TEAM MANAGERS are essential to the performance of any sports team. They handle logistics, scheduling, scouting, and looking after the well-being of the players. Higher up the hierarchy, we have the team Program Director, who handles important tasks such as staff and player recruitments, budget allocation, as well as negotiating with possible sponsors.
With these point persons working closely with each other in order to ensure proper team management, their efforts become essential to the development of the team both on and off court.
Team management
Men’s Basketball Team Manager Epok Quimpo is in charge of ensuring that the basketball teams are given whatever they need to perform at their best on the court. Daily, he makes sure that all logistics are taken care of. More than the financial aid that a team manager provides, Quimpo also fills in as a support system for the players, being an ear the athletes can rant to and confide in.
“Whatever arises, again outside the X’s and O’s of Basketball, we’re the front liners. We want to send a message that you are not only our student-athletes, but we do care about you guys,” Quimpo shares.
A huge chunk of Quimpo’s time is also devoted to the scouting and recruitment of athletes, both local and abroad, who may potentially suit up for the Blue and White. This process of finding new talent goes on throughout the year and is planned way before Ateneo even approaches the athletes.
Being a former athlete himself has helped Quimpo in doing his job well. “The good thing about me is that I used to play and I’ve been to camps and clinics, and I’m aware of what the athlete needs or what the players are thinking,” he says.
Managers are considered the extensions of the program directors. Primarily, they make the decisions for the team in terms of seeking out sponsors and getting the best deals. They also work closely with the coaches to scout out potential recruits for the team.
On the other hand, program directors are in charge of being the face of the team’s managerial staff. In recent years and in more than just these aspects, Ateneo volleyball has found much success under the helm of program director Sherwin Malonzo.
The former Men’s Volleyball team head coach ensures that the team finds and recruits the best by working closely with his coaching staff during the season. During the off-season, he mostly supervises as much as he can in order to find the best mix for the program. He closely monitors what the coaches and players need, whether it be extra equipment or more training. Another duty is the task of selecting coaches for both the Men’s and Women’s teams that will steer the teams and dictate its personality.
“I’m just lucky with my coaches, that’s one. It’s a big factor to get good coaches and a coaching staff that works as a team,” Malonzo shares.
Entering his tenth year as program director, as well as handling the University Athletic Association of the Philippines’Volleyball Information System, Malonzo credits his team managers for lending him a hand as he tries to juggle all his responsibilities.
“I can’t be with them 24/7. Basically, everything talaga falls down on me. Kaya kung ngayon dine-delegate na sa team manager. I just delegate what I can, yung mga small things (I can’t be with them 24/7. Although basically, everything really falls down on me. So now I delegate to the team manager. I delegate what I can, like the small things),” he says.
Shared views
Much like Quimpo, Malonzo believes in putting the student-athlete before anything else. More than the victories and championships, Malonzo places a premium on personality and leadership development, as well as team-building, which hones the players to be great athletes on court, but even better individuals off it.
With the immense popularity both Ateneo sports programs enjoy, both Quimpo and Malonzo are wary of the people that surround the team, particularly the athletes.
“Ang laki ng challenge na suddenly a lot of people want to be involved, and how to discern who’s really out there to help and who’s just there to have pictures with the team,” Malonzo says.
Malonzo also credits both corporate and personal donors for being of huge help to the program. The recent trips of the Blue and Lady Eagles to Thailand and Japan resulted from a combined effort of SMART Communications and Ateneo alumni.
The key to success
The managerial staff is vital for a functional team. They ensure that the players and coaches get the logistical, financial, or sometimes emotional support they need to perform at their highest level. Typically, the entire job falls on the program director, but with the assistance of team managers, everyone is able to perform at their best. The current system involves having team managers handle smaller tasks and report to the program director. With this set-up, the volleyball and basketball programs have found much fame and prosperity.
Both positions are very challenging, considering the high profile nature of the teams. “There’s so much responsibility behind it that integrity is involved and required where you have to be aware also, not only of logistical needs but also of emotions and of feelings. You have to be aware of your own team, the coaches, and the needs. It’s a clear picture or an exercise which makes you express what you learn from Ateneo,” Quimpo says. Team management may not be the most glamorous job, but good management is one of the main keys to success in sports.
