Basketball legend Benjie Paras will head the country’s future stars of the sport, as he is set to serve as the commissioner of the Philippine Youth Basketball Championship (PYBC).
Together with Deputy Commissioner, WMBPL Champion Coach Paolo Layug, and Tournament Director, Momentum PH founder Carl Villanueva, Paras is set to oversee the newest grassroots league which focuses on combining top-notch action and analytics.
“Having PYBC will help players to expose their talent and skills, and not just wait for coaches to find and discover them,” said the 4-time PBA Champion, who first made his mark with San Beda High School after being discovered while playing street hoops.
“Coaches from schools will have easy access to watch them, recruit them, and this may even come with more accessibility as their profiles will be readily available in social media,” added the 1989 PBA Draft 1st overall pick, who is also the only player in the PBA to win the Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player award in a single season.
The PYBC’s goal is to be the youth’s premier and go-to platform for their development, and to do this, it is committing to deliver a program backed by structured competition that is complemented by digital solutions.
“In today’s technology, this is what players need. Data and analytics help players to work harder, play harder, and also build their confidence,” said Paras.
To commit to this, the PYBC will be providing teams with halftime analysis for team performance evaluation, post-game performance reports with detailed analysis, statistical review of player performance, strengths, and growth areas, and advanced analytics and performance metrics.
Another highlight of the league is its focus on being the pioneer of using player ranking per age group in the country, and the league will utilize this by adopting a system that is both used in the US and Europe.
“Ever since I started following grassroots basketball programs in the US and Europe, I’ve been inspired by how they use structure, data, and technology to guide player development,” shared Tournament Director Villanueva.
A former player himself, Villanueva believes that data and statistics can help provide players with a clear path to further improvement.
“Our vision has always been to mirror that kind of system here in the Philippines — not just to organize games, but to build a platform that truly helps young players grow. Through tools like player rankings and performance analytics, we’re able to give kids clear, objective feedback on their strengths and areas they need to improve,” he said.
“But more than just numbers, this system promotes accountability and direction. It shifts the mindset from just ‘playing to win’ to ‘playing to improve.’ It also helps coaches, parents, and the players themselves see progress in a measurable way.”
“At the end of the day, our goal is to provide an environment where kids not only compete, but evolve — mentally, physically, and skill-wise. Technology makes that vision possible. It’s a game-changer for the grassroots level, and we’re proud we’re bringing that kind of innovation to PYBC,” he added.
The inaugural season of the PYBC will run from August 2025 until June 2026, and it will feature two conferences with rotating age divisions under a single round-robin format.
The PYBC’s inaugural conference opens in August and ends in October, and it is set to feature 11-Under (Born 2014), 13-Under (Born 2012), and 15-Under (Born 2010) divisions.
After the single-round eliminations, participating teams will advance into the quarterfinals, winning teams will enter the knockout semifinals, and eventually the Best-of-3 Finals.
Interested teams may message the PYBC’s official Facebook page for registration and more information: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576311452147