It’s going to be a special Christmas for Leo Austria following his successful return to the bench of San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Basketball Association.
The 65-year-old Austria said he is having a great time assisting Jorge Gallent as active consultant of the team that he once led to nine PBA titles.
Austria admitted that he cannot live without basketball.
“Basketball is my life,” said Austria, who took a coaching sabbatical due to “personal reason” at the start of the Governors’ Cup last season.
“This is what I do. I don’t know what I will do without basketball.”
Austria said despite his hiatus, he still couldn’t completely detach himself from the game.
In fact, he still made sure to get involved in basketball from playing in inter-village and pickup games to holding coaching clinics in various parts of the country.
“I have three groups,” Austria said.
“We play basketball. I didn’t stop playing because for me it is still a form of exercise.”
San Miguel assistant coach Dayong Mendoza could attest to Austria’s longing for coaching.
“He’s always at the Art Gallery Cafe,” Mendoza said.
“When I organized the Camp & Play Coaches Forum, he was my guest speaker, too. We played together for our team, Camp & Play group and then we even went as far as Gumaca, Quezon where we played against the diocese priests.”
“During his coaching hiatus, we also went to Mt. Banahaw, we ate and had coffee, then during my birthday, we had beer.”
This season, Austria felt that he was ready to return and accepted the offer to serve as active consultant of Gallent at the Beermen camp.
That’s when Austria realized how much he missed basketball.
“Of course, I miss coaching,” Austria said.
“I’m a basketball coach. It gives you a great feeling when you’re involved in the game, talking to the players and fellow coaches.”
“When you’re a coach, the learning never stops. You learn from your fellow coaches and your opponents and you equip yourself. I think it’s a good time for me to be back and it could be a good way to end the year.”
Now that he has successfully reconnected with basketball, Austria can now look forward to raising his glass as a fitting way to celebrate the Yuletide season.
It’s going to be a Merry Christmas for him.
