STANDING AT the top of the key, Thirdy Ravena readied himself to attack, then went past the defender and straight to the rim for the lay-up.
He missed. He groaned – the sound full of exhaustion and frustration.
It was grueling practice for Ravena and the rest of the Blue Eagles. However, for the younger Ravena, there is a newfound appreciation for these draining practices after his experience from last season.
Illustration by Meg F. Villena
“That was the worst year ever for me, basketball wise,” said Ravena, referring to missing out on Season 78. In his freshman year, the BS Communications Technology Management major failed to reach the required grade to play for an Ateneo varsity team. This meant that Ravena, who has been sporting the Blue and White for the greater half of a decade, was not allowed to represent the school in any way. The blow was unbearable for him. “I cried for like weeks. [I couldn’t] take it,” he shared.
For the team, the loss had both short and long term ramifications. Despite being a talented squad, they lost an incredibly athletic swingman who could have added to their bench mob.
They also lost the opportunity to have hands-on training with one of the players in the squad’s blueprint for the future. Head Coach Sandy Arespacochaga referred to it as a “big blow,” knowing that a year of learning and experience in the UAAP is beneficial to Ravenaci growth and maturity.
But the tradeoff for Ravena’s lost basketball opportunity was found in the classroom. The former UAAP Juniors Most Valuable Player garnered the highest grades of his college life, crediting both the Ateneo and his changed approach towards academics as the cause for his academic improvement. Ravena thanks his tutors— Moses Cam and Lai Salvana—athe most, as they paved his way back into the squad. Moreover, Ravena was given a different perspective that led him to put his academics at the forefront.
However, it cannot be denied that from a basketball standpoint, missing out on a full season took a toll on his athletic development. To try to offset this, Ravena mentioned that he was able to keep up his training regime by working with notable trainers like Joe Ward and Eric Butler from Gold’s Gym. Despite his continuous training, both Ravena and his coaching staff are aware of the adjustments to be made when reverting back from a year of individual training to the concepts of team basketball.
Ravena and Arespacochaga both alluded to the Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup as a prime example for the forward’s adjustment, as he struggled to find his rhythm in the first few games. That said, Ravena improved by leaps and bounds throughout the preseason tournament. The forward constantly started for the team, and was often the top option for the Blue Eagles squad that finished with a very impressive third place.
“He’s been able to slow the game down,” Arespacochaga said, regarding Ravena’s Filoil performance. Both also mentioned Ravena’s improved outside shooting, a skill he hopes to add to his arsenal this year in the UAAP.
With the Eagles deploying a fairly young squad this season, Ravena looks poised to be one of the team’s key cogs alongside Aaron Black and Adrian Wong. Despite the big burden on his shoulders, Ravena does not seem fazed by the pressure. Academics wise, he feels that his mindset has been locked in, that he is looking to improve even more in that aspect next season. When it comes to his overall mindset for his junior year, he said, “Just always strive to be the best, not just in basketball, but also in school.”
With Thirdy Ravena coming in with his renewed perspective of being a student-athlete, this change in attitude seems to complement his hunger to return to playing for the team and community he loves.
