Building managers

What defines a successful team manager? Does it imply the ability to handhold and baby-sit players, keep them comfortable, or is it much more than that? The answer to that question is about to change.

“Usually, the manager is a friend of the team owner, and is asked to handle the needs of the team,” explains Art Aro, head of Sports Leadership and Management of the First Pacific Leadership Academy. “So where do they learn what they need to in order to successfully run a sports team? All you see are people on the court, the coaches and the players, but you don’t see what goes on operationally, administratively, do you?

After leaving Smart Sports group, Aro was asked to continue helping organize the MVP Group of Companies’ annual sportsfest, which had grown to include 20 companies, and was taken very seriously by all participating teams. The most recent one was hosted by the First Pacific Leadership Academy, a corporate university mandated by First Pacific in Hong Kong. He was invited by academy CEO Roy Evalle to join and develop sports leadership programs. Aro accepted, and went about designing sports management, which includes event management, sports marketing and professional team management and other skills. The goal is to make the academy self-sustaining through the creation of new programs, including a sports academy a few years from now.

On Sept. 14, the First Pacific Leadership Academy will hold the first ever Sports Team Management Congress at their training center in Antipolo City. Hosted and moderated by sports commentator and former PBA player Ali Peek, the congress aims to consolidate learnings in the profession and arm team managers with the necessary management skills to improve their profession. Members of the academe, sports teams and the general public are invited to participate and learn firsthand what it takes to run a sports team based on established practices and principles.

“When people hear the words ‘team manager’, wow, it sounds so glamorous,” Aro continues. “But it’s far from the truth. You’re working for everybody. And you usually don’t have management experience when you’re offered the job. How often does that happen? A lot. So the team ends up having problems.”

The congress will clearly define the role of a team manager. It opens with Evalle, general manager and CEO of First Pacific Leadership Academy. The keynote speaker will be the chairman of the MVP Sports Foundation, Manny V. Pangilinan, who will explain the need to professionalize and equip sports managers and leaders in the country. Meralco Bolts team manager Paolo Trillo will talk about what it takes to be a professional team manager, based on his experience in both the UAAP and PBA. He will be followed by former player, coach and team manager Engr. Aboy Castro, who will explain how to build the ideal team to achieve the goals set by the organization. The last speaker for the morning session will be Andrew Teh, manager of Batang Gilas Pilipinas, on the travel needs of a sports team. 

After a panel discussion and lunch break, the congress continues with Dr. Manolo Gabriel of the Philippine Taekwondo Association, who will explain how to plot a map to victory, using as an example the two world champion poomsae teams the association trained. Closing out the session is Jane Basas, president of Cignal TV. As senior brand manager of Talk ‘N Text, Basas was responsible for the hugely successful campaign integrating the team’s players with brand awareness strategies.

“Ed Picson (executive director of the Alliance of Boxing Association of the Philippines) will talk about PR and ways to avoid negative publicity and social media. Igor Mella of the Philippine Taekwondo Association will explain how they became probably the best national sports association in the country today,” Aro elaborates. “They’re very organized.” 

This breakthrough first project in sports aims to change how people perceive team management, and use knowledge to raise standards and solve problems associated with the running of a competitive sports team. It’s a project whose time has definitely come.