ISM standout making waves in women’s basketball

Tori Madrigal. Contribute Photo

For now, Victoria Alia “Tori” Madrigal has made winning her business.

She may be a scion of real estate magnates, but this young Madrigal has kept her focus on improving her basketball game.

“I like how it is a team sport and it creates friendship among teammates,” said Madrigal, a bemedalled junior varsity player at the International School of Manila (ISM). “I also enjoy the thrill of competition.”

That drive to compete started right in the family, where apparently, business and sports easily mix.

Madrigal’s father Gerard played high school hoops in the United States, but was “a bench warmer for most of his career,” she candidly noted. Still, it was her dad who got her hooked.

“Watching basketball games with my dad when I was younger got me interested in the sport, and I was around 10 years old when I started playing in school,” shared the 5-foot-5 Madrigal.

Her American mother Terry also played basketball, while her two siblings are likewise sporty—older sister Alessandra competed as a professional karter in local and international races, while brother Julian got into golf and basketball, too.

Just recently, the 17-year-old Madrigal bagged the Most Valuable Player plum in the high school division of the Metro Manila Basketball League where she averaged 16.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.4 steals, 1.9 blocks and 1.8 assists in 28 games.

Playing as a small forward, Madrigal also earned a spot in the Mythical Five in the 2012 Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS), a league pitting Asian international schools from the Philippines, Indonesia, Bangkok, Singapore, Taipei and Malaysia.

Other citations include MVP honors in the Interscholastic Sports Association (ISSA) and the Hardeman Cup.

“I think my speed and quickness gets to other players,” said Madrigal, but stressed of course, that there’s more to learn.

“I want to practice on consistent shooting and ball handling.”

Several coaches have helped her out in her young career, such as ISM coaches Doug McQueen and Jason Juteau.

“They always push me to my limits,” she said.

Strength and conditioning coach Chris Gavina, along with his team of coaches—former PBA players Don Dulay and Rob Wainwright—have also kept her in top shape.

“They make me take around 500 to 800 shots a day, 1,000 dribbles, and defensive work,” noted Madrigal.

But putting in the hard work is one thing Madrigal has always been willing to do.

“For the moment I am just focused on finishing high school and furthering my basketball career,” she said.

Another Madrigal that surely means business.