By Feebee Mariposa

By Bella Lucindo

The chants. The cheers. The blue and white. Few things bind our Ateneo community together more powerfully than sports. When the Blue Eagles take the field, the pitch, the court, every Atenean is united with pride for our school. For decades, Ateneo has been a competitive force: since joining the UAAP in 1978, our athletes have added to our storied history of medals and wins. With titles ranging across a variety of sports — from the men’s basketball team’s dominant UAAP runs, to the football teams’ consistent finals appearances, to badminton, volleyball, and swimming teams that continue to bring home medals. 

But what does all that history mean for the current student-athletes of the ASHS? How does this legacy translate from halls of trophies to early mornings, exhausting training, and balancing rigorous academics with goals and glory? How do they do it? Why do they step up, and what does it feel like to wear the jersey here, now?

In the search of these answers lies the heart of what it means to be an Atenean athlete — to sweat, breathe, and bleed for Ateneo, and for the greater glory of God.

The Weight of the Blue and White

For the captains of the basketball, football, and badminton teams — wearing the Ateneo name on their jerseys is both an honor and a responsibility, to know that you are a part of something bigger than yourself, to carry a whole community with you. 

“It means everything to me,” said Alfonso Tan, captain of the boys’ basketball team (A). “I know how lucky I am to be playing at a prestigious school like Ateneo.” It’s a sentiment shared by many Atenean athletes — that sense of gratitude and pride that comes with wearing the blue and white. 

Jerome Caluya, captain of the boys’ badminton team, shared an anecdote about how he once asked his juniors, “Why’d you come here? [to Ateneo]” and their response was “Ateneo ‘to eh.” With a school like Ateneo, sometimes it feels like no reason is needed—the very name under which you compete is reason enough. These athletes want to do that name justice, to show what they are made of, and proudly represent the school. 

Undoubtedly, it can be a heavy weight to carry — but passion always perseveres. Above all, the love of the game, the will to keep on playing, the time, and the dedication put into it are what keep them going and aiming to achieve more. No matter the odds, no matter the circumstances. Every athlete finds their own way to shoulder that weight — some through discipline, others through faith.

“I simply block out all the noise and pray,” admitted Tan. “I pray to God and put my faith in him to help me achieve all that I worked for. Despite all the pressure that may come along as part of leading such an illustrious sports program, I just try to stay positive and spread that positivity to the team. God will do the rest.” he shared, demonstrating the importance of faith to these athletes — faith in the Lord, and in each other. 

The Beauty and Burden of Leadership

As team captains, the pressure falls on them to keep the team together in a perfect balance. A common sentiment among these team captains is the challenge of priorities — to focus on yourself or the team, the win or the players. Caluya described the tension candidly: as captain, he’s responsible for the team rosters, deciding when to prioritize a win and when to rotate players so everyone gets a chance — a constant exercise in tough choices.  You have to deal with different people, different attitudes and feelings.  “At the end of the day, it’s trying to find that balance—that midpoint — and to make that yung vision mo is not yung vision mo lang, but the vision din ng team, tapos doon kayo magmeet.” imparted Caluya.

For Roj Medrano, captain of the girl’s badminton team, leadership is shown through consistency and example. “Training hard, being responsible, and staying calm and positive during games despite the pressure I am feeling really helps with their nerves and mine as well as I learn how to think about others before myself,” she shared, adding that being captain means giving your best every game so your teammates feel inspired to do the same.

Meanwhile, Andres Dumlao, captain of the boys’ football team, believes that challenges and misunderstandings are part of the process of becoming a better leader. “As team captain, of course we face a lot of challenges and misunderstandings, but these negative things help me become stronger and I learn a lot from it which makes me help the team and motivate the team even more,” he said. Despite the sacrifices — less time for school, family, and friends — he believes it’s all worth it to maintain the legacy of the school. “Of course our team isn’t perfect, and no one’s perfect in the team,” he added. “We always talk about our mistakes and try to fix them. Our coaches always inspire and teach us new things in order for us to be better players and to be better people outside of the pitch.”

And for Alfonso Tan, the role has become routine. “Being one of the longest tenured players on the team, I’ve been able to play alongside and against the best players of the UAAP. These experiences have honed my physical and mental abilities. This coming season, I know that sharing my experiences and knowledge can help my teammates to be physically and mentally prepared and I hope it helps them relax. I don’t really feel pressure as I did before, it’s all second nature to me.” 

Numerous sacrifices go into being an athlete — even more so a captain — the most significant of which is time. Time for friends, time for school, time for family, time for yourself. Every win has its price, and these athletes pay it daily in early mornings, late nights, and aching bodies. As Caluya put it, “Trophies are earned in training, you just go to tournaments to claim them.” It’s a sentiment that captures what every captain I spoke with understands: success isn’t made in the spotlight, but in the unseen hours of discipline, patience, and persistence that keep the Ateneo spirit alive.

The Spirit of One Big Fight

This spirit echoes beyond the teams themselves, into the community that shows up time and time again, win or lose. It wouldn’t be Ateneo sports without the sea of blue rising in unison, chanting “One Big Fight!” that our athletes take to heart. “When I’m out of breath to play, it gives me that extra push to win the game everyone is cheering me on for, ” said Medrano. “I’m an often quiet person. I don’t really show emotion, but when the community shows their support during our games, I do get riled up and personally play better. We do this not only for the team, but for the entire school,” Tan similarly shared.

That roar from the crowd, the steady rhythm of drums, reminds every player of what they’re fighting for. It’s a bond that stretches far beyond the court or the field, uniting generations of Ateneans under one banner. Each cheer, each clap, carries our athletes forward with the weight of a legacy and the warmth of belonging. In Ateneo, every victory isn’t just celebrated — it’s shared. Every heart that beats with “One Big Fight” becomes part of the win.

As the sports teams of the ASHS take on the new season, each captain carries with them a determination to show what they are capable of. They carry with them lessons learned from games hard fought. “There are bad games and there are good games,” said Caluya, “A friend of mine once told me, ‘When you go in the court, always remember that you’ve done enough.’ Which I think we need to learn talalga. Kasi dapat yung mindset mo is, well, you’ve done enough. Parang, pag pasok ka na sa court, nagsipag ako, ginawa ko yung kaya kong ginawa, now all I have to do is play and have fun.” 

For Medrano, the goal this season is shared triumph. “My biggest hope or goal for this season is to win a gold in a team event and not just in an individual one so that the whole team gets to cherish it as well,” she said. “I want to be able to bring glory back to the school in my one year of being captain here. I hope that this dedication will also continue to inspire the rest of the team to continue training hard and striving for improvement even after I graduate.”

Dumlao, on the other hand, focuses on giving his all and leading by example. “My goal for this season is to give my everything and win the championship and, of course, inspire my younger teammates in order for them to do their best,” he said. 

While for Tan, the season represents unfinished business. “I wanna leave Ateneo Senior High School as a champion. I’ve played for Ateneo since Grade 5 but I’ve never won a championship here,” he said. “It would be such an amazing feeling to have a UAAP championship as my first. We’re ready to lay everything on the line to bring the championship back to the nest — for the legacy.”

They all share the same fire, to honor the legacy they’ve inherited, to push past their own limits, and to keep the Ateneo spirit alive. Our athletes of today will soon become the alumni of tomorrow who will inspire the next generation to carry on the very same excellence that we strive for right now. Behind every cheer of “One Big Fight,” we feel the heartbeat of each player, each Atenean — it’s a living reminder of who we are and what we stand for. It is the pulse of the Atenean spirit, carried forward by every athlete who plays not just for themselves, but for those who came before and those who will come after.