Former UE Red Warrior Eric Miraflores pens sports book
A pair of Filipino-Australian basketball players and coaches recently published a book that not only changed their approach to the game but also their rearing up their own kids.
Eric “Bizzy” Miraflores ,who played for the University of the East (UE) before migrating to Australia, and Ivan Carlos, also a Filipino-Australian who played in the Victorian Basketball League, released in November 2025, "How to Be An Elite Parent for Young Basketball Players," a practical guidebook borne out of real-life situations for parents who have children taking up sports.
Miraflores played for UE’s Team B alongside Elmer Espiritu, and was hoping to crack the UAAP line-up, when he made the life and career-altering decision to join his family when they migrated to Australia.
At the age of 32, he thought about giving his basketball dreams another go and applied for the 2015 PBA Draft. Although he went undrafted, Miraflores played in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League and in the pro leagues in Australia.
It was while coaching and training his son, Logan, where Miraflores had an epiphany.
“I would get angry and get impatient with his son’s development. You know the expectations when the father is an athlete, everyone thinks the son should be just as good if not better. I was hard on my son and that might be an understatement. I didn’t know how else to coach or teach him,” admitted Miraflores.
“One day, he approached me and said that he only played the game so he could be with me, spend time with me,” related Miraflores. “I was stunned speechless. I had tears in my eyes because I saw how wrong I was in going about parenting in sports.”
Logan gave up playing basketball and chose another path, this time with Eric totally supportive.
“That taught me that listening, understanding, allowing them to grow and learn the game and life under a nurturing environment was important. It also changed the way I coach the kids,” Miraflores said.
Carlos, on the other hand, had a similar experience that forced him to question his methods.
When Carlos shared his thoughts and feelings with Miraflores, they both realized it wasn’t only a shared experience, but they also had a burning desire to correct the flaws in parenting children in sports.
In the introduction to "How to Be an Elite Parent for Young Basketball Players," the authors correctly point out the demanding, pressure-packed, and high stakes environment in basketball across the globe that manifests itself not only in the professional ranks but even more scary, in the grassroots level.
“The pressure on kids and parents can be intense because parents look at their kids as a means to an end, a meal ticket, if you will,” said Miraflores.
In the book, the authors state, “The most important thing you can give your child isn’t a killer jump shot or a spot on the starting five, it’s a love of the game, a sense of belonging, and the confidence to face life’s challenges on and off the court.”
“This is their story, not ours. Our job is to guide, not steer the ship,” they strongly intone.
The two friends began to outline and craft the guide that underscored communication, what should be a parent’s proper mindset, learning life’s lessons, and creating a positive environment to learn the game and excel in it.
They included the challenges and life stories of former NBA players Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues and Michael Jordan as well as Australian and WNBA star Lauren Jackson who played for the same organization Miraflores did back in Australia.
Since its publication in November 2025, the book has done well Down Under with sales already beginning in the Philippines.
One parent who purchased and read the book said that every page seared right through his psyche. He was guilty of being a “stage father.” The book showed him the error of his ways in handling his children’s athletic careers and thus, changed.
“Well, he wasn’t the only one who painfully had to learn, both Ivan and I lived it," Miraflores said.
Currently in town to coach the Mic Australia Scopemed teams in the Global Hoops International Showcase and the NBTC, Miraflores has made the book available for sports fans and parents.
"How to Be an Elite Parent for Young Basketball Players" retails for P1,600 and can be purchased directly from the authors on the social media pages of Miraflores and Carlos.