Wishes for sports people running for public office

This is a follow-up to last week’s column where there is an abundance of sports personalities trying to charm or maybe buy their way to gain one of the more than 18,000 national and local elective positions available come May 2019.  We don’t exactly know what their agendas are but there is that generic answer from them all of giving back to the people.  Well and good if that’s the case.  As I said last week, these people already have fan bases and that gives them some advantage.

Considering their varied sporting backgrounds and granting that they would make it through the crap shoot and mudslinging, it would very much help the nation’s sports programs if they put their words into action.  We already had famous athletes in the senate and congress yet the athletes’ welfare were not addressed that even our participation to international sporting events always swam in controversy.  Maybe if we have these guys populate the local level, just maybe, we can experience improvements and changes.

If they do get to become public officials, there are some areas of concern that they need to look into and here’s wishing that they would have the mission and the vision to at least give some value to their election promises and be proactive, not reactive.

Once they assume their positions, these athletes-turned public servants should initiate change and development in their respective communities.  They need to build trust and respect from the people for their projects to see light.  Stakeholders should be taken into consideration knowing that procurement process in government is tedious, to put it mildly.  These business entities in the community more likely than not, would be willing to assist in sports programs initiated by local governments for advertising mileage and of course, for future favors from the powers that be.

Politico-athletes and their backgrounds help a lot as they could easily identify the needs and wants of the community.  They had been there, done this and that and could identify areas where facilities and equipment need improvement as well as identify talents from different sports and various locations and then pool them for trainings and future competitions. 

Good sources of talents are the schools and learning institutions within the community.  From the mountains to the plains, to the valleys and to the seas, there will always be hidden gems just waiting to be discovered and tapped.   Year-round activities in coordination with the schools and the local officials would encourage and drum up interest not only from the youth but also their elders.

Of course, these new set of officials with sporting credentials must also address the need to have competent people to handle their sports programs.  Surely, there are individuals whose passion for sports not only involves playing but also in training and coaching.  Seminars and workshops for coaches and officials must also be looked into so the need for professional game officials will be minimized if not eliminated.  Additional savings on the part of the organizer unless there are the usual “commissioners”.

There is also the need to be ready for medical emergencies.  Sports involve physical contact and the risks for injuries are real.   There must be programs undertaken to address this concern and a basic understanding of first aid is essential so that in cases of accidents and injuries, people would know what to do.   A sports first aid course could be made that can be specifically applied to a sporting environment.  I would assume that every local government unit have their own emergency medical services.

Elected into public office does not entitle a person VIP status but a good number of them, which include barangay officials have this feeling of entitlement that they get haughty, abusive and delusional.   A public official is put into position to serve and care for the needs of the community, not the other way around.

There must be an open line as there would always be interaction between key people for goals to be achieved.  Effective communication is a two-way thing – giving and receiving information.  Not only will these officials have the ability to relay things but also can handle criticisms and suggestions.  It’s not about the words coming out of our mouths but the way we behave, our gestures, facial expressions, our body language in general.

Sustaining the above mentioned need logistics and ample support from the LGU and for you to succeed, pray to whoever you want to pray to that you belong to the party in power.   If not, then you will be given the most stress-free chairmanship of all, the committee on silence.

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