BEYOND THE myriad of successes the Blue Eagles have achieved for their University lies uncharted narratives of women who serve as pillars for sporting excellence in the community. From administration members, coaches, and student managers, these unsung heroines have dedicated unwavering commitments to reshape what it means to be an athlete of the Ateneo, cultivating a competitive landscape that knows no bounds.

With the month of March drawing breath to women’s empowerment in contemporary society, The GUIDON Sports sheds prominence on three oft-unseen queens whose efforts have paved the way for athletic progress in the community.

Loading up the bases

Hailing from the capital revered to be the home of softball champions, City of Bacolod’s Joy Lasquite has been guiding the Blue Eagles as the assistant coach of the Ateneo Softball Team. With her aspirations to make softball more reachable to aspiring players in the country, Lasquite’s tenure has been devoted to elevating the culture of her beloved sport.

Lasquite’s passion for the game surfaced when her elementary school instructor encouraged her to join the softball team. From there, the young slugger never looked back, eventually fulfilling an illustrious high school and collegiate career that led to becoming a member of the Philippine Women’s National Softball Team.

Eventually, the national team athlete saw a turning point in her career when she accepted an invitation to become the assistant coach of the University of the East Softball Team. The spirited competitor welcomed the opportunity as a means to hone her skills as a professional through five fruitful years with the Red Warriors. Thereafter, Lasquite sought her sights overseas and coached in Singapore and Indonesia’s Granada Softball Club.

With her local and international experience, Lasquite expressed the importance for the current string of sportswomen to follow suit in leading the newer generations of athletes in the country. “If you love to teach, […] hopefully you can be inspired to share your [athletic wisdom],” Lasquite vocalized.

The torchbearer has also yearned to provide more hands-on opportunities for the youth, aspiring to start a future initiative giving more Filipino children a chance at bat. “I want to organize a clinic to share and advocate […] to more young generations to join and experience our sports,” Lasquite conveyed.

In the last few years, Lasquite has strived to bring grassroots players from the provinces to don the Blue and White. For the ardent coach, helping young athletes recognize their untapped potential is evocative of being a role model in the sports community.

Hidden gem

Working more behind the curtains than the other players and coaches, Ateneo Men’s Lawn Tennis Team Student-Manager Kirsten Hizon has made valiant efforts that have uplifted the spirits of the Blue Eagles. The 2 BS Information Technology Entrepreneurship (BS ITE) student’s marketing expertise and altruistic nature have been indispensable for the team’s dynamic, amplifying the squad’s brilliance in the ongoing Season 86 tournament.

Initially, Hizon was unfamiliar with the game of tennis when she first set foot in the university. Nonetheless, she took up the managing position to seize the opportunity to help others.

In line with her duties, being a liaison is one of the responsibilities that Hizon shoulders, bridging communications between the team and sponsors to gain support and acquire other essentials. With the skills Kirsten has honed as a marketing undergraduate, she has elevated her ability to build external relations for the squad.

Aside from her more tangible duties, Hizon also acts in part as the support system of the Blue Eagles, akin to being a “mother” figure for the athletes. As such, Hizon has overseen the players’ fitness and emotional states, raising their spirits regardless of the matches’ outcome.

The current University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) tournament is the rookie’s first in-season duty for Head Coach Gee Abacan’s selection. Nevertheless, Hizon navigates her role with bright eyes and earnest expectations. “I’m still trying to understand how things work when we’re [fully] in-season. But then again, I remember a philosopher saying […] it is really foolish to be afraid of something that you do not know,” the student-manager remarked.

Guiding light

A multi-award-winning tennis player in her professional years, Jennifer “Jade” Saret carries double duty as the coach of the Ateneo Women’s Lawn Tennis Team (AWLTT) and as the Assistant Director of the University Athletics Office (UAO).  With her spirited background within the sports domain, Saret sees an undeniable future for women leaders in the world of sports.

Saret began representing the Philippines in the SEA Games at 14 years old before moving to the United States to play for Brigham Young University (BYU), bagging multiple awards in the NCAA. The seasoned veteran went on to play in multiple high-profile opens, including the prestigious Wimbledon.

After returning home to the Philippines, Saret was appointed as head coach of the University of Asia and the Pacific Tennis Team from 1999 to 2000. Shortly after, the BYU alumna assumed the mantle of coaching the Blue and White’s Women’s Tennis team in 2002, which she continues to lead until this day.

Saret’s coaching aspirations stemmed from her mentor at BYU, a courageous sportswoman who showed the then-collegiate competitor the nuances of the game. The former NCAA athlete’s experiences under her mentor helped her further understand her players’ mental and physical condition, which she described as assuming the role of a counselor and mother.

“[The players] look up to you in other things. […] I have to understand where their thoughts are, what their moods are; […] I have to play around that as well,” Saret stated.

In addition to her coaching position, Saret was appointed as the Assistant Director of the UAO before the pandemic struck. Alongside other Assistant Directors and the Athletic Director, she takes care of the needs of the Ateneo sports teams and oversees campus sports facilities, namely the Moro Lorenzo Field and the Blue Eagle Gym.

With her experience in professional competition and coaching, Coach Jade thinks that it is inevitable for women to progress even further in leadership roles in the Philippines. “It’s slowly happening. […] There is always something that a female can contribute in any workspace or environment,” said the former SEA Games competitor.

Women at the helm

Throughout time, sportswomen have taken strides over pedantic underlinings that have devalued their blood, sweat, and tears in their respective competitions. Nonetheless, their long list of achievements and their unshakeable voice have reverberated the global ascent of courageous women turning the sports scene anew.

From the corners of the university, women have piloted their triumphant run as various teams have sunken their talons deep on swooping remarkable laurels. In this season alone, the Loyola-based institution has seen UAAP’s women’s pole vault record holder Jia Kawachi and two-time Badminton MVP Mika De Guzman sustain the victorious mores of the Blue Eagles.

With the second half of the UAAP Season 86 underway,  it will come as no surprise that Lasquite, Hizon, and Saret will continue to showcase their command, spearheading the culture of distinguished honors in competition.