PacoDunks Blog #3: Highs and Lows

 Hello, this is Paco checking in for the third blog issue. I had huge breakthroughs this microcycle, but there were still a lot of mental blocks along the way, as well as doubts and confusion about my future university path. One thing's for sure, though: I'm jumping higher than before by a smidgen.

On Thursday, I had the opportunity to do a podcast with my guy, Nathan George. Being a year 6 THP athlete and obtaining a 44-inch vertical, he's really down to earth and was willing to share his thoughts as a dunker and an athlete. For context, Nathan was one of the main reasons I joined John's coaching– seeing a scrawny kid blossom into an elite dunker was inspirational. His story should be shared with fellow dunkers starting out (like me). 

We delved into a variety of topics both on the pod and off camera, from weight gain to dealing with injuries and mental health. However, the topic that piqued my interest was the difference between US and UK basketball, despite my not including it in the pod due to time constraints.

Nathan and Paco on the HangTime Podcast

Fun fact: I went to the UK for a year and played basketball for their sixth-form college. However, I regretted going there because I had a bad experience with my host family, so I decided to come back to Hong Kong to finish the rest of my high school education. 

A key takeaway from our talk that we both agreed on is that the UK doesn't put a lot of resources into supporting the growth of local basketball development, so you can imagine how much attention they've invested into pro dunking. It's a sad state for hoopers and dunkers alike, so that gives Nathan extra points for sticking to the process despite his rough circumstances and working a full-time labor job back then. I know that football's super big in the UK, but I wish people would pay more attention to the rising stars in the UK dunking. 

Training-wise, my progress so far has been great. My numbers have been shooting up in the squat and hip thrust, with me ending the week off with a massive 75kg x2 power clean PR. I did go off the program and play some recess hoops, though, so that can be more optimized if I don't want to use up my load before jump day. But overall, it has been on a positive trajectory, especially with my Olympic lifts.

For my jump day, it was alright. Since it was raining, I went to Kai Kip recreational sports ground (basically a glorified covered basketball court). At 7am, it was chill, and I got a few low-rim dunks with a mini ball. As time went on, though, people started coming and were beginning to fill up the courts. I couldn't get my jumps in by 730 since all four courts are jam-packed with people. Feeling defeated, I decided to hop on a pickup game despite being just a dunker nowadays (I haven't played competitive basketball for so long). The game was fine, but I wish people in Hong Kong could appreciate dunking more as a sport and not like a show/ halftime performance, and that applies to every part of the world as well. Love the message from "Produnker official" on Instagram; let's make dunking an internationally recognized sport!

paco dunking at kai yip 

Despite the relatively adverse circumstances, I actually got some nice dunks in. I got two or three double-handed mini-ball dunks and a breakthrough with a regular-ball dunk at 9'9. I'm hyped for all the progress I've made. Since the last time I've been here, I'm still struggling to dunk a mini ball. 

Something that really pisses me off is the hoop culture in Hong Kong. Let me explain. During my dunk day, a school team was practicing their layup lines, and when I decided to throw down a few dunks during break time, one of the kids was super hyped. However, the coach struck him down with a simple phrase, "You won't be able to do that in a million years," he said. That got on my nerves– like, give him a break; he's only 13! I resonate with that one kid who got demoralized by the coach. I was like that in my old school, and the coach didn't put hope in me. You're good and get praised to the top, or you're dog water and get put down as a "scrub," which applies to every age. I absolutely despise this type of "coaching," if it's even coaching at all, so I just went up to the kid and said:

"Don't listen to him; you got potential; just believe you can do it."

I really hope that I gave the kid a spark. Even though we've only met once, I'm sure he'll go far in his athletic career.

Anyways, shifting from my athletic to my academic development. I'm still at a crossroads in my major: sports science or English studies and education. On the one hand, sports science could propel me in my athletic development by learning more about different training principles and contributing to the dunk community in the future. On the other hand, getting an education license could be an asset for me in gaining a stable source of income. But right now, I'm leaning more towards sports science, but we'll see. Dunking has a ton of potential to go big, so I want to invest my future in this industry; I hope the Hong Kong Sports Science program can equip me with enough information to contribute to the community.

Dinner's almost ready, so I'll end it right here. Thank you for reading my ramblings. Stay tuned for the podcast with Dee, and I'll see you next week!

P.S. I just measured a ~30-inch standing vert because I hit my head on the ceiling—I'm hyped, but there's still a bump on my head.