Mano Watsa, Owner and President of PGC Basketball Camps
More than hoop dreams
Mano Watsa practices a champion mindset on and off the court
For Mano Watsa (BA ‘99), basketball is more than a dynamic sport. It’s a way of thinking, a way to learn about yourself, and a throughline connecting most of his life.
The Recreation and Leisure Studies graduate is a former ݮƵ varsity basketball athlete who now owner and president of camps, the largest education basketball camp in the world. When he first began leading PGC, they had 12 camps. Today, they run more than 200 camps across North America for more than 20,000 players and 2,000 coaches.
This summer, the organization is launching an entrepreneurship camp for athletes, providing a unique space for athletes to develop business skills and expertise in the entrepreneurial world.
“Basketball and team sports have the potential to teach so many life lessons, so many things that are transferable from sport over to life,” Watsa says. “From the ability to persevere and be resilient and to rise above how you may be feeling in any given moment, to the ability to put aside your own personal agenda for the betterment of the team – to change from ‘me’ to ‘we.’”
That’s not to mention the character qualities needed to succeed in life, such as the development of self-discipline, a strong work ethic and a positive attitude, he adds.
“We continue to help players develop their basketball IQ, develop a champion’s mindset and become leaders on and off the court.”
Healthy habits, healthy lifestyle
His athletic career at ݮƵ earned him the OUA conference All-Star title four times, and he was a two-time All-Canadian, an Academic All-Canadian and the 1999 University of ݮƵ Athlete of the Year. He received the National TSN Award for combining excellence in athletics, academics and community involvement, and was inducted into the University of ݮƵ Athletics Hall of Fame.
Watsa says the sport changed who he was, teaching him how to be a good teammate while pursuing excellence. He practices healthy habits on a daily basis and urges others to do the same.
“We encourage our athletes to journal each day in a gratitude journal. I journal at the end of the day 10 things I’ve accomplished and 10 things that I am grateful for, and I’ve found that to be really powerful in terms of positioning my mindset,” Watsa says.
“And then I attempt to do something to move my body every single day. At least once a week, I run sprints, as it’s the best possible workout for the physical body. I try to eat healthy, drink lots of water and eat as much fresh food and vegetables as possible as well.”
He says time can either be our greatest friend or our greatest foe, depending on what our habits are over time. “I remind myself of that and it inspires me to make good choices each day in terms of my health and to take actions to position me to be healthy physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
“I remind myself that every action I take is strengthening a habit that is either helping me or hurting me.”
Pay it forward
Watsa applies what he teaches in the sport to other areas. This past term, he helped bring leadership communication to life in a university classroom. Dr. Katie Misener, who teaches Leadership Theory and Practice in Sport and Recreation at ݮƵ, says, “His experiential exercise with the class was a powerful reminder that leadership is about listening, adapting, building trust and connecting with people in a way that motivates action and fosters collaboration. His insights from business and sport contexts were invaluable to our students.”
His family also hosts children from the program to their house annually. “I just love what they do, the impact that they’re having and how they help young people and families.” Adventure4Change is an organization that aims to help prevent poverty and enable kids, youth and moms to make meaningful contributions to society.
Watsa says, “I give back to pay it forward. I have had the benefit to have countless teachers, coaches and mentors who have come into my life. As a result, I love to help support others and to give them the same type of opportunities or insights that others have given me.”
In 2008, having just started building PGC Basketball, Watsa was named the Faculty of Health’s inaugural Young Alumni Award recipient. Today, he continues to inspire athletes and others to be champions in all aspects of life.
Photos courtesy of PGC Basketball.