From the Sidelines is a feature series that seeks to profile talented individuals who work behind the scenes in contributing to the greater success of their respective teams. In the first installment, we take a look at the journey of a guru of the grind, Strength and Conditioning Coach Dox delos Reyes.

Enhancing an athlete’s level of performance has been a perpetual race throughout generations of competitive athletics. With the Ateneo de Manila University priding itself in its competitive athletic programs, it has had no shortage of individuals who seek to make a difference in transforming good athletes into glorious champions.

Having spent the past four years training Atenean student-athletes, Strength and Conditioning Coach Doxell “Dox” delos Reyes started off his tenure in the University as a resident coach in the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center. He then joined the Ateneo Women’s Football Team (AWFT) coaching staff from 2017 until the end of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 82 earlier this year. He currently serves as the strength and conditioning coach for the Ateneo Men’s Football Team (AMFT) and has pushed them to the UAAP pinnacle in Season 81.

A guru of the grind

A Sports Science graduate of the University of the Philippines Diliman (UP), Coach Dox cites his frequent exposure to athletes during college as the catalyst for him to enter the world of athletic training. As a former drummer for the UP Pep Squad, Coach Dox forged relationships with fellow athletes in class and during games that served as the foundation for his love of training athletes.

His passion for athletic training could not have come at a better time. As the field of sports science developed rapidly in recent years, individuals like Coach Dox have become more in-demand among coaching staffs nationwide. 

“There’s a significant demand in our field right now since science has discovered aspects in sports that were thought [to be] unreachable. One example [is that] before, they used to just run and say that [it is considered] conditioning. But now, we know [that] there are [other] ways of getting conditioned,” he shared.

Hoping to play a part in the continued improvement of Ateneo sports and Atenean student-athletes, Coach Dox joined Team Ateneo in 2016 as a strength and conditioning coach in the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center. Throughout his one-year residency, he handled the rehabilitation and training of athletes from various sports, with brief stints helping the Ateneo Softball Team and the Ateneo Fencing Teams.

Coach Dox’s experiences with different types of athletes supplied him with the knowledge he needed in devising athlete-specific and sport-specific training programs. This expertise was proven useful when he joined AWFT’s official coaching staff in 2017 as their strength and conditioning coach. A year later, Coach Dox’s role expanded to encompass the AMFT—the sole team he is assigned to as of writing. In AMFT, Coach Dox’s primary responsibility is to prepare the athletes for the UAAP and to ensure that they are in tip-top shape throughout the season.

Unfortunately, some athletes still sustain injuries despite their strength and conditioning training sessions. In those instances, Coach Dox—together with the team’s physiotherapist—sees to it that the athletes are given the best rehabilitation programs possible. At the end of the day, Coach Dox’s focus is to maintain a healthy environment for his athletes through a smart, science-based, and athlete-first training system.

Coach, colleague, champion

Coach Dox’s duties and responsibilities transcend keeping his athletes in championship form—the veteran coach works with the rest of the coaching staff to employ new methods that refine the movement and team play of the athletes. Focus is given to exercises that provide the best results on the pitch.

With the entire AMFT coaching staff invested in the team’s success, open communication and mutual respect of individual expertise are some of the coaching staff’s key trademarks. “We coaches from the Ateneo Men’s Football Team, we are like a ‘barkada’ (group of friends). We talk regularly about things that can be improved on. We respect the role of one another. At the end of the day, the welfare of the team is our top priority,” Coach Dox shared.

This drive for greatness and success in the UAAP Men’s Football Tournament would set some of Coach Dox’s most treasured experiences with Ateneo such as UAAP Season 81. As a product of his year-long efforts alongside the rest of the coaching staff, Season 81 saw the AMFT once again bring home the coveted UAAP crown. This championship symbolized the significance of Coach Dox’s sacrifices throughout the year. 

“It was really fulfilling because our year-round sacrifices made AMFT [back] on that top spot again, and it motivated me to do better and to keep improving. It also made me grateful for the learning and experiences,” he shared. For Coach Dox, the AMFT’s UAAP Season 81 run served as a testament that hard work and dedication to your craft will always pay off.

On top of achievements on the field, Coach Dox believes that greater success lies beyond the pitch. For him, instilling values into the athletes such as hard work and discipline comes first—under his tutelage, Coach Dox envisions his student-athletes to succeed beyond their sport. “They’re not athletes forever,” he explained.

Motivated and ready for the future

Throughout the training days, game days, heartbreaks, and championship moments, the motivation that Coach Dox gets from the Atenean student-athletes he works with remains constant. “They gave me motivation to do better in my craft. It is really fulfilling if you are able to share your knowledge to others,” he said. To him, the athletes are the driving force behind his dedication to be a better coach and a trustworthy mentor.

With his eyes set on helping his athletes be the best and the healthiest that they can be, Coach Dox has been—and will continue to be—an integral cog in the systems of Ateneo teams.