Nova Scotia Alumnus: The Business of Sport
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Meet ConnectNS network member Nicholas Reyes, Managing Director of Team Socceroo Football Club (TSFC) in Manila, Philippines and find out what he thinks Nova Scotia can offer the global sports industry and why.
Tell us about your company
Team Socceroo Football Club (TSFC) is a professional football club based in Manila, Philippines that competes in the country’s top premiere football league. TSFC is a local partner of FC Barcelona Escola in the Philippines which is one of the world’s top football clubs from Barcelona, Spain. FC Barcelona Escola has an unrivaled reputation of producing world-class talent such as the likes of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, and Xavi Hernandez.
What’s your tie to Nova Scotia?
I’m a proud graduate and former soccer player from Saint Mary’s University (SMU). I worked as an International Student Coordinator at SMU and as an International Connector Officer at the Greater Halifax Partnership (GHP) before returning home to Manila, Philippines where I now manage our family-owned professional football club. I’m a Canadian immigrant who’s keen on setting up business opportunities in the Philippines that can be brought to Nova Scotia and vice-versa.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “Nova Scotia”?
Amazing people. The people of Nova Scotia are the friendliest Canadians I know.
What do you love most about doing what you do professionally?
Making a difference in people’s lives through sports, specifically football, is what makes my job amazing. There are a lot of human values you can learn on and off the field, such as teamwork, respect, honesty and fair-play.
What’s the best lesson you ever learned?
“Touching lives” is what really makes this world very interesting to live in. The world is getting smaller through technology and globalization but building relationships across borders and nationalities really makes a difference in life.
What’s the greatest asset Nova Scotia can offer your industry?
Nova Scotia has a great pool of talent and we have to be wise on how to leverage this talent. For example, being the university capital and having a lot of international students from around the world opens up the opportunity for sports development to play a significant role in making Nova Scotia a world-class location.
What do you miss most about Nova Scotia?
The beautiful harbour, amazing city of Halifax, and Saint Mary’s University. Let’s go Huskies!
Nicholas Reyes is a member of the ConnectNS network of proud Nova Scotians, alumni and expats from over 40 countries. Get involved.