Being the youngest in the game—and having to work with athletes and coaches who are older than him—has its challenges.
Growing up in Iloilo, Sandro Soriano dreamt of playing in the PBA. His parents had bought him a simple basketball and hoop set as a toddler, and he grew up playing with his cousin, Anjo Caram. Like other kids, he dreamt of hitting game winners and playing in Manila. He couldn’t have predicted that two decades later, he would indeed make the PBA—not as a player, but as the youngest coach currently serving in the league.
“My love for basketball grew and grew,” Soriano says of his childhood. In grade school, he represented Region VI in the Palarong Pambansa, which led him to being recruited for Ateneo’s juniors team. He stayed with Ateneo in college, working as the Blue Eagles’ student manager from 2016-2020 and also their captain for Team B from 2017-2020.
“The role really was as student manager, but I wanted to play, so I had to find a way to juggle both roles with Team A and B with my studies,” he shares. “Working as a student manager helped set me on this path. As a student manager, you’re the extension of the coaching staff to the players. I got to watch how the coaches worked and learned a lot from them. My understanding of the game grew because of them.”
Soriano handled the Blue Eagles’ advanced statistics, and in 2020, while nearing his graduation from Ateneo’s Communication program, he received a call from TNT to join their coaching staff as well. He was just 20 years old.
Being the youngest in the game—and having to work with athletes and coaches who are older than him—has its challenges. “Not a lot of people get an opportunity like this, it’s really hard to get into the PBA. There was, and is, a lot of pressure to do well. I always want to set a high standard for myself and do good work,” he says.
But despite the challenges, he still considers coaching a dream come true. “The best part of working in the PBA is you’re surrounded by people who love the game and are passionate about what they do,” he says.
His stint with TNT lasted a year, after which he joined the coaching staff of Ateneo and Gilas Pilipinas, where he’s also the national men's team’s video coordinator. And recently, he joined the Meralco Bolts as well.
“My favorite thing about Meralco is the people. Everyone has been really nice and open. And of course, it was a childhood dream for Anjo and I to make the PBA,” Soriano says. “I’m really happy that we get to do this together.”
Now 24, Soriano remains the youngest assistant coach currently in the league. “I know there are a lot of people better than me,” he admits, “but I want to keep working and learning. Like Coach Erik Spoelstra said in the NBA Finals recently, ‘never leave the situation.’ For me that means focusing on the present and what I can do well today to help the team.”
His advice to young coaches hoping to make it in the PBA? Embrace the challenge. As he puts it: “Whatever the task, always work hard and hold yourself to a high standard. And whatever it is for you, know your purpose. Once you have a deeper understanding of your why, you become better in your own field. Embrace the journey, the process, and the results will follow.”