Capital1 team owners Mandy and Milka Romero are heading to their maiden Premier Volleyball League campaign well-equipped, thanks to their experience as athletes and, of course, the guidance of their sportsman father, Rep. Mikee Romero.
Mandy was previously a member of the Muay Thai national team, while Milka is a former co-captain of the Ateneo women’s football team.
Both have said that their previous experiences as athletes will significantly impact how they will handle business for the Power Spikers.
The Capital1 Solar Energy president bared that they intend to build a strong bond within the team. Meanwhile, the elder daughter of the renowned sports patron believes that their competitive history will serve as an advantage for both of them moving forward.
“My sister and I are big fans of the PVL. What we have to bring to the team is our heart. We really have the passion for it and we understand also the daily struggles of what it is to be an athlete especially at the national level, to represent your team, the vision, and also sometimes the entire country. For us, hopefully, we can create a strong bond as a family. That’s what we’re looking for with Capital1 Solar Energy,” said Mandy.
“I experienced being a player at a very high-level and I know how you just wanna focus on the game. But with the pressure and management and all of that, doon nasisira yung game eh back when I was playing. So I think it’s an advantage that I can also think like a player and you know, pakikisama,” added Milka.
Besides their individual experiences, Mandy mentioned that watching their father – the man behind the historic Harbour Centre squad in the PBL, which later transitioned to the PBA as the Northport Batang Pier – instilled in them a competitive drive and a passionate approach, both of which they believe are essential qualities for handling the Power Spikers.
“As we mentioned earlier, we’ve been young athletes, training all our lives. But also coming as team owners, what we learned from our father is how to be passionate team owners, how to care for the team, the players, the managers, the coaches, and especially the love for the sport and the game,” said Mandy.
“We definitely inherited the passion for winning. We know that it will be an uphill battle but we definitely want to have our competitive spirit at the end of the day and that’s something we learned from our dad.”
Mandy and Milka, though, admitted that building a championship-caliber team takes time, which is why they want to focus on building the team’s culture first and take things one step at a time.
“We realize that great teams take time and with Coach Roger at the helm, Coach Hollie (Reyes), we hope that we can create a formidable team in the next two to three years and hopefully find diverse talent from across the country,” said Mandy.
“The company is new but our experiences are there and our main focus bilang sisters is to build our culture, build the team muna, and put our place in the PVL. Hindi muna basta ‘oh sige champion’, we’re taking it one step at a time. Just having the opportunity to join the PVL, we’re already grateful like I mentioned. Everything else is a bonus,” added Milka.
