COACHES Fritz Gaston and Joel Banal are among the first to throw in their support in Easter Sunday's 1st PBA Ateneo vs. La Salle Showdown at the Araneta Coliseum.
The two afterall, were among the first beneficiaries of the same account that will be the recipient of the Blue Eagles-Green Archers exhibition match – the PBA Players' Educational Trust Fund.
Both Gaston and Banal availed of their respective privileges to the program in pursuit of acquiring higher education after college and beyond theirprofessional basketball careers. Through the league's Trust Fund, the two ex-PBA players were able to attain their masteral degrees at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). Gaston acquired a masters degree in Business Management (1986-88) while Banal had his masters in Entrepreneurship (2001-02).
"The PBA Educational Trust Fund came to me at the right time," said Banal, 50, and current assistant coach to Tim Cone at Alaska. "This was after my MBAdays when I had no coaching job and I didn't have any plans of being an employee."
That time, Banal's family had just established the 2nd MOM Pre-School and the Domus Chola International School. "But I wanted to improve it owing to thegrowing number of competitions and the answer was to take up this course (entrepreneurship) from the top school which really helped to make it a standout from the rest."
Banal played for six seasons in the PBA from 1981 to 1986 and suited up for only one team, Great Taste.
Gaston also had a tour of duty with Great Taste, his last team in the league, in a career that spanned from 1979 to 1986 and included stops with U-Tex, SanMiguel, Crispa and Manila Beer.
"I was already in my last year of playing and I felt that I wanted more than just playing basketball. I wanted to go back to school again, but I was alreadyaiming for tip education and that time, I felt only AIM could give me that quality education where I can land a senior-level hiring position after I graduate,"recalled the 51-year-old Gaston, fresh from steering the RP women's team to a bronze medal finish in the 24th Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
"But the desire to pursue it became even greater when I learned that I could avail of this program thru the PBA Educational Trust Fund. That time, it answered for my tuition fee, dorms, books and other school needs. So what more can I ask for," he said.
His masteral degree in Business Management allowed Gaston to work abroad for almost six years, Indonesia to be specific.
"I hope both Fritz Gaston and Joel Banal would be an inspiration to all PBA players and also avail of their privileges allowed under the league's Players'Educational Trust Fund," said commissioner Sonny Barrios. "That's why we're coming through with such benefit projects which we believe will be of great assistance to them (players) and their children in the future. Presented by Yakult Health Drink, the charity match is set at 4 p.m. and will be aired live over Studio 23.
Incidentally, Gaston and Banal were the last two coaches to steer the Blue Eagles to the UAAP championship.
Gaston, also a vital cog of Ateneo's champion teams in the mid-70s, gave the school a men's varsity title in 1988 while Banal did it 14-years later in 2002. Both were achieved at the expense of De La Salle.
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