Log in & Sign up
You are not logged in.
Most Commented
Viray talks to her players during a break in game on the weekend. (JOHN MAHONEY/The Gazette)
With The Coach: Ruby Viray
Coaching is about respect for players
John Meagher
The Gazette
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Viray talks to her players during a break in game on the weekend. (JOHN MAHONEY/The Gazette)
With the Coach is a weekly series featuring a conversation with a local coach.
Coach: Ruby Viray, 34-year-old physical education teacher at Vanier College and a LaSalle resident
Team: Vanier women’s Triple-A basketball team
Years coaching: Fourth year at Vanier
Playing experience: Played guard at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia
Coaching tip: Respect the player
Ruby Viray is a basketball globetrotter.
She was born in the Philippines, moved to Prince George, B.C., with her family at four months old, and later played university ball at St. F. X. in Nova Scotia.
Viray settled in Montreal nine years ago and is now head coach of the Vanier Lady Cheetahs, one of most successful CEGEP basketball programs in the country.
How would you describe your team?
Viray: We’re a passing team. We’re very team oriented. Our philosophy is that it takes 10 hands to score a basket.
How are academics stressed at Vanier?
Viray: It’s pretty simple. The No. 1 rule is if you don’t pass, you don’t play. School comes first. The first time I meet the player, they find this out.
What’s your coaching philosophy?
Viray: Respect for the players. When you have that respect for the players, how you deliver information in practice, on and off the court. Yes, I’m the head coach, but they’re people, so treat them with respect. I find, in my experience, that’s when they give the most back.
Are you more of a motivational or technical coach?
Viray: If you asked my players, they’d probably say I’m more of a motivational coach.
What did winning a national basketball title in 2007 do for your recruiting efforts?
Viray: It gives us better opportunities to attract players. But it’s also difficult because we’re an English school. So it always comes back to whether they want to study in English or French. We really sell the English part of it, because it opens so many doors.
The keys to successful recruiting?
Viray: Most coaches would probably tell you it’s the worst part of our job, but it’s also the most important. Everybody is after the same players, so you really have to be a salesperson.
Do you have a soft spot for short players who can shoot?
Viray: It seems that way. But I’ll take the tall player who can shoot any day. (Laughing.)
Who’s a bigger cage rival, Dawson or John Abbott?
Viray: Dawson. We always seem to have a hard time with John Abbott because of the rivalry. But at Dawson, you see the big crowds at both men’s and women’s games.
What are your hobbies?
Viray: I love sports. I play basketball, volleyball, soccer and I run. I’m not good at sitting still.
Where do you play hoops?
Viray: I’m playing in a senior women’s league in St. Laurent and a co-ed league in Montreal.
Do you have aspirations to coach at the university level?
Viray: Always. I was offered a position at St. F. X. last year, but the timing wasn’t right for me. It’s a great program, though.