It’s one thing to be an elite athlete. It’s another for them to become a sports administrator to elevate that standard. So how do they make the transition? In the second part of a series profiling former and current Singapore nationals working at National Sports Associations, we show how they tackle it through strong communication and grit.

By Ignatius Koh

The mother of shooters

Jeanine Heng, 42
High Performance Manager, Singapore Shooting Association

If motherhood is a full-time job, then Jeanine Heng is on double shift. From facilitating daily operations, to being the Republic’s shooters’ listening ear, the Singapore Shooting Association (SSA) high performance manager and her team are the backbone of the organisation.

“We will help with school or work if they allow us to, as these may affect their performances,” said the mother of two. “But for the most part, we take care of their basic needs like equipment issues and make sure they are safe.”

Former netballer Heng is no stranger to elite sport – the 42-year-old competed at the 2007 World Netball Championships. Today, she delivers high standards in a different sport.

In particular, she wants to establish an ecosystem to keep producing top shooters. For example, SSA recently introduced laser shooting programmes in primary schools to get Singaporeans exposed earlier. Rifle and pistol shooting are only offered from secondary school onwards.

Once heavily reliant on foreign coaches, SSA also has plans to develop current athletes into future trainers by offering extra courses, attachments and mentorship programmes.

“The team will collapse if you don’t have a good coach that can sync with your players and raise their level,” said Heng, who has been at SSA since 2011.

She also dishes out regular advice to her shooters. This includes encouraging them to think about life after retirement, and suggesting alternatives like voluntary or part-time work to help them focus better.

“Being too obsessed with your sport does not guarantee success,” she said.

Part athlete, part administrator, all round hustle

Deborah Saw, 28
High Performance Manager, Singapore Cycling Federation

Ten training sessions across six days in a week will leave many professional athletes fatigued. Deborah Saw conquers that and more. The national kayaker, whose days last from 5am to 11pm, is also the high performance manager at the Singapore Cycling Federation (SCF).

“It’s almost a daily struggle,” said the 28-year-old, who joined the federation in early 2019. “Sometimes I have to work till late and on weekends, but at least my full training load is not compromised.”

While she felt like a fish out of water early on, Saw now wields octopus-like multitasking capabilities when managing the national team and developmental squad. She handles logistics and budgeting, and plans training programmes.

As a newcomer, it was difficult to grasp the different requirements across cycling’s four disciplines: road racing, track cycling, mountain bike racing and BMX. This includes getting to know each coach and their working styles. Her hands are also full with some 40 athletes under her charge.

Fortunately, her cyclists see her as a kindred spirit. “They treat me as one of them, and I think it makes it easier for them to share their issues with me,” she said.

With uncertainties plaguing the already postponed Tokyo Olympics this year, she is constantly peppered with questions about trainings and time trials. Her dual athlete-administrator position helps her navigate such situations, said Saw.

“I understand how the system works and the challenges SCF faces,” she added. “But as I can also identify with the cyclists, I’m able to empathise with them and explain our decisions better.”

Getting a grip on the invisible

Joshua Ho, 26
High Performance Manager, Singapore Golf Association

Joshua Ho is obsessed about the basics, the fundamentals of a sport, which are almost naked to the non-athlete’s eyes, yet glaring and magnified in the discerning vision of a trained sportsman.

The spectators see the flight of the ball, the smooth swing, and of course, where the ball lands. Top golfers observe the stance, the posture, the ball position, the grip, even before a ball is hit.

These are the yawningly boring details which the 26-year-old devotes his working hours to as high performance manager at the Singapore Golf Association. It is second nature to him. As a former national golfer who represented the country for a decade, he knows success and failure are built on the seemingly invisible basics.

Now he drills that into the athletes of the high performance programme. Comprising 45 athletes across the national, development and junior squads, the scheme helps to nurture the next generation of golfers through mentorship and specialized training.

Athletes are provided access to a coaching support team, overseas tournaments and state-of-the-art training facilities. Ho monitors their selection and training, creating a pipeline for golfing excellence in Singapore.

“This allows us to have a pool of talent that we can already have our eyes on and plan for the future,” he said, working closely with national coach Matthew Ballard.