By Nikolai Ordoña

The holiday season is just around the corner! As one of the most-awaited times of the year draws closer, many people have begun preparing through different ways such as buying gifts, planning their vacations, preparing for reunions, and simply taking the time to enjoy the season with their family and friends.

Being a student is already challenging with all the school activities one must complete, but this season provides an opportunity for most to take a break for a while. However, others must continue working beyond the classroom, and for student-athletes, they must keep training to remain in top shape for upcoming sport events. 

As we enter this joyful season, let us take a glimpse to the daily lives of our brave and determined athletes who continue to play through the holidays!

Never back down

Jamaena Kaw of ABM 12-Beyzym is one of the many students who has to deal with numerous requirements. More than that, she is also an athlete, playing in volleyball games even before going to ASHS.

“I started playing volleyball in 6th grade in my old school…There, I was a varsity player…, but I quit during the start of 9th grade due to the pandemic,” shared Jam, as she is called.

Jam has also joined several tournaments, including the SMART Tournament where she and her team won first place in 2018. After going on a hiatus during the pandemic, she returned to the court where she eventually joined the Ateneo Blue Eagles Girls’ Volleyball Team (AHSGVT). 

The team competed in the Jesuit Athletic Meet (JAM) last September 2023 and in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86, which marked their debut in the said tournament.

Despite the fun and enjoyment of playing with her team, Jam acknowledges the difficulties that come with being a student-athlete, especially on her adjustments after three years of not playing the sport.

“We usually train every morning, tapos during Mondays and Wednesdays, may afternoon training din. So yun, nakakapagod talaga siya minsan, especially while balancing it with academics. Sometimes, I don’t really find much time to study anymore because as soon as I get home, I just want to rest and sleep immediately. There were times din na pumapasok ako feeling sick every now and then, pero kinakaya naman,” she shared.

With her experience as a volleyball player, Jam learned the value of time management.

“Volleyball taught me so much about time-management…Since yun nga, lesser time, I tend to do things earlier…minsan sa school na ako gumagawa because I know after school, I won’t really have much time to do school work,” she explained.

Aside from her responsibilities, she also ensures to maintain her close relationship with her friends, making time for them even amidst her already busy schedule.

Fun and memorable

Maintaining good grades and high standing in academics is already tough, but for Gabe Samson of 12-Carvalho, doing just that while also training twice a day for taekwondo is the biggest challenge he faced this year. 

Gabe is currently the co-captain of the Ateneo Junior Taekwondo Team, participating in various tournaments such as 2022 National Interschool (silver medalist), JAM 2023 (gold medalist), and UAAP (second runner up). With his hectic schedule, he came up with ways to keep up with his different responsibilities.

“I always try to schedule in advance what tasks I need to accomplish for the week. Having a calendar to update myself with assessments and other important events has really helped me spend my time wisely and also reserve time for my friends and family,” he explained.

Despite the pressure of competing and leading his team, Gabe described the experience as “fun and memorable.”

“The amount of consecutive competitions within the past months made it difficult and tiring, but with the memories and lessons I’ve obtained in those tournaments, it made it a very valuable and meaningful experience to me,” he shared.

Struggles and sacrifices

Just like most athletes, balancing one’s life as a student-athlete is the biggest challenge for Malaya Mamaril of 12-Evans. He has joined and won awards in different events, including the PAN ASIAN International Open 2018 (bronze), Classic Tetris League Season 12 (champion), and UAAP Seasons 85 and 86 (bronze and silver trophy).

“I participated in several  tournaments this year for my current sport, which is Judo…I would say my experience was all about development because ever since the last season of UAAP, I wanted nothing else but to improve on myself both physically and mentally,” he shared.

However, as the current High School (HS) Team Captain of the Ateneo Judo Association, Malaya shared his struggles in balancing all his duties.

“As a student-athlete, I usually spend my morning in school, and my night in the dojo. Because I get home at around 10-11pm, balancing academics became a struggle for me. I would have less time to review and in the case of groupworks, my group mates had to adjust to my schedule which would sometimes become a hassle,” he stated.

“As the Captain of the HS team, added responsibility was given to me such as making sure attendance was good, making sure everyone was taken care of especially since it is a contact sport and injuries happen frequently. With a team of more than 20 athletes, it is not an easy task to manage,” he added.

Because of his chosen lifestyle, Malaya needed to make sacrifices especially in his social life, spending less time with his friends. There are also times that he completes his academic requirements before and after training as long as he is not yet tired.

Thankfully looking forward

As 2023 came to a close, the three student-athletes reflected on their experiences and shared their plans for the future.

“Just like the holidays, volleyball is definitely something I love greatly too. I’m actually looking forward [to plan] some activities to do with my friends and teammates, and kahit holidays usually mean time to rest, I still hope may training! ” Jam shared.

“I think this year, I’m most thankful for just being able to be a part of the volleyball team…I learnt a lot about discipline, pertaining to both my sport and academics. Since andito na ako, faced with such great opportunities, might as well do my very best palagi and continue to keep my mindset of never backing down to any challenge,” she added, expressing her anticipation for what 2024 has to offer.

Meanwhile, Gabe plans to spend his free time away from his responsibilities and catch up with his family and friends. He also likened the season with an important concept they practice in his sport—one mind, which reflects unity.

“With the holiday season bringing together families and friends, it reminds us about the importance of our relationships with our loved ones. The same concept applies to Taekwondo. Although it is more of an individual sport, we work as a team to help each other develop and improve our individual skills,” he reflected.

“As of this moment, I am most thankful for the Ateneo Junior Taekwondo Team for winning the second runner-up in the recent UAAP competition…I [could] see how much hardwork and dedication was put in my team in order to improve and grab the podium position.  Now that I am graduating and moving up to the seniors division, I look forward to competing in next year’s UAAP with my new team, hopefully grabbing a medal and a team trophy even as a freshman,” he ended.

With the holidays finally here, Malaya also wants to rest and make up for the times he was away from his family by spending more time with them, relating judo with the season’s spirit.

“The holiday season often emphasizes the importance of giving and helping each other. In judo, there’s a similar ideology of Mutual Respect and Maximum Efficiency. We celebrate each other’s successes and provide support during challenges, creating a sense of unity and shared accomplishment. The holiday season and Judo both teach us the significance of discipline and self-improvement. Just as we set resolutions for the new year, in Judo, we set goals for our training and personal development on the mat,” Malaya also explained.

“The achievement I am most thankful for is our second place in the UAAP. From being 3rd place finishers last season, it is one step closer to bringing back the championship to our school…We couldn’t have done it without the team’s sacrifice and efforts,” Malaya said, adding that there are still rooms for improvement to be addressed in their upcoming tournaments.

Jam, Gabe, and Malaya are just among the many student-athletes who continue to persevere in upping their game, both in the court and the classroom. This holiday season, let us take the opportunity to recognize their hard work and dedication to their sport and the community.

Thank you so much to all student-athletes! Ateneo is truly proud of you, AMDG!