Column: Glendale High’s Art Samontina finds solace in coaching after loss of son

For nearly 10 minutes last June, Glendale basketball coach Art Samontina watched on his cellphone in horror as his 6-year-old son, who had pneumonia, stopped breathing and doctors tried to revive him.

His fiancee made the video call from the Philippines to let him know how serious things had become in the intensive care unit. He saw medical personnel doing CPR trying to save his son. Then the doctor doing the CPR said there was nothing more he could do.

“I flew home to bury him,” Samontina said.

For weeks, Samontina tried to heal his heart. Obstacles kept standing in his way mentally and physically. The plan was to take a year off from coaching basketball.

Josh Ballard, Glendale’s top returning player, said, “We just let him be.”

There were times Samontina said he couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t drive. He’d have shaking episodes.

“I’d bring him food,” said Jacob, his teenage son from his first marriage.

Jacob had spent three years playing basketball at Burbank Burroughs while facing his father last season in Pacific League games. Now he made his own tough decision — to leave behind his best friends to transfer to Glendale to play his senior season with his father and help him heal.

“I always wanted to play for my dad,” he said. “I wanted to walk the floor with him. I think it’s the right decision, even leaving behind friends.”

His father decided to return to coaching with his son at his side. Every time he attends practice and is around Jacob and his players, he feels healthy.

“It’s a great feeling to have your son playing for you,” Samontina said.

He has received therapy, but the true therapy is teaching and coaching while accepting the comfort from being around basketball. There’s a healing power taking place.

Despite his tragedy, Samontina continues working every day to heal. He still has a daughter in the Philippines with his fiancee, who resides there, and another daughter from his first marriage. And there’s Jacob, who loves basketball and makes his father happy every practice and game just with his presence.

Samontina remembers going to a doughnut shop soon after the tragedy and a little boy came up to say hello.

“He was the same age as my son, and I almost wanted to cry. Everything reminds you of him,” he said. “It’s probably the biggest thing helping me, having Jacob there at my side.”

On Thanksgiving, Samontina is thankful he has found a way forward. He’ll be with Jacob. They’ll probably get some shots in between eating turkey and pumpkin pie. The healing continues.

“You appreciate life more,” Samontina said. “You try to cherish every moment with him.”