IT'S easy to mistake Nash Racela as being the older to his brother Olsen.
After all, it was the former who first forayed into coaching while the latter was carving a legendary career of his own as a player.
And in a way, the elder Olsen would agree.
"When it comes to coaching, siya ang kuya. He has coached for more than 20 years already professionally including the MBA," the Far Eastern University mentor told Coaches Unfiltered.
Nash acknowledges the notion but put things in perspective, noting that he was already trying his luck in coaching at a young age of 15.
"Medyo matagal na nga ako nagko-coach," said the Blackwater bench tactician. "I also wanted to be a player. I tried out for La Salle for a couple of years pero it did not materialize so I focused on studies na lang and I graduated kaya nag-focus na rin ako sa corporate world. Tapos na yung basketball sa akin."
But the itch for the ball never left Nash, and somehow, partly thanks to Olsen's burgeoning career, found his way back to the hardcourt, albeit on the sidelines as Binky Favis hired him as an assistant with Batangas Blades in the MBA back in 1999.
"For some reason, nakabalik ako sa basketball. And I would say it’s because of the influence of coach Olsen. Mahirap i-deny eh, especially when I was starting out as a coach. Sabi ko, siguro kaya nila naisip na baka pwede ako mag-coach was because kapatid ako ni Olsen, so maybe in their minds, baka marunong din itong taong ito, maybe we should give him a shot," he said.
Nash's seniority as a coach was further underscored when Olsen called it a career in 2011 and was tapped to handle the Energen Pilipinas youth team that reunited the Racela brothers.
"Ako, I ask a lot of questions," said Olsen. "When I started coaching, siya yung tinatanungan ko about his views, his thoughts. It was a different point of view na as a coach and I understood na mas experienced si Nash when it comes to coaching."

"Hindi pa nga ako nagre-retire noon eh when (Eric Altamirano) called me up, so hindi ko pa nafo-formulate yung system ko talaga nung time na yun. But I was fortunate enough to have a good coaching staff who were dependable, trustworthy, loyal, and my assistant coaches that time were coach Nash, coach Eric Gonzales, coach Richie Ticzon, and BJ Manalo was also helping us out. It made things easier for me, having those coaches."
With the youth team, the Racelas handled talents like Jjay Alejandro, Rey Nambatac, Arvin Tolentino, and a young Isaac Go as they steered the Philippines to the gold medal of the 2012 SEABA Championship in Singapore.
That experience was a gratifying one for Olsen, mostly for the lessons he inculcated to the youth.
"Fulfilling mag-coach ng mga bata eh because you do not just teach fundamentals for the game of basketball, but we teach the game of life as well dahil formative years nila yung ages 16 and 17," he said.
Olsen also treasured the experience as he was able to learn the ropes with his brother Nash on his side.
"Although he was an assistant coach there, he was full of experience eh," he said. "I remember there were times na he’ll give me space to grow as a coach, and I know that there were times na gusto niyang idiin yung gusto niya pero he wanted me to learn. And thanks to him, syempre as a coach doon ka matututo eh, you’ll learn more from your losses or from your mistakes than from your wins. During that time sa youth team, it helped me a lot na binigyan niya ako ng space to grow as a coach."
That's why no matter how many great coaches Olsen has worked with throughout his basketball career, he will always consider Nash as one of his mentors, putting him in the same breath of that of Ron Jacobs, Chot Reyes, Jong Uichico, and Tim Cone as those who helped him shape his coaching career.
"Kailangan meron kayong isang mentor na pwede niyong mapagtanungan. When you say mentor kasi, pwedeng you just follow the system and you learn from him. Pero iba yung you have a personal relationship with the coach na you can ask him anything, ask for advice, and yun yung role ni coach Nash sa akin," he said.
For the record, Olsen is a year older than Nash, being born in 1970.
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