Meet the Speakers: Tessa Jazmines

Passion, spirit, art

Tessa Jazmines and her fountain of youth

By Danielle Nakpil, The Playbook

B R I E F   B I O

Ma. Theresa Jazmines

Columnist, BusinessMirror

Professor, University of the Philippines - Diliman

College: University of the Philippines - Diliman

Daddy’s unica hija turned out to be someone to look up to in the man-dominated world of sports writing.

It is indeed, rare to see a female going along with tough guys, witnessing an action-packed game and writing a sports story about it. Well, Ma. Theresa “Tessa” Jazmines has raised the flag of all women to show that they are no inferior to men.

The youthful Jazmines is one of the three beautiful ladies who’ll be speaking in the Adventurer In the Huddle: 1^st National Sports Writing Congress 2010 and will help young scribes hone their skills and develop their potentials in sports writing.

When asked about her inspiration when entering the world of sports writing, “Not anyone in particular. I just wanted to be in sports. I guess my Dad – who’s a big sports fan – turned me into sports. I am an only child and my Dad turned me into his sports buddy. I just love everything about the sports milieu,” she said in an interview with The Playbook.

The University of the Philippines cum laude, who also used to write in the Philippine Star, Sports Weekly Magazine, Woman Today and Sports World, also quipped that the best thing in writing sports stories is following your instincts and being true to yourself.

To put it bluntly, it is doing what you love in the field that you love.

Jazmines finished her AB Journalism and masteral degree in Mass Communication in the University of the Philippines. She is currently an Associate Professor of Journalism in UP Diliman and a columnist in the Business Mirror.

As a well-known personality in her chosen field, Tessa gives her advice to aspiring writers of this generation.
“Simple lang. Follow your passion. Don’t let anything stand in your way. It’s Love – just not with an individual. Love is like water. It will find a way to flow, seep, escape, run. You can’t stop it. If you feel that way about being in sports – as an athlete or as someone who records what athletes do – just let it flow.”


For her, sports is such a passion, a spirit, and an art. She admires the athletes, coaches and team owners who sacrifice a lot for sports, who give their 110% to be better than their best.


Jazmines herself managed the CMC basketball team (the CMC Wildcat) who won the intrams championship twice in college. Her players were no ordinary: Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio, politician Gilbert Remulla, and Richard Gomez, to name a few.

As a message to hopeful writers who’ll be attending ITH 2010, “Follow your passion. Trust your instincts. And when you’re already into sports writing, hone your talent. Read, read, read. Experience, experience, experience. Always keep an open mind and cover even the sports you don’t like. Learn the rules. If you’re a girl, never fall in love with your subject. And lastly, stay humble. Keep your two feet on the ground. But keep them in sports shoes.” ###