Football is fast becoming a popular sport in the country. Football aficionado Armand del Rosario said he plans to keep it that way by teaching what he’s learned to the next generation of players.
The Filipino-American has been playing football since he was five years old. Nowadays, he’s training kids in football as president of the Kaya Academy. And if any injuries occur, the EMT’s (emergency medical technicians), trained by Del Rosario’s Healthcare Advantage Institute, will ensure the best care and a speedy recovery. With all of these keeping him busy, Armand never forgets to keep himself fit and presentable. Below, he speaks how he does so.
Body
My biggest style influences are… My wife, because I have to look good always for her and I don’t want her to lose interest in me!
My staple outfit is… Jeans and a long-sleeve polo shirt. But I exercise a lot, so I have a lot of clothes for running or the gym. I do love my cotton boxer briefs as well.
I go mad over… Cologne. I have over 20 of them in my possession. My favorite is Jean Paul Gaultier for men but my signature is baby cologne. My everyday scent is something soft and simple—Gotas de Oro cologne. I get a lot of compliments from women, none more important than my wife of course, so it must be a good scent.
(Armand’s wife, Georgia Schulze-del Rosario, the wedding planner and model, panders to his love of scents: “Armand loves men’s cologne so I once bought him my favorite, Burberry Weekend. He did not like it so I ended up using it because I loved the smell so much. Now, I actually prefer him without cologne. He smells great right out of the shower, like soap. He uses baby cologne every day which I also love on him, very refreshing. My favorites on him are Gotas de Oro Sport, Para mi Bebe and Nenuco.”)
When I’m watching my weight… I take sugar out of my daily intake. I have the sweetest tooth so lessening my sugar helps me lose weight. But I do have my occasional Jamba Juice! I am also a foodie. I love all types of foods; Japanese, Chinese, Italian and especially Filipino. I particularly love my tapa and halo-halo!
I have an obsession for… Suits. Every new occasion, I try to have a new suit made, from my three-piece suits to my classic two-piece suits. I have them in different colors and styles. GQ Magazine has great style for suits that I always like to have made. The one suit I like the most is the gray suit I had made at Sam’s, a tailor in Hong Kong. They did a fantastic job on the fit and knowing what would look best on me.
I am happiest when I’m… With my wife and children. I am a big family guy. I love my wife and children so much and there are so many instances in which my kids just say something so funny out of the blue or make a face—it just makes me smile. I also always want what’s best for my Azkal brothers, so when they do well it makes me happy and proud.
My secret to keeping fit… Is playing sports. I was 20 pounds overweight last year, so I played badminton three times a week, but didn’t really lose the weight fast. Then I started playing soccer three times a week with Kaya and lost 15-20 pounds in just a couple of months. This, coupled with gym and badminton every so often, makes me feel great!
The five essential things I need in my grooming kit are… Osis Mess Up hair wax, Old Spice deodorant, tweezers, clippers and my VMV Hypoallergenic Face Wash—I can’t live without all these things!
If I’m not playing football… There are two sports I feel I can play for the rest of my life, badminton and golf.
Follow Armand on twitter @Armanddelro16 or catch the “Futbol” fever yourself and learn from Kaya Academy. For more details on schedules and registration, visit https://kayafcacademy.com; Facebook page Kaya FC; Twitter KayaFC; YouTube UnaKayaFC. Venues for training: Magallanes Village Gym; Forbes Park Village (North) Cambridge Circle Gym; BGC Turf, Bonifacio Global City; Cuenca Field, Ayala Alabang Village; Australian International School Field (formerly Esteban), Pasong Tamo, Makati