Recruiting Athletes in Philippines (Michael Keon)

One of the main reasons is the gatekeeping of many of the national sports associations (NSAs) which are either incompetently managed by leaders who are either without any sports qualifications or sports management skills. Gatekeeping and monopolistic management result in other symptoms such as corruption and political intrigues. The present sporting landscape has been brought about after the demise of Project Gintong Alay with the legislation and creation of the Philippine Sports Commission. An agency, whose main job is to promote sports as a propaganda tool for the government.

Some sports leaders keep saying it is an INVESTMENT. But investing in what? Investment means you reap rewards. EUPHORIA, JINGOISM, and TEMPORARY DISTRACTIONS? This country is in essence spending BILLIONS on PRIDE and INSPIRATION.

Hard-earned TAX MONEY is spent on PSYCHOLOGICAL and CONCEPTUAL CONSTRUCTS? How do you return the billions into government coffers on these medals? Simply answered, it can not be returned.

Sports are self-depleting and self-consuming. That is why in developed countries it is run by private sports federations, regional, and down-to-club systems that fund and generate income for their respective sports.

This is how it’s supposedly done but the Philippines has a welfare system for sports. Politicians and big business interests have created a patronage-dependent sports environment. This is the reason sports and the athletes therein are susceptible to political intrigue and dependence on a handout system that eventually kills sports programs when funding or political mileage from sports is not worth funding.

This is the reason why sports keep going into endless boom and bust cycles since GIntong Alay went away. But ELITIST COMPETITIVE SPORTS are dying from a lack of talent because the lower levels that were present during and before Gintong Alay is just not there anymore. LGUs and regions have reduced lower-level sports programs.

There is also the loss of sports facilities and infrastructure throughout the years from urban sprawl and population growth. Another is the lack of engagement by the population in basic active recreation. Due to the lack of free spaces and recreational parks and low-level sports facilities. Add to this the reduction of PE time to one hour a week. Due to the creation of MAPEH and the poor quality of education that has necessitated the cutting of physical activity of school children.

Recruiting Athletes in the Philippines

Originally posted Aug 26, 2013

RECRUITING ATHLETES IN PHILIPPINES TRACK AND FIELD

There are three ways I can think of which come to mind for recruiting athletes.

However, we should be applying coaching ethics and protecting against poaching which is the biggest problem limiting Philippine Sports today.

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1. Our grassroots programs e.g., find at the Palarong Pambansa and other such meets

• Batang Pinoy
• Regional Palaro Meets
• Palarong Pambansa
• School Meets
• Manila High school meets
• Milo Little Olympics

We have already covered 3 Filipinas in the Final of Vietnam is an excellent example of being grassroots programs with three athletes who came through the Palarong Pambansa system initially, maybe not being the best at that time but later developing their skills.

Unfortunately, grassroots on its own is not enough; we need to look at how we can retain senior athletes. Part of the equation is the depth-based development of events rather than focusing on one or two individuals.

And can do this by providing a good calendar of competitions and organizations such as the PPVC and Throwers Circle promoting events and supporting and nurturing the development of talented coaches who are working together rather competitively t benefit a larger range of athletes rather than just a few individuals as an event is likely to produce a continuity of future champions.

If all funding is pooled into one individual rather than the event

• What happens if the individual gets old?
• Gets injured?
• Decides to work
• or has other issues that prevent them from continuing.

Then we are back with 0 if we forsake continuity of the next stars in that event.

2. Persuade athletes from other sports to take up Track and Field. E.g., we have a lot of talented triathletes who could excel at 10k etc

• Road Running
• Triathlon
• Duathlon
• Volleyball (jumping events)
• Baseball and Softball (Shotput and Javelin)
• Basketball (jumping and throws, smaller Bball such as PG/SG for sprints and hurdles)
• Gymnastics (Pole Vault)

Option 2,  We are yet to explore option 2. The idea of Option 2 dawned on me after seeing Alistair Brownlee run 29m07 for the 10k. It got me thinking about how the best Triathletes, roadrunners, duathletes, and endurance sport type athletes. In the country would fare over the 10k. I welcome any comments on this discussion point.

3. We have about 11 million Filipinos working overseas and a greater number of Filipino parentage or mixed parentage. A lot of these athletes have

Also, consider that athletes from this group cannot make it to the national team in Athletics. It might be good enough to make it on the national team in other sports.

The term Fil-Heritage has been coined as it is more appropriate for athletes of Filipino mixed parentage. Or who are living overseas, or those of Filipino origin who now moved overseas.

We are avoiding using the term Fil-am, which stereotypes the limited capacity thinking that all Filipino’s overseas live in the states. When the Filipino community overseas is a lot more global than that.

We also avoid the use of the term Fil-Foreigner. This is trying to class athletes of Filipino origin as not really part of the Philippines.

Already we have provided a good article on recruiting athletes two twin female sprinters who have already made the IAAF qualifying criteria for the World Youth Championships, and we are awaiting the response of PATAFA in regards to the documentation they need to provide us and sent a letter last week.

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