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Being a student doesn’t only mean studying and trying to keep your grades up, it also means looking for extra-curricular activities where you can socialize, engage in physical activity, or utilize your time for building a better self.
Some students look for the said activities in varsity teams. Although it is no joke to balance academics and training effectively, student-athletes take up the task with a fierce resolve. Becoming student-athletes requires a lot of effort: balancing academics and training effectively is a tough job to handle. To have the thought of competitions, deadlines, and the stress of time-management breathing down your neck isn’t a very easy thing to deal with after all. With all the challenges, they face, they need support, too, both morally and financially. Thus, the support of the school is very much welcome.
According to our Assistant Principal for Academic Programs, Prof. Zenaida Bojo, the UPIS varsity teams receive support in multiple ways: being provided faculty advisers, being excused when they have events or competitions, and receiving financial assistance. The school also provides certain facilities and equipment for the teams’ use.
Faculty advisers play an important role in supporting varsity teams. Prof. Bojo stated that faculty advisers coming from the Health and Physical Education department are the ones who monitor the students’ performance and keep them in check. They remind the athletes to be students first with the responsibility of passing requirements, catching up on tests, and studying for whatever they may have missed while outside the school. It is also their duty to remind the students about whatever requirements they need for upcoming competitions. They should be the ones to guide varsity players to excel both as students and athletes.
With the school allowing the students to be excused for their games that overlap with certain classes comes the perk of having the opportunity to retain their class standing. This is given that they inquire about and take their make-up tests and activities and excel in these.
Of the three, financial support is usually the most pressing issue that comes to mind when we talk about the school’s support for our Junior Maroons. This kind of support usually comes from the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) funds collected during enrollment which is distributed to the various varsity teams in the form of the team’s allowance, athlete’s stipend, and coach’s honorarium/pay, among others.
As much as these things support the students, there is still much to be desired concerning the support the school gives to help the students grow with their career as athletes if they so choose to devote themselves to the sport as well as their academics.
Most of the support aforementioned comes around only during the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season because apparently, that is the only financial support the school can afford to give. Some of the equipment is provided by the school but most of the gear used by the students is acquired by them. They use their own savings to buy their own equipment and it’s usually a team effort to keep the facilities in shape and in order.
Sponsors also give their support to the students. The connections of the students or the coaches lead them to these sponsorships that provide the team with additional equipment and uniforms. This helps the teams’ morale and aids them to perform better mentally and physically. Sadly, the sponsorships that teams get are only as good as the connections they have. There are also organizations such as Nowhere to go but UP created by the university to support the varsity teams through finding them sponsors. They also mention UPIS teams but, unfortunately, this is the only support they get from these organizations.
Exposure is a crucial aspect of an athlete’s career. How much one is seen competing and how one performs can help boost the career of an athlete big time. Exposure is usually raised with thru joining competitions like the UAAP, Milo Little Olympics, division meets, etc. The less the students enter competitions, the less they’ll be seen by potential teams and coaches. Exposure also helps the varsity teams financially if the students can perform exceptionally well in these competitions. If their performance leaves little to be desired, potential sponsors may approach the team rather than the students approaching sponsors for their support to play. The student’s performance coincides with the support they are given as well, and as of now, some of the students feel as if they aren’t given much support or any at all.
A possible solution to this would be to look for an adviser that could devote their full attention to keeping all of the varsity teams in check, somewhat of a ‘sports coordinator’ that will also help the teams find support especially in the financial aspect. Somebody that the student athletes could always refer to if they need help in academics or in matters regarding the teams. Somebody that would help and guide these varsity teams and players who are constantly fighting for our school’s pride. Another possible solution is for the school to pay more attention to the “athletic side” of the school. If the school will give a little more attention to the varsity teams, each of them might get sponsors that will financially support the teams.
All in all, the school’s support ties in with how much the students perform, how much they give themselves to the sport and to the school. To train hard and to be able to balance things well is what makes a student-athlete great. Devotion to the game and the drive to win, not just playing to be a part of the UAAP or a competition. This kind of attitude is already evident in the students, even more so with the athletes now. They’re doing the best they can to perform, to win, to balance requirements and the heat of training, as they are representing UPIS.
They’re just hoping that the school can soon do the same. //by Rad Pascual
Opinion: Brave hearts, empty hands
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| Photo credit: Jem Torrecampo |
Being a student doesn’t only mean studying and trying to keep your grades up, it also means looking for extra-curricular activities where you can socialize, engage in physical activity, or utilize your time for building a better self.
Some students look for the said activities in varsity teams. Although it is no joke to balance academics and training effectively, student-athletes take up the task with a fierce resolve. Becoming student-athletes requires a lot of effort: balancing academics and training effectively is a tough job to handle. To have the thought of competitions, deadlines, and the stress of time-management breathing down your neck isn’t a very easy thing to deal with after all. With all the challenges, they face, they need support, too, both morally and financially. Thus, the support of the school is very much welcome.
According to our Assistant Principal for Academic Programs, Prof. Zenaida Bojo, the UPIS varsity teams receive support in multiple ways: being provided faculty advisers, being excused when they have events or competitions, and receiving financial assistance. The school also provides certain facilities and equipment for the teams’ use.
Faculty advisers play an important role in supporting varsity teams. Prof. Bojo stated that faculty advisers coming from the Health and Physical Education department are the ones who monitor the students’ performance and keep them in check. They remind the athletes to be students first with the responsibility of passing requirements, catching up on tests, and studying for whatever they may have missed while outside the school. It is also their duty to remind the students about whatever requirements they need for upcoming competitions. They should be the ones to guide varsity players to excel both as students and athletes.
With the school allowing the students to be excused for their games that overlap with certain classes comes the perk of having the opportunity to retain their class standing. This is given that they inquire about and take their make-up tests and activities and excel in these.
Of the three, financial support is usually the most pressing issue that comes to mind when we talk about the school’s support for our Junior Maroons. This kind of support usually comes from the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) funds collected during enrollment which is distributed to the various varsity teams in the form of the team’s allowance, athlete’s stipend, and coach’s honorarium/pay, among others.
As much as these things support the students, there is still much to be desired concerning the support the school gives to help the students grow with their career as athletes if they so choose to devote themselves to the sport as well as their academics.
Most of the support aforementioned comes around only during the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season because apparently, that is the only financial support the school can afford to give. Some of the equipment is provided by the school but most of the gear used by the students is acquired by them. They use their own savings to buy their own equipment and it’s usually a team effort to keep the facilities in shape and in order.
Sponsors also give their support to the students. The connections of the students or the coaches lead them to these sponsorships that provide the team with additional equipment and uniforms. This helps the teams’ morale and aids them to perform better mentally and physically. Sadly, the sponsorships that teams get are only as good as the connections they have. There are also organizations such as Nowhere to go but UP created by the university to support the varsity teams through finding them sponsors. They also mention UPIS teams but, unfortunately, this is the only support they get from these organizations.
Exposure is a crucial aspect of an athlete’s career. How much one is seen competing and how one performs can help boost the career of an athlete big time. Exposure is usually raised with thru joining competitions like the UAAP, Milo Little Olympics, division meets, etc. The less the students enter competitions, the less they’ll be seen by potential teams and coaches. Exposure also helps the varsity teams financially if the students can perform exceptionally well in these competitions. If their performance leaves little to be desired, potential sponsors may approach the team rather than the students approaching sponsors for their support to play. The student’s performance coincides with the support they are given as well, and as of now, some of the students feel as if they aren’t given much support or any at all.
A possible solution to this would be to look for an adviser that could devote their full attention to keeping all of the varsity teams in check, somewhat of a ‘sports coordinator’ that will also help the teams find support especially in the financial aspect. Somebody that the student athletes could always refer to if they need help in academics or in matters regarding the teams. Somebody that would help and guide these varsity teams and players who are constantly fighting for our school’s pride. Another possible solution is for the school to pay more attention to the “athletic side” of the school. If the school will give a little more attention to the varsity teams, each of them might get sponsors that will financially support the teams.
All in all, the school’s support ties in with how much the students perform, how much they give themselves to the sport and to the school. To train hard and to be able to balance things well is what makes a student-athlete great. Devotion to the game and the drive to win, not just playing to be a part of the UAAP or a competition. This kind of attitude is already evident in the students, even more so with the athletes now. They’re doing the best they can to perform, to win, to balance requirements and the heat of training, as they are representing UPIS.
They’re just hoping that the school can soon do the same. //by Rad Pascual
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