FOR ATENEANS faithful to Ateneo sports, experiencing a lively cheering atmosphere is imperative to any unforgettable game day. As they yearn for this electric kind of sporting environment, fans often overlook that some internal and external factors—along with even their own shortcomings—make this desire easier said than done.
Amid such obstacles, supporters of the Blue Eagles need to realize that resolute passion for the school is an indispensable foundation of collegiate sports culture. If all those who bleed blue unite under an undying commitment to the team, the “One Big Fight” mantra will transcend text and speech—helping the dream of an even greater Atenean cheering identity come true.
Layers of the Blue Eagle cheering atmosphere
In the context of Ateneo sports, students who are fervent supporters often take their talents to the Blue Babble Battalion—particularly joining the Battalion unit if aspiring to cheer for Ateneo athletes in games.
While the unit’s dedication and efforts should be recognized to the core, members who go beyond by deeply analyzing the art of cheering are the biggest catalysts in aiding the development of Ateneo’s sports fanbase.
Inspecting the innermost nuances of the cheering game may seem supplementary rather than critical to many. However, this allows a clearer picture to be painted about how the seemingly ordinary facets of fan support may attribute or hamper Ateneo crowds from creating the ideal game-day environment.
With his experience of countless games as a former Blue Babble Band member and head coach, now-Blue Babble Battalion Program Head Gian Diaz identified the intricacies of cheering that the common fan often overlooks. First, the lifelong Atenean pinpointed how any Ateneo team’s matchup shifts the complexion of how cheers are orchestrated.
Specifically, Diaz stated that expectations dictate how University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) fans cheer, highlighting contrasts between games against contending or well-known teams and games against underperforming or lesser-popular teams.
In hotly-anticipated marquee showdowns, Ateneo crowds usually bring their A-game in rooting for the Blue and White—leading to a more rowdy and intense cheering atmosphere. In these grand moments, Babble shoulders the challenge of making on-the-fly adjustments due to equally invested opposing crowds. Unique in-game circumstances such as clutch time, comeback attempts, or blowouts should also be accounted for, as instances that can not only swing the momentum on the court or field, but in the bleachers too.
While generating a fantastic Ateneo crowd is complex enough during big games, matches of the opposing magnitude present their own obstacles.
“When [Ateneo faces] a team lower in the standings, the expectation is that we are going to bulldoze them,” Diaz remarked. “Our crowd can [also] get restless or uninvolved when we face a losing team or when we are not performing as expected.”
Besides expectations, Ateneo fan support may vary stylistically because of the element of age. Unlike alumni from older generations, Diaz said that students do not necessarily have the time to attend weekday games, especially considering their workload.
Despite there needing to be work done to have more students present during weekday games, Ateneo game culture on the weekend has long been a staple—with a mix of alumni, families, and students showing up to venues.
Within the said culture arises a contingent of newer fans not too familiar with Ateneo’s cheering atmosphere. As a response, Babble and more established Blue Eagles fans should take pride in welcoming these newcomers with open arms and a willingness to teach the school’s cheering traditions—enriching Ateneo’s sporting identity and history.
At the forefront
Leaving a mark for newer and older fans alike is a duty well-known and embraced by Babble’s Battalion unit Team Captain Eiyan Emata (4 BS HS). The veteran has done it all—such as starting cheers with the band’s other captains and shouting speeches to hype up fans.
Just like Diaz, Emata noticed a list of challenges when handling crowds of different kinds. Particularly, fans who watch live games of Ateneo volleyball and basketball have their respective natures. Emata notably observed that the Blue Eagles’ basketball fans are predominantly Ateneans who support the entire team, whereas Ateneo volleyball fans can be non-Ateneans who are only there to support certain athletes.
Emata tells her teammates to first introduce themselves to and “feel out” certain crowds before taking the next steps. The team captain explicitly recounted how the unit usually dabbles with volleyball and basketball fans. “For a volleyball crowd that’s more of a fanbase [for a specific athlete], [we] try to ask what they like about the player. For basketball with a lot of Ateneo students as fans, it is easy to assume that the crowd is there to support because a lot of them are just there to win,” Emata explained.
A tendency arises that such expectations of winning may be to the detriment of Babble, as Emata admitted that fans naturally get deflated when they see their team underperform. Nevertheless, the team captain says that Babble instills a mindset to cheer with a purpose—regardless of whether games result in a win, loss, or draw.
“[Babble] can never let the circumstances of the game affect our performance because we are here for Ateneo. It’s not in our hands exactly to win or lose. We are there to support and cheer, so we trust our teams and we let them do their thing,” she asserted.
Fostering a true winning culture
Because of the inherent fair-weather attitude of a massive portion of fans, the Battalion constantly confronts a volatile level of investment from the fans’ end. As what Emata asserted, she and her teammates choose to soldier on with their relentless support for Ateneo during times when fans instinctively get dejected or uninvolved.
To create the best game-day experience for everyone involved, fans must first realize that the mentality they carry into matches can be a game-changer. The first step to this is for fans to match the Battalion’s mindset heading into games—focusing on how one can change the tides in the stands and surrendering any expectations placed on the team.
Diaz fortified such a mentality, advising fans to “come [into games] with a mindset that winning is not promised.” The program head also wishes for students to completely commit to games they attend or plan to show up to.
Emata likewise perceived the boost provided by invigorated Blue Eagles supporters as invaluable. For her, Ateneo fans can leave a more profound imprint during games when they try to fully learn cheers, especially those that represent Ateneo’s prized heritage, such as Fabilioh and Halikinu. The unit has made learning many Ateneo’s chants accessible for all by uploading videos on the social media platform TikTok for a wider reach. In their uploads, Babble includes cheers such as Fabilioh and Halikinu’s backgrounds, respective compositions, and how to properly chant such cheers.
The school we choose
Ultimately, the best sporting atmospheres sought by Ateneo fans demand the creation of an organic and consistent culture of cheering that can withstand any in-game circumstances. Besides shifting their perspective to cheering wholeheartedly regardless of the highs and lows, supporters should come into games not taking for granted that their support is the heart of Ateneo sports’ identity.
Just like Blue Eagle athletes and Battalion members who give their all, Atenean supporters can have their legacies cemented if they were not just to fantasize about spectacular sporting atmospheres, but truly embody them through charged cheer.
