Philippine sports needs change in many fronts and one facet that needs rehabilitation is the lack of new sports leaders.
There’s nothing wrong with experienced sports executives as long as they deliver programs and athletes with sterling performances. The problem is when there are no accomplishments to talk about and what you hear are only excuses from those hanging on to leadership roles.
It’s not that easy to be a sports leader here.
The job is, at best, voluntary. There are association elections but a potential sports leader tosses his/her hat into the ring because of the prodding of peers who share a passion for a sport or because the person has an agenda to improve the discipline.
And when it’s a voluntary affair, everyone feels entitled to express how things should be done. Ask any religious or hobby group or homeowners association and you will get an idea of how emotions get entangled with group objectives. Unlike in business or politics where an owner’s or boss’ word is final, volunteer efforts can be messy.
Since sports resources are scarce, the potential leader must either have adequate finances to spare or knows how to find funds for training, international exposure and living expenses. The Philippine Sports Commission is there to help but has to care for several sports associations and projects.
The sports leader also has to contend with a nationwide network of provincial representatives. This is never easy because of political affiliations, language or even a shared passion on how things should be done.
There are a few good people willing to spare the time and resources to nurture a sport. However, most become discouraged by the sheer size of the challenge and the number of hurdles that must be overcome.
Change in sports will only happen if experienced leaders will work hand in hand with new executives and not feel threatened by novel ideas or methods. New sports leaders must be gracious as well in respecting the contributions of their older peers.
Nothing new will happen in Philippine sports if we can’t have a reasonable amount of teamwork in our own associations.