Dek: Spark Plug is a feature series that seeks to profile multi-faceted athletes who have the unique ability to excel both in sports and in other aspects of their lives. In the fifth installment, we get to know Glory Be Team Captain Andre Santos who is also a writer, podcast host, small business owner, and an active member of a non-profit youth organization.

THROUGHOUT HIS athletic career, Glory Be Team Captain Andre Santos has exemplified leadership through example on and off the court. As a basketball player, Andre gives 100% effort every time he steps on the hardcourt. While off the court, Andre dabbles in different activities like writing articles, co-hosting a podcast, co-owning a business, and actively participating in a youth organization.

At first glance, juggling all of these activities seem impossible, but Andre’s unrelenting passion and drive to succeed has proven time and again that he is capable of being more than just a regular student-athlete.

Calling the shots

Inspired by his father’s passion for basketball, Andre was first introduced to the game at the tender age of four. Being constantly exposed to the sport, Andre eventually played his first official varsity game for the De La Salle Santiago Zobel School (DLSZ) in elementary school.

As he continued his basketball career into high school, Andre worked towards his goal of playing in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). Although he was not the most talented player, Andre eventually achieved his dream when he was a high school junior. “The process of reaching that [varsity] was very difficult, and it took many years and many tryouts to get into it. But when I got in, I made the most out of it and continued to develop my skills,” he pointed out.

In his first stint with the Junior Archers in UAAP Season 79, DLSZ reached the Final Four behind Andre’s excellent all-around performance in the play-in game versus the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tiger Cubs. Despite being a rookie, Andre locked down Tiger Cubs superstar CJ Cansino on defense while also chipping in four points, five rebounds, and seven assists in the 72-65 victory.

After failing to reach the Final Four in his senior year, Andre immediately turned his sights onto college basketball. Given the influx of talent in the Season 81 recruiting class, Andre knew that his best path to the UAAP was seeking an excellent Team B program. Additionally, Andre prioritized a university with good academic standards, eventually leading him to join Ateneo’s Glory Be program.

With his dedication to his craft, Andre’s transition from Alabang to Katipunan was a smooth one as he easily acclimated himself into the culture and system of Glory Be. Furthermore, as a result of his strong bond with his teammates and his apparent leadership qualities, Andre was named team captain in just his second year.

Being the skipper of the team meant that Andre had to manage different personalities in the locker room. However, instead of shying away from the challenge, Andre was determined to show that he was the right man for the job. “That’s the problem sometimes with being in a team like ours because we all want to reach a certain goal, if you know what I mean. So my goal is to really keep the team united and remind them of the common goal we have,” he explained. 

Apart from being a vocal leader, Andre’s leadership went beyond the hardcourt as he checked up on his teammates who lived away from their families. After practices, Andre would usually hang out with his teammates and would hold them accountable in terms of balancing basketball, leisure, and academics.

However, while Andre has a multitude of responsibilities for Glory Be, he has the ability to juggle these commitments with his passions off the court. 

Expanding the horizons 

As Andre’s sophomore season was abruptly cut short due to COVID-19 restrictions, he, along with his friends Javier Faustino and Vince Simpao, sought out a new hobby while staying at home. Apart from being regular contributors for The Retrospekt—a pop culture and sports website—the trio believed they could make their content more creative and interactive through a multimedia platform. As the 2019-2020 NBA season resumed in July 2020, Andre and his friends produced the Buckets and Chill podcast, where they debate over various basketball topics as well as analyze NBA games in-depth.

“We wanted to find a new platform to share our ideas, so what better way than to start a video podcast [in] which we were really able to show our creativity and show our insights more in-depth. So we were really able to enjoy that,” explained Andre. 

Another venture that Andre took up during the quarantine was starting a small cold brew business called The South Brew. Together with his friend Amby Solis, Andre began to source coffee beans from local and international producers and sold coffee products through their Instagram account.

Even though Andre was not much of a coffee drinker at the start, he eventually realized the benefits of getting involved in the cold brew scene. “Imagine, I’m making my own coffee, my own supply of [caffeine] for my pre-workout [drink], so that’s the reason why I personally got into [cold brew], and it was just Amby’s idea in having our own business and just being productive during this quarantine,” asserted Andre.

Given the difficulty of gaining customers in the saturated cold brew market, Andre faced the challenge head on and persevered in an effort to apply the business concepts he learned as a BS Management major. Apart from this, Andre also cherished the opportunity of sharing this passion with his close friend. “I guess at the end, it feels really good knowing that the person who’s at your side in the business cares about you and will really help the business thrive side by side with you,” he acclaimed.

Envisioning a better tomorrow

While Andre is heavily invested in basketball, his podcast, and his cold brew business, the Glory Be team captain has an equally large heart for service. In 2020, Andre joined the Advocacies and Research committee of Usbong Philippines, a youth organization that envisions education as the foundation of social awareness for a brighter tomorrow. Along with his other committee members, Andre lends a hand in researching information for Usbong’s weekly news updates about various issues in and around the country.

Aside from this, Andre is also a regular host in the organization’s podcast series called Usapang Usbong, which gives him a platform to talk about different topics such as mental health and inclusion for persons with special needs.

For Andre, advocating for education was something he always had a passion for. “I’ve never really concentrated on advocating for education until I joined Usbong, but it always had a special place in my heart because my mom is a preschool teacher, and she owns a school too. So it’s always been an idea of mine to share my thoughts on the education system as a whole, [and] I’m glad I have a platform now in Usbong,” shared Andre.

More than an athlete

At the end of the day, Andre’s dreams and aspirations extend far beyond his own. For him, every endeavor he ventures into is a chance to inspire and uplift those around him. “So what [extracurriculars] allow me to do is to just to think beyond myself because all of these things I’m learning in my extracurricular activities just opens my mind. It gives me more knowledge and information about so many other things,” he shared. As Andre continues to grow and serve others through his various engagements, he exemplifies the true meaning of leadership through example.