AS METRO Manila nears the one year mark since the implementation of community quarantine, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) has yet to make its appearance in the “new normal.” UAAP Season 83 was initially scheduled to take place in a bubble setup sometime in 2021. However, given the numerous challenges in executing a bubble setup during the pandemic, the season was eventually cancelled last December 11.

With budget and resource constraints as well as health and safety risks being primary concerns, the cancellation of Season 83 was a necessary decision to safeguard all stakeholders involved.

Accepting the reality 

Despite the concerted efforts of sports teams who trained for Season 83, their disappointment in the season’s cancellation is merited—especially for second semester sports that were unable to compete in Season 82 due to the pandemic. According to Ateneo Women’s Volleyball Team (AWVT) Head Coach Oliver Almadro, the AWVT was saddened by their inability to defend the championship but reiterated that safety is the top priority.

“Malungkot sila [The Lady Eagles (are sad)], but I really have to explain to them that it’s the safety first, and I have to calm them na there’s still hope in the future [to compete again],” he stated.

However, before resolving to cancel Season 83, the UAAP explored alternative tournament structures which included a bubble setup for either all sports, solely second semester sports, or only Men’s Basketball and Women’s Volleyball. Although these were efforts for the season to push through, hosting Season 83 during the pandemic was ultimately deemed impractical.

The reality was that not all teams were capable of participating in a bubble setup due to financial and logistical roadblocks. Despite these constraints, University Athletics Office Director Em Fernandez divulged that the limited financial resources were less important than ensuring the health and safety of all teams in a bubble setup.

“Malaki yang financial consideration, pero secondary lang yun. It’s really the safety [which was the primary concern]. If you can’t guarantee 100 percent safety, kahit gaano ka mahal o gaano ka mura, why risk it? (The financial consideration is expensive. However, it is only a secondary concern to safety. If you can’t guarantee 100 percent safety, no matter how expensive or cheap it is, why risk it?),” Fernandez said.

In the end, jeopardizing a student-athlete’s health and safety was an option far too dangerous for the UAAP Board of Trustees (BoT). This ultimately led them to make the right decision: Canceling Season 83 with everyone’s best interest in mind.

Evaluating the circumstances  

Despite Season 83’s cancellation, the lack of competition brought multiple benefits to all those involved in the league. Besides safety from the virus, the cancellation provided teams the time to focus on other important matters such as academics and personal relationships.

Without the time-consuming training sessions for the UAAP, athletes now have the opportunity to explore their passions outside the world of sports such as organizational work. These benefits shone through in the AWVT, as Coach Almadro shared that multiple players made the Dean’s List during this academic year’s first semester, while others found new hobbies like cooking and artistic activities.

On the other hand, Season 83’s cancellation presented certain drawbacks to the UAAP community as well. First, player eligibility will be a concern due to the UAAP’s current 25-year-old age limit as some graduating players have yet to fulfill their five-season eligibility caused by the cancellation of the two seasons.

According to Fernandez, the UAAP BoT acknowledged this issue and is looking into adding one year to the age-limit for Season 84. However, given the UAAP’s ambiguous schedule, a one year increase in player eligibility will be insufficient for graduating players to play out their collegiate careers. If Season 84 does not push through in 2021, athletes who turn 26 this year will no longer be eligible for the season even with the relaxed age limit.

Simultaneously, the UAAP BoT must be fair to both graduating students and younger players because collegiate athletes competing in the UAAP can be as young as 18 years old. With the age gap in mind, the question of whether extending the age gap is favorable or not arises. Therefore, a balance must be struck between what is favorable for the graduating players’ careers and what is considered fair to Season 84’s undergraduates, especially to the athletic development of the league’s incoming rookies.

Furthermore, the uncertainty of the UAAP’s resumption instills a sense of discouragement for student-athletes as they may feel that their training is pointless. Because of this, players may opt to shift their focus towards other activities where they are assured that their efforts will be fruitful like academics. However, the cancellation creates a greater dilemma for graduating athletes as it will directly impact their career plans.

“It’s a really big decision for me. I also want to start working, but I can’t because I have this feeling [that] I’m not yet done. But I don’t want to waste two more years and then bigla walang (suddenly there’s no) UAAP,” shared Ateneo Women’s Badminton Team Captain Chanelle Lunod.

Moreover, the UAAP’s absence stagnates the athletic development of sports teams as training online is insufficient compared to on-site practice. Without the companionship of teammates and access to resources like the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center, teams have been struggling to adapt to the new normal. Given these struggles, the league’s level of play is susceptible to decline.

“Development wise, mabagal ang development [of sports teams] (The development of sports teams is slow). What will happen to the level of competition in the UAAP three years, four years from now? Yun yung (That’s the) drawback, the development of athletes,” Fernandez said.

Although there are multiple drawbacks due to the season’s cancellation, acknowledging these challenges is necessary for the league to properly adjust to the “new normal.”

Navigating uncertaintyAs the UAAP treads uncertain waters, the league’s prioritization of  student-athletes’ health and safety is comforting. Season 83’s cancellation is a challenging hurdle to clear, but as Almadro stated in reference to former University President Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ, “This is the time to come back home.” Rather than focusing on the empty void that the UAAP’s hiatus leaves behind, the league’s stakeholders can reconnect with their loved ones and find fulfillment beyond the boundaries of sports.