Mapua coach Atoy Co: Off the court, my players are my friends

Mapua coach Atoy Co during one of his team’s practices. Screengrabbed from INQUIRER.net video

For Mapua Cardinals head coach Atoy Co, the parquet floor is a place of business, but outside of its 90 feet by 50 feet dimensions, he and his players are a bunch of friends.

Co said his style is to become a friend of his players outside the court where they can joke and laugh around while still maintaining the level of respect a coach has with his young wards.

“That’s me,” Co said Saturday at Mapua during their practice sessions. “I always tell them during the breaks we can be loose, but during practice, we are serious. We can’t lose our focus in practice and I don’t want them not giving their 100 percent.”

BACKSTORY: Atoy Co to coach Cardinals

Even as Co is one of the PBA’s 50 Greatest Players, his players see him as someone to lighten their mood once their practice is over.

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Josan Nimes said they always have a “good time” when their coach starts doing his antics.

“Coach Atoy is a very laid back type of guy, he likes to joke around,” Nimes said. “He gets serious when he’s coaching, he’s been there before.”

“He reminds us to just have fun because that’s the reason we play basketball.”

Co said he wants a relationship with his players where they are one big clique, once their jobs on the court are over.

“When we are outside the court, we can talk with each other, we can communicate like a barkada but with respect.” IDL