Juico bats for science of planning in sports

MANILA, Philippines - Athletics president Philip Ella Juico, the PSA’s Executive of the Year awardee, said the national sports associations (NSAs) should first come out with a well-thought out multi-year plan before seeking financial assistance from both the government and the private sector.

Speaking at the PSA Awards Night at Le Pavillon in Pasay, Juico said an NSA should have a clear and firm mission-vision complemented by a practical and doable action plan.

“One must therefore have a clear plan, a Strategic Plan, the preparation of which should be an automatic practice of NSAs.

Plan preparation should, in fact, be part of strategy. The plan should be monitored periodically and changed or modified as circumstances warrant,” he said.

Juico received not only the Executive of the Year for himself but also the NSA of the Year plum for the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Associaion (Patafa) in the glitzy affair highlighted by the bestowing of the Athlete of the Year accolade on Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz.

“Since we are perennially short of funds, it is our obligations to be rather rigorous in planning since one mistake can be fatal. That act of planning should quiet the critics who always ask, “What good is the plan, if you don’t have any money?” Or plano ng plano, wala naman pera!” said Juico.

“That question indicates a certain dangerous mentality prevailing in Philippine sports: that funding or manna will come from heaven without working hard for it every step of the way, starting with a plan. That frame of thinking betrays one sense of entitlement,” he added.

He shared as example Ayala Corp.’s commitment to Patafa, pledging to augment what the association will get from the Philippine Sports Commission for the next four years.

“Ayala Corp. and Patafa believed in the strategic management principle of ‘Shared Value’ – the competitive strength of a business improves if it plays an active role in helping solve the community’s problems and help society meet its aspirations like success in sports and wellness development,” he said.

“For us to deserve that support from Ayala Corporation, we presented our vision, our objectives, action plans and our governance processes. NSAs should be prepared to present the  same things if they want solid support,” Juico said. 

After years of hard work, Diaz finally got her day under the spotlight.

“Ito ang pinakapapangarap ko, lahat ng athletes ito ang gusto (This is what I dreamed of. It’s every athlete’s dream),” said Diaz, who remembered not being invited to the annual awards rites until 2016.

“Since 2009 pinangarap ko maimbita dito, hindi pa kasi ako nakakapunta dahil bronze lang ako sa SEA Games. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, someday, makakapunta rin ako dito. At eto na nga yun, Athlete of the Year so wala talagang imposible,” she said.