O.P. who was unknowingly grooming Beltrano for the role that he’ll soon take for Letran.
As Beltrano’s school pride intensified, he was noticed by Lao from the sides, cheering his heart out as he sweated even more than some of the players sitting on the far end of the bench.
That kind of passion wasn’t lost on the Letran rector as he gave Beltrano an offer that he wasn’t necessarily asking for, but will gladly take – a scholarship.
To this day, Beltrano remains the first and only ‘scholar-fan’ of the school.
“Nakita ng rector natin nun si Fr. Lao habang nag chcheer ako nakikita niya akong pagod, nauuhaw pero di ako part ng cheering squad. Pinatawag niya ako sa office niya and sabi niya, 'JP, bibigyan kita ng scholarship.' Tandang tanda ko yun, first year and second sem binigyan na niya ko ng scholarship,” he recalled.
“Kung ano yung scholarship ng Team A, yun din ang scholarship ko hanggang maka-graduate ako. That’s why pagka-graduate ko binabalik ko sa Letran lahat ng binigay nila sa'kin. I graduated with no tuition fee dahil scholar ako, kaya binabalik ko sa Letran.”
Giving back
Letran needed not ask Beltrano to give back, he already knew that he was going to ride and die with this team.
Beltrano has seen the lowest of lows and highest of highs with the team. He was already there when Alas won all of his three championships, and he stood by the Knights when they got blown out by rival San Beda in a forgettable Game 3 of NCAA Season 88.
He was there in Aldin Ayo's magical run, and his differences with then Letran coach Jeff Napa aside, he still supported the team, albeit not from his usual courtside seats.
As someone who savored the glory of a three-peat under coach Bonnie Tan, Beltrano stood by the team even in the face of a 2-16 season under Rensy Bajar. Little did he know that he wasn't just going to stand by the next season; he was going to take part.
“Hindi ko naman inisip kasi di ko naman siya hiningi, and honestly di ko naman siya pinangarap. Dati nga sinasabi ko nagchcheer lang ako eh, pero nung dumating kasi yung time na parang kailangan ko narin magstep-in (as manager), kinuha ko na,” he said.
That partnership started when Ricardo was called back to run the Squires’ program, and the two good friends and classmates soon reconnected, not knowing that they’re gonna be tasked to revive the Letran Squires and take the wheel in the Knights’ comeback season.
“Hindi ko rin expected na magkakasama kami ulit. When Season 98 came, wala pa siya sa picture and then ayun kamustahan lang, tapos sabi niya baka may maitulong ako sa 'yo, ma-connect sa alumni and everything, so ayun,” Ricardo shared.
“Maganda naman relationship namin and then masasabi ko lang na talagang inaasikaso niya yung mga bata in terms of everything. So I owe him.”
It wasn’t even an official job back then, but Beltrano already got himself involved seeing the needs of all these kids who were far away from their parents and the comforts of their homes.
As someone who's dedicated his life cheering on athletes, he just can't sit idly by as his 'kids' struggled.
“Nung hinawakan ni coach Allen yung Squires, kita ko yung mga Squires mga batang galing probinsya wala yung magulang nila dito. So kita ko yung hirap nila, yung pagod nila, yung gutom nila, kaya nag step-in ako. Sa role ko talaga, ako yung naging nanay,” he shared.
“Kung ano yung kailangan gawin ng nanay, parang ako yung yaya nila, okay lang na tawagin nila akong yaya kasi talagang yun ang ginagawa ko. Bawal silang matulog ng di kumakain, dapat nag vitamins sila, yung mga protein nila (supplements) yung mga ganung bagay, talagang ginawa ko yun,” he added.
“Bukod sa mahal ko sa Letran, andun ako para sa atleta na nagpapakamatay gumising ng maaga para sa practice, nagugutom, dun ako nag step-in, para di sila magutom at mabawasan ang pagod.”
So when talks of Letran looking for a new head coach surfaced, Beltrano really campaigned for Ricardo to step in.
“I was really pushing for him. We need a Letranite as a head coach. Alam niya ang basketball culture ng Letran. Alam niya na basketball school ‘to,” Beltrano stated.
“But most especially, nakita ko yung trabaho niya for the past two seasons sa Squires, alam ko kung pano niya mattransform yung Knights pag andyan na siya sa pwesto.”
He wasn’t even thinking about himself when Ricardo got appointed because for better or for worse, Letran’s not gonna get rid of him either way.
“Para sakin, whether officially or not officially, I appointed myself as official noon pa lang, andito na ko e,” he said with a chuckle.
“Di niyo man sabihin na kailangan niyo, pero kung kailangan niyo, papasok ako. Ako ang magbbridge sa iba ibang alumni sa mga athletes natin.”
The work starts now
Though the partnership have proven to be capable during their time with the Letran juniors squad, the seniors division is a whole different mountain to climb altogether.
That’s the constant reminder of Alas to Ricardo and the rest of the Letran squad as they embark on a tougher journey with the pressure of bringing back prestige to a squad which saw a drastic fall from grace last season.
The veteran mentor sees a young team that might not have the starpower and name recall yet, but has the right pieces to succeed especially with Ricardo at the helm.
“Ang team ngayon di kalakasan, pero kasi ang team kailangan kina-characterize mo yan sa coach e. Eh ang ganda ng character ng coaching staff ni coach Allen, ang ganda ng character ni coach Allen. Posibleng mangyari yung mga di dapat mangyari,” he said.
“Nakita ko nung FilOil [Preseason Cup] talagang above expectations yung nilaro nila. More than what I expected. Sabi ko nga sa kanya, mag-compete ka lang dyan para may baon kang papuntang NC,” he added. “Nung nakita ko talagang tinatalo niya yung mga di dapat talunin. So sabi ko, just keep it up, dapat lagi ka lang naka-concentrate sa mastery ng ginagawa mo.”
Though he knows the expectations of the school where he came from, Ricardo is up to the task.
He knows he has the right people around him; he knows that he’s already found his players that will run through a wall for him; and he plans to make the most out of the privilege of taking Letran out of the mud that was tasked to him by the proud institution.
“Sarap pala sa college basketball. Sarap sa feeling na umangat ako dito sa level na to, iba yung atensyon, iba yung feeling. Talagang nandito lahat mata ng buong Pilipinas. They’re looking at you, what can you bring to this team na bago, or something exciting? Especially Letran, alam mo naman Letran, rich in history yan,” he said.
“Andun ako sa point ngayon na I’m coaching Letran, not just coaching Letran, pero mahal ko yung Letran, I’m willing to die for Letran. Lagi kong sinasabi sa mga bata, kaya kayo andito dahil alam ko yung kaya niyong ibigay, and mamatay ako para sa inyo dahil kayo ang pinili ko.”
Some would call it destiny, the idea of a former volunteer coach now being handed the keys to lead the proud program back to relevance.
Some would call it poetic, especially with the idea of a die-hard supporter now being tasked to take care of the players for their bounce-back season.
But whichever way you look at it, Ricardo sees it as a result. A byproduct of all the hard work that he’s put in all these years since his time with coach Alas, making him not only a suitable candidate for the job, but someone who can actually pump life lack to Letran's basketball program.
“Iniimagine ko (lang to noon), andun yung pangarap, pero sabi ko marami pa akong kakaining bigas,” Ricardo said.
“Talagang masasabi ko lang, nagdaan ako sa proseso, hindi ko minadali yung bagay bagay. Wala akong tinapakang tao. From developmental, grass roots, high school, lahat nadaanan ko.”
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