TWO YEARS after the Ateneo Sports Club Sector (ASCS) decided to go on a hiatus, sports organizations have begun seeking the sector’s reactivation to better deal with logistical and financial concerns.

The Sanggunian Department of Administrative Affairs (DAA) and the acting ASCS representatives Iya Javelosa and Luis Aguilar primarily vie for better representation of non-varsity sports teams and their use of the Ateneo name and symbol.

Should the sector be reactivated, DAA Chairperson Ivan Nabong said that they could propose budgets to the Sanggunian and be reimbursed for club activities, including transportation, training, and venue fees. The sector will also have a seat in the Central Assembly (CA).

New year, new problems

When the University shifted to the online setup, ASCS representative Jerard Afable said that many students lost interest in joining sports activities, which prompted the sector to go on a hiatus in 2021.

Among the resurfacing issues in the current onsite setup is the difficulty in securing training venues. Currently, sports clubs must work around the schedules of the University’s varsity teams and the sports teams of the Ateneo Grade School (AGS) and the Ateneo High School.

Atenean Ultimate Club President Iya Javelosa added that this issue was difficult for the ultimate frisbee team, which used to train on the Ocampo Field. However, the AGS football team has reserved the field until May, prompting the team to eventually move to the smaller Matteo Field.

“I guess that’s why it’s also more difficult on our end to reserve the facilities because it just looks like a group of students using them, not an actual event or training,” shared Javelosa.

Javelosa also laments that the Office of Student Activities instructed the Atenean Ultimate Club that their name must use the name “Atenean” instead of “Ateneo.” This is because the club is neither part of the varsity groups nor an accredited organization.

“It’s kind [of] weird how we’re a sports org, and we compete against other schools, but we’re not allowed to use the ‘Ateneo’ name,” commented Javelosa.

Additionally, Javelosa noted that other clubs such as the Atenean Futsal Club and the Atenean Volleyball Club are now unable to use the Ateneo name and their logo for their teams’ designs.

Call for revival

Currently, the ASCS maintains its sectoral accreditation status but remains on hiatus. According to Nabong, the sector representatives must organize the sector’s structure to be able to have a seat in the CA.

Hoping to have a more established body for the sector, Javelosa said that different sports clubs met during the first semester of AY 2022–2023 to better communicate with one another regarding the issue. The meeting’s attendees included the Atenean Blue Raiders Flag Football, the Atenean Futsal Club, the Atenean Volleyball Club, and the Atenean Ultimate Club.

“Right now, it’s mostly every man for himself in the group chat. We’re just asking our representative when we have issues. Nothing really direct to really establish or re-establish the sector,” she noted.

Nabong remarked that gaining sectoral accreditation entails a long and bureaucratic procedure, which begins with the preparation of certain documents, namely the sector’s bylaws and code of internal procedures. Afterwards, the Loyola Schools student body must vote in a sectoral referendum determining whether the sector will be renewed or not.

“Up until the (sectoral referendum’s) electoral code is revisited and revised, I think that there will still really be that high barrier because even just documents, I needed help from so many people to get that Constitution going. It’s a daunting process,” Afable noted regarding his experience facilitating the sector’s renewal.

Building a stronger community

To prepare for sectoral reaccreditation, Nabong advised electing a legislative liaison to help the sector representative. He said that the liaison will assist in preparing the budget proposal or aid in CA bills relevant to the sector.

Afable shared his hope that when the ASCS returns, it can achieve its short-term goals before the pandemic. These include sports clubs members being exempted from Physical Education classes and participating in the cheer rally—similar to what varsity teams do.

He mentioned that these goals are in line with his overarching goal, where all sports can be viewed equally both by the students and by the administration.

“The only way to do that is to provide ample support, [and] make them feel that their training is appreciated,” he remarked. “Even using the logo and the colors of the school is already something that, you know, shouldn’t be debatable because as students of Ateneo you’re already training for this sport to represent this school.”

Although Nabong mentioned that he cannot predict when the ASCS can return to full operations, Nabong hopes that by AY 2023–2024 the ASCS will be part of the CA to participate in legislation and gain further representation.