The Alas draft fiasco exposes the pitfalls of capitalism behind professional sports
Last week, news of a controversial “Alas draft” rocked the local professional volleyball community. Essentially, the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) announced that it was going to draft its pick of new pros from the annual Premier Volleyball League draft, making them play for the national women’s volleyball team (Alas Pilipinas, hence the name of the draft) for two years, all for the same salary regardless of perceived stature and skill level.
A player who requested to remain anonymous shared all the details and the general sentiment among the player base of pro athletes. They said that the biggest reservation they had about this new setup—which came in the fallout of a leadership transition in the PNVF—being the reduced freedom of choice the athletes would be given as they would be obligated to serve two years in the national team for a salary that may or may not be competitive, forgoing the huge potential benefits of going pro either here or abroad.
It’s a real draft in its traditional sense, as it feels a lot like being drafted to serve your country’s military, like in Singapore or South Korea.
But on March 16, the PNVF had walked back its plans for the Alas draft after the player had spoken to various local sports media. Now, they say, the players approached for the national team would be given the option to refuse the call to serve. However, those who do agree to play for Alas Pilipinas will be barred from joining the PVL draft.
In a statement released March 18, the PNVF reaffirmed its commitment to prioritizing the players’ welfare and “building a sustainable, inclusive, and athlete-centered path forward.”
The system that led to this situation
First, we have to understand why the national federation felt the need to have its exclusive picks from the team.
The anonymous player prefaced the situation by noting the loss the Philippine women’s national volleyball team suffered at the recent SEA Games in Bangkok, where they only won one match (against Singapore) in the whole tournament. The source blamed this on the leadership transition and a chaotic preparation period; it got so bad that the players had to spend their own money on food and other necessities during the trip.
The biggest issue is that the PVL runs conferences year-round, which prevents the players who also play for the national team to devote time and energy for that when the Federation Internationale de Volleyball’s calendar stipulates that May to September is to be reserved specifically for the national team season and the rest of the year for pro and collegiate play—something that other countries such as Japan observe.
The player understands that the reason why the PVL opts not to follow this recommended setup is the very reason why professional leagues exist: It functions under capitalism, so it needs to make money. And for the league’s team owners who need to make a return on their financial investment, it’s best to run pro games year-round, even at the expense of other endeavors.
This core dilemma highlights the cons of professional sports—when your sport isn’t a global juggernaut of a phenomenon, you have to do everything you can to stay afloat financially. The reality is that beyond the athletes, there is also a huge number of jobs being provided by the pro seasons running year-round, and those jobs need to be maintained and paid through ticket sales and sponsorships.
Because of that other reality of everyone really going through it in a capitalistic society, a lot of what needs to be done to maintain that are decisions that may not favor the athletes.
The fight to be more than a commodity
But in a system like this, it’s hard for the self-aware and socially conscious athletes to not view themselves as mere commodities for the team owners to make money with.
The owners’ financial interests are given more priority than the welfare of the athletes—not ironically, their actual moneymakers. If the draftees choose to prioritize the national team first, they might give up their earning potential in the pros, as they might get injured in national team play and lose their stock when it’s time to get signed by clubs. If they choose the pros, they might never get the honor of proudly playing for their country. What matters most, according to the player source, is the athlete’s freedom to choose their volleyball destiny.
The anonymous player notes that in other countries, athletes don’t have this problem, as they are easily able to play for the national team and their pro clubs at the same time. If you follow other pro leagues, you’ll already see that NBA players don’t really have problems playing for their league teams and their country.
Pro player Fifi Sharma of the Akari Chargers has since spoken up following the PNVF’s statement, agreeing that they shouldn’t be forced to settle for less.
“It’s difficult to keep giving your all and fighting for something that consistently fails to take care of you,” Sharma said on Instagram.
“Passion can carry you far, but it shouldn’t be used to justify neglect. I’ve had my best memories playing volleyball in the national team, and I’ve never felt love and support like that from [the fans]! That’s why I’m saying this and that’s why I’m hoping things change.”
Fortunately, the players have come up with alternatives to try and keep the business going—after all, as athletes trying to make a living, they still stand to benefit from the entire league staying afloat, which is why they need to work together to find a good solution. They cite what Japan’s pro league does, which is to do marketing activities among the different towns and cities across its multiple prefectures to keep the fans engaged while allowing for national team training and play.
What’s actually most important for the players is that they be heard because as the manpower of the clubs, they’re still important stakeholders. Beyond being a commodity, they are the assets that make the game run, and it would be best for management not just of all teams, but of all professional leagues—not just volleyball, not just basketball—to not lose sight of how invaluable athletes truly are.
As far as the national team’s issues, speaking up accomplished something, but the struggle isn’t over just yet. The real game is much bigger than what’s being played on the court.
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