Stephan Lhuillier launches Pinoy Tennis Trainers
THE name Lhuillier has been associated for two things — a multiindustry company and its love for sports.
Since the 1980s, the company has been an avid backer of sports, the most notable was the Lhuillier Jewelers squad in the now defunct PABL.
PJ Lhuillier, which is headed by Jean Henri Lhuillier, continued its support in sports — both local and international through the years.
In the local scene, they bankrolled the Cebu Gems in the short lived Metropolitan Basketball Association, and actively supported tennis and softball in the Philippines.
In the international circuit, the group was a staunch backer of the amateur-laden Philippine men’s basketball team from 2003 to 2005 before politics within the sport intervened and stalled the progress of the program.
PJ Lhuillier also backed the Philippine Mavericks team, which participated in the IPTL, a world-ranking tennis circuit.
This time, a second generation Lhuillier, Stephan Lhuillier, son of Jean Henri and wife, Olympian Bea Lucero-Lhuillier, is doing his share giving back to the sport of tennis and focusing on helping the Pinoy trainers thru the Pinoy Tennis Trainers program for free.
“I’d like to help them financially,” Stephan told BusinessWorld in an exclusive interview. “So I developed this program called Pinoy Tennis Trainers to upgrade their skills and for them to be paid well.”
According to the young Lhuillier, tennis trainers are among the least paid personnel in sports.
“It depends on the clubs. Because some of the higher clubs, the Manila Polo Club or Alabang Club, they are being paid around P200 per hour. The per hour rate is between P150 and P200. If they become coach, it will be doubled. I’m speaking of the higher clubs. But in the provinces, they could only get P80, the ball boys get P10 or P20. It depends on the clubs,” said Stephan.
Part of the program of the Pinoy Tennis Trainers is to send our local trainers abroad to upgrade their skills.
“Hazel Espinosa, formerly No. 4 in the country, she’s working as a trainer now and there’s another one from Amoranto Tennis Club, they were sent to Thailand for free to undergo training and accompanied by ( Coach) Roland Kraut,” he added. “They attended a coach’s course. They attended a Level 1 course.”
Mr. Kraut said the trainers and the coaches will definitely benefit from the program started by the young Lhuillier.
“They’re lucky because of the program. Before, we have to go to abroad, apply and take the course and send your credentials, otherwise you’ll lose your accreditation,” said Mr. Kraut. “Trainers live it up to coaches. They think coaching is just making kids play better. Now, we’re opening their eyes to look at the bigger picture.”
The program was created for trainers to understand the important things in training.
“First is for the coaches and trainers to have the knowledge. The next is to create a pool of kids, get them interested. From this pool of kids, the third one is to get players who will be successful. Not everyone will be successful,” said Mr. Kraut. “But right now, it’s educating the coaches. When you go to Visayas and Mindanao, there are a lot of kids, but there are only a few who can teach. We need to equip them.”
The Pinoy Tennis Trainers had gone through different parts of the country and has built interest.
“The program was intended for coaches and trainers to never stop learning. They’re willing. When we go around, we get 30, 40, 50 participants, it means they’re willing. In Cebu, we got 50,” added Mr. Kraut.
“And the good thing is, everything is free — you have food, Tshirt, they have raffle of tennis racquets. All they need to do is to attend.” —