Coaches’ Corner is a feature series that highlights head coaches of Ateneo sports teams along with the significant work they do in bringing out the best of teams and athletes. In this third installment, we look at Coach LA Mumar’s journey from a player on the court to a key agent in developing the future generation of student-athletes.

COMING FROM a family of athletes, Ateneo Women’s Basketball Team (AWBT) Head Coach Laurence Anthony “LA” Mumar hopes to lead the team to success in the ongoing University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season.

Coach LA comes from a prominent family, both in the showbiz and the sports industry. He is the son of veteran actress Coney Reyes and the late Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) player Larry Mumar—making him the grandson of the late Olympian and PBA legend Lauro “The Fox” Mumar.

The third generation Mumar clinched the UAAP Juniors’ Basketball crown for Ateneo in 1995 and continued to play for the Blue Eagles at the collegiate level from 1996 to 2000. Apart from being a player on the court, Coach LA was also appointed as the head coach of the Lyceum of the Philippines University Junior Pirates in 2014.

In addition to being the head coach of the AWBT, the former UAAP Juniors champion is also currently an Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Development in Ateneo.

With his experience as a former athlete along with his current roles as coach and athletic director, Coach LA hopes to inspire future generations in appreciating the value of sports.

Passing down the torch

Hailing from a family of basketball players, Coach LA frequently discussed the sport in his household growing up. Despite the prominence of his paternal side in Philippine basketball, Coach LA was never pressured by his father to get into the sport.

Along with the freedom to pursue his own ambition, Coach LA was never compared to his half-brother, Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto, despite their similarities. The AWBT coach shared that he was once involved in student politics, while his half-brother had the skills to make it to the basketball team of Brent International High School.

Despite pursuing different fields, the siblings have always been supportive of each other. “There was really no comparison because we kinda focused on our respective fields and we [supported] one another regardless of whatever path that we took,” Coach LA said.

Coach LA’s decision to pursue basketball was ultimately a result of the supportive and conducive environment in his household. He may have received pressure from others outside his immediate family, but his parents always encouraged him to do his best. From then on, Coach LA’s family continued to support and motivate him.

True to his roots, Coach LA chose to always represent the Blue and White throughout his amateur basketball career. At the collegiate level, the “Raining Threes” game remains one of his favorite moments on the court as he was part of the Ateneo team that defeated the De La Salle University Green Archers—the then defending champions—during the elimination round of UAAP Season 59.

From the court to the sidelines

Like most student-athletes, Coach LA experienced difficulty in balancing academics with basketball, family, and social life—a struggle he now views in a positive light as it prepared him to be a father and eventually a leader to young athletes. Being an athlete himself, Coach LA recognizes the value of putting in the work for the things one is passionate about, and he hopes to pass on this lesson to aspiring athletes.

As an Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Development in Ateneo, the homegrown Mumar is tasked to form a grassroots program that exposes young athletes to various sports. With this position, Coach LA strives to build a sports program that encourages the youth to adopt healthier lifestyles through sports. The grassroots training aims to mold young athletes to better understand the benefits of sports and make them well-rounded individuals in the process.

Coach LA believes in recruiting potential players from within the University. “We [Ateneo sports development] try to create a program that will really train athletes at a young age in our grade school level,” the young coach shared.

Aside from being an assistant athletic director, Coach LA is also a father to three boys. Having always prayed for a daughter, his dream to serve as a mentor to young women was made manifest in December 2019 when he was appointed as the head coach of the AWBT. This came with the duty of guiding 16 women on and off the court.

A key aspect in his development as a coach was his identity as a vocal leader to his teammates back in his playing years. This inclination towards leadership continues to give Coach LA an opportunity to mold and impart significant values onto all his players. “You’re not just a skills or a basketball skill coach but also a life coach as well,” Coach LA emphasized.

The recently appointed coach believes in a “no excuses” philosophy, as he emphasizes the significance of developing character and perseverance in the Lady Eagles. “As part of their formation, we try our best to yes be sensitive to their needs, but also to develop perseverance and character in them na kahit na ano mangyari (no matter what happens), […] being a person that you have to persevere,” shared Coach LA.

Being a former athlete himself, Coach LA values individual discussions with his adopted daughters on the court. During these talks, he tries to impart wisdom and knowledge to his players. One-on-one conversations allow the young coach to build a more personal connection with his players—resulting in a professional atmosphere supplemented by an air of cooperation and trust. Coach LA’s efforts to be a second father to his players on the court provides him with a clearer context of how they are personally doing, he says. “I try to talk [to] them so that I know where their heart is, where their mind is.”

Leading future generations

Despite the lack of tournaments prior to the UAAP, Coach LA does not shy away from setting standards and expectations for the Lady Eagles. While the team is still vying for a spot in the Final Four, the young coach assures the Ateneo community that the AWBT still continues to improve.He sees how the Lady Eagles have grown with the mix of veterans and new players on the team, producing an unbeatable dynamic.

Aside from targeting a UAAP championship, Coach LA also has the goal of promoting basketball to young girls. Along with the Lady Eagles, he wants to help the basketball community by offering free clinics to girls in Pasig with the help of his half-brother Mayor Sotto.

More than playing and winning championships for the Ateneo, both the AWBT and Coach LA strive to promote the growth of women’s basketball in the country, pointing out the Lady Eagle’s mantra: “Be champions inside and outside the court.”

Coach LA hopes to lead future generations in growing as individuals through sports’ valuable life lessons For Coach LA, sports are not just about clinching victories, they are also about appreciating the process of development—being a better athlete and, above all, a person for others.