Pressed for time, Nxled's head coach Taka Minowa is taking a different approach to help his new team prepare for the upcoming Premier Volleyball League Second All-Filipino Conference.
Minowa, the husband of Filipina volleyball superstar Jaja Santiago, was brought in just under four weeks ago to lead the newest PVL club that will complete the 12-team lineup for the season-ending conference.
The 32-year-old Japanese tactician has emphasized his main focus on improving the team's chemistry and skills while establishing the team's identity.
"Actually, we've had only a short time to prepare, but I'm trying to share my knowledge and experience. We're taking it one step at a time. We're focused on improvement because we're a new team, and we've had just one week with my program. It's somewhat challenging to focus solely on winning," said Minowa.
"The players are still adjusting to my system. In this competition, we're concentrating on trying to improve one point, one set at a time, more than the goal of winning," he added.
In addition to immersing himself in Filipino culture, Minowa stated that one of the reasons he decided to coach in the Philippines is his belief that the country has the potential to be a top-four team in Asia. He wants to contribute to unlocking that untapped potential.
"The reason I came here is that I believe the Philippine volleyball team can be one of the top four teams in Asia. They have potential, just like Jaja; she's tall, taller than many players in Thailand. I also appreciate their body language, which is more aggressive. I prefer playing aggressive volleyball, and that's why I came here," said Minowa.
Minowa, who has previously served as an assistant coach for Japan's women's national volleyball team, mentioned that he plans to adapt to the Philippines' style of play instead of imposing Japan's methods on the Chameleons.
"I have experience working with a Brazilian coach and the USA head coach. I'm the one who needs to adjust to Filipino players. Forcing my Japanese coaching style is not the way to go. I need to adapt to the Filipinos, especially Nxled players."
Before coming to the Philippines, Minowa revealed that his wife had given him valuable advice for his coaching journey in the Philippines.
"This team is very young, and I need to be strong. I mustn't be too lenient in teaching them. I want to do that. But, first, we need to focus on improvement. Right now, I'm trying to identify what they need to work on and what we need to do to improve," said Minowa.
"We're focused on sharing and listening, and I want to hear what they think about it. I'm not just imposing my coaching style; I also want to engage in discussions and listen to their input."
