Coseteng advocates sports in preschool

FORMER senator Nikki Coseteng believes that Physical Education (PE) should be introduced at the preschool level and not during grade school as is the practice today.

“PE in schools starts at the fourth grade. That’s extremely late! At DPS (Diliman Preparatory School where she is president), we start at ECE (early childhood education) level,” shares the sports advocate. She believes that children today are becoming physically inactive because they are addicted to the television and computer. The two-term senator urges the government, especially the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), to help develop a healthy nation by advocating sports in the early years.

Coseteng thinks that the PSC needs to fully develop a grassroots sports program to give every Filipino child the opportunity to excel in the sport of his/her choice. Soon-to-be-proclaimed president-elect Noynoy Aquino has enough time to choose the next PSC chief before the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China in November. Current chair Harry Angping will submit his resignation on June 30 and Commissioners Akiko Thomson, Jose Mundo, Eric Loretizo and Fr. Vic Uy are also expected to vacate their posts so that the new president can appoint new ones. Coseteng recommends that the new chair work towards the promotion of sports in the preschool level.

The first and only female Vice-President of the Philippine Basketball Association offers more pieces of advice for the incoming PSC chief, including increasing the budget for training and development of facilities, expanding the number of international and local competitions for Filipino our athletes and coaches to participate in, and working with local government units for the construction and maintenance of sports facilities in the provinces and major cities.

Coseteng, who was awarded one of the Women Sports Achievers of the Year in 2000 by the Philippine Sports Commission and the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, likewise thinks that the country’s sports venues are limited for use of preferred groups. “Our population has tripled and we have Rizal Memorial, Ultra and Amoranto to serve the needs of 90 million Filipinos!” Coseteng exclaims.

Having been in public service for many years, Coseteng knows all too well that politics and corruption have no place in the PSC and in any government department and agency. “First and foremost, a PSC Chair has to delete politics and palakasan out of Philippine Sports. He/she needs to abolish corruption to maximize resources for training and other needs of athletes and coaches. This will eliminate ghost coaches and slash per diems,” Coseteng says. She also acknowledges that the chair must be able to work with all coaches and athletes for the total development of Philippine sports, without favoritism and political consideration.

The first female team manager in Philippine basketball knows that the next PSC chief has to be extremely creative in sourcing funds for training programs and equipment to strengthen the RP sports program. “The PSC Chair must also promote the sports where we have the greatest chances of winning in the Asian Sea Games and the Olympics,” the daughter of founding PBA president Emerson Coseteng says. The 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics will be the Aquino administration’s biggest sports events.

But first, the love for sports must be inculcated in children early. “We live in an era of fastfood and junkfood. We need to counter this damaging lifestyle by engaging in sports. Also, people nowadays are all stressed out. Sports de-stresses people,” the passionate Coseteng says.

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO