Ateneo?! Fight!!!

Ah yes, it’s UAAP season once more. Another season of spills and thrills. Another opportunity to prove one’s worth. Another chance for a taste of glory. But sadly, my tenure as an Ateneo athlete has long since passed. After graduating in 2004, I have moved on to the so-called “real world”, where one would have regular hours to follow, and the same mind numbing tasks to do everyday. Whereas back in the day, you’re first class for the day could start at 3 P.M and end at 4:30 P.M, then varsity practice for the rest of the afternoon. I wouldn’t say that my time with the Ateneo Baseball Varsity Team was a complete success, but in other ways, there were times that I had indeed felt like a champion.

I joined the Ateneo Baseball Team way back in 2000. I had no idea that the year I was joining the team, Ateneo had not won a baseball game in 9 years. In any sport, that was really horrible. Coming from a highschool team that represented Muntinlupa for the NCR Palaro, I felt a little apprehensive about joining a ‘losing’ team. Fast forward to the end of the year, and it was no surprise that we lost all ten games that season. That made the streak ten years. Imagine, ten games in one season, times ten years, and that makes a hundred losses! I couldn’t help but feel for all the Ateneo players within those ten years who did not have the good fortune to win even a single game in the UAAP. But that all changed the following season. We finally won one game against National University. That was the game that ended “The Streak.” It was a nail biter the whole game, and when the last out was caught, we all rushed onto the field and piled on top of each other in wild victory. At that moment, we all felt like we all had contributed to the win, that we had achieved something important, something that we could always look back at and be proud. And yet it was only one win; one win in ten games. But that does not change the fact that I felt our win that day was such a major accomplishment that it would merit the closing down of the school for a day and parade us around like the champions that we are. I played four years for the Ateneo Baseball Team, and finished with a record of 4-36. Not bad, in my opinion.

Being an Ateneo athlete definitely is a major sacrifice, but I think that’s what makes athletes different from regular students. Not only do we have the regular load of everyone else, but we must actually spend as much time, or even more, for practice and training than in studying. To be honest though, that’s something I don’t miss. Training was hard, and just imagine all the time I could have spent elsewhere rather than going to practice 3 times a week. That’s not even counting all the times I had to abstain going out on weekends because of our games. What’s even worse is practicing or competing a day before a long test or some other deadline. You can’t seem to concentrate on one activity, because you’re worried about the other. There definitely times where I thought being an athlete wasn’t worth it.

What made the difference, in my opinion, were the other people involved in the team. I know our team wasn’t a heavy hitter in the UAAP, but losing never felt ‘better’ with the people on my team. There were a lot of characters on the team. We were all very different, and yet we had a passion for the sport of baseball. And this collusion of people under one banner gave me a sense of pride for my school, and a sense of belongingness with my team.

The team tambayan was in SocSi, and a good number of us would hangout there in between classes, and even before and after practice. We would just play cards, crack jokes and talk about our prospects for the ongoing season. I think our team was pretty close. We went out a lot together. We had team parties and inuman sessions regularly. I find it very amusing to know that the current team still has the same ‘unity’ that we had way back when I was in first year. I still find myself being invited to their sessions every now and then.

Moving on, the UAAP Season 68 is now in full gear. Of course, the main attraction of the UAAP is Men’s Basketball, and it’s off to a furious start. I just find it frustrating that I can’t seem to find the time to go and watch the game live anymore due to work. But I do try to catch Ateneo’s games on TV whenever I can. The team looks good this year, although still a bit raw. Norman Black has an enormous weight on his shoulders. I hope he does well. I found it amusing to receive an email right after we lost to Lasalle. That was also the height of the rallies on Ayala, just down the street from my office. The message started off saying that they’ve had enough, and that it was time to resign. At the bottom of the message was the call: “Norman Black, resign!”

I can’t help but feel I’m missing out on something whenever I see Ateneo’s games on the tube. I do miss the roaring blue-blooded Ateneo crowd, our head turning cheerleaders, and yes, even the few foul-mouthed alumni (which I am now happily part of). I think anybody would agree that it’s really different when you watch UAAP live. You get so caught up in the drama, the excitement, and the hype. Swelling up with school spirit, you let hell loose verbally as you scream insults and taunts at the opposing team’s players (and fans as well). You feel every blow as the enemy sinks a trey, and you are roused to cheer harder when Ateneo scores on a dunk. During close games, everyone is on their feet: praying, cursing, shouting, cajoling, waiting for Ateneo to break out. When we win, everyone has their fist up, heartily singing to the tune of our alma mater song (which, incidentally enough, sounds like the Canadian national anthem). But what sets Ateneo apart is that even when we lose, we still hold up our heads, and fists, up high; proud not only of the team, but what they represent. Ateneo pride. And I believe, this is what’s meant by the line: “Win or lose, it’s the school we choose.” Even in baseball, when victories were as common as Jubilee years, we never felt that our school pride was diminished.

The last time I sang the alma mater song as a student was during my graduation. It was a very emotional moment. Admittedly, I had to hold back the tears as we sang our farewell to our second home. Sometime after the numbing experience of graduation, I really felt that I lost a part of me as I graduated. The fact that I am no longer a student did affect me somehow. Even now, as I cheer on Ateneo from the comfort of my self-styled LazyBoy, with a beer in my hand, the experience of being there, being a part of the raucous crowd, high-fiving Ateneans you’ve never seen before, hugging the cute girl beside him…all that still burns in my veins. But now there’s a certain detachment. It seems I have other things to think about these days. Oftentimes I find myself wishing I was back in school, but I know that there are others there to take my place in the crowd. Someone out there will be painting their faces blue, dancing like the Blue Babble on every cheer, and running like madmen on Katipunan after winning the championship. That’s why I don’t feel so bad. Even if I can’t act as a rabid Ateneo student, I can always act like a rabid Ateneo alumni. There’s always room for more. For all those who have watched an Ateneo game, I’m sure you would have had the experience of seeing a very vocal, emotional and half-crazy Ateneo alumni of about 40 sitting on Upper A screaming on every bad call. Let me assure you, that will be me one day. Hopefully, we would have won a few more championships by then. So at least I’ll have more to cheer about. Until the day that Rico Blanco’s take on “A Song for Mary” becomes the official alma mater version, I’ll never lose my Atenean school spirit. Ghet daht bohll!!!

“Win or lose, it’s the school we choose. This is the place where we belong.”