LET’S VOLT IN. The Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion placed fifth overall in the UAAP Cheerdance Competition last September 22 at the MOA Arena. Photo by Christie K. Lim.

IN 2009, an inexperienced Blue Babble Battalion composed of a few veterans performed in the Season 72 UAAP Cheerdance Competition. With only the honor of representing the Ateneo, the squad of mostly rookies performed a routine themed as a tribute to Michael Jackson.

Beyond the memorable moonwalk lift, the “rookies” marched out of the Big Dome with a piece of Ateneo history: the school’s first ever podium finish—1st runner-up—in the cheerdance competition. This victory broke the streak of what was been coined the Perennial Three: UP, FEU and UST.

Unexpected victory

The cheerdancers and lifters’ team had just been reestablished for Season 72 and it was full of fresh faces. Thus, expectations of breaking into the top three were a fleeting thought. “When they said ‘rookie team,’ it was in the most genuine sense—no one really knew anything,” says returning member Nicolo Toledo. “It wasn’t in our plan to end up cheerleading in college.”

The idea of belonging to a family and excelling at a sport they were new to instilled enthusiasm in the squad. “The common denominator among us was our inexperience. That was what bonded us, learning together and from each other,” Toledo shares.

The team’s youthfulness proved to be the driving force that led them to “bring it.” “Everyone was new, while all the other teams were veterans. But because it was still a competition, we had to bring something to the table,” recalls Lifters Captain Laurence Arceño.

The truth about Season 72 was that they played it safe. Coach Randell San Gregorio has always preferred a sure performance to a risky one. There was no better time to abide by this rule than when many of his pupils had yet to reach the peak of their athletic careers.

The award-winning routine banked on skills, which the members were confident with. It also incorporated many dance elements—something San Gregorio is known for, as he is an alumnus of the UP Pep Squad and a founding member of UP Street’s The Crew.

Compared to the other squads, it was the ease and execution that brought success for Ateneo. “We really enjoyed the routine, everything from the dances to the stunts which were all so simple but we executed it perfectly,” says Assistant Coach Raleo Belandres.

The in-between years

The following UAAP year, the Blue Babble discontinued its promotional campaign themed “Vindicate,” which sent the wrong message, as they did not need to prove anything. However, the idea had already subconsciously settled way before they trained for the next cheerdance competition.

“Because we had placed, we felt that we had to defend our place [so we raised the difficulty],” shares Belandres. “The psyche was that we needed to stay there, almost as if we were no longer allowed to make mistakes.” Although the team had upped the ante of their stunts and tumbling passes, a couple of crucial falls during the competition brought them down to fourth place out of eight.

In 2011, there was an exodus of members from the Blue Babble Battalion right after the National Cheerleading Championships (NCC) Finals, a few months before the new UAAP season. “The team’s growth was abruptly stunted,” says Arceño. “It really affects a team when even just one hesitates. But it works to our benefit too because whoever stays becomes more united.”

But the future was not at all bleak. When summer training in 2011 began, there was an influx of recruits, many of which hailed from teams that competed in the NCC’s high school division. They also came up with the Bollywood concept and planned their routine at this time. Ultimately, the team had definitely advanced in strength and gymnastic skill compared to the previous years.

However, their seventh place finish that year seemed to say otherwise. “There also was the pressure that batch 2009 placed before us,” says 2011 Rookie of the Year Keith Sta. Ana. “It put a strain on us to parallel their achievement since we were a rookie team like they were, even if our coach never demanded it.”

The big difference

“It is different being an ‘Atenean cheerleader,’” Toledo says. “Not to put others in bad light, but for us it’s not hardcore cheering all day, all night.”

The Blue Babble Battalion must balance their studies with nightly four-hour training sessions, weekend games and other school functions. “After all, we wouldn’t be in Blue Babble if we weren’t students of the Ateneo,” explains Arceño.

While other squads are bound by scholarships, the Blue Babble Battalion has never had the privilege of offering scholarships to recruits. Not only does this deprive them of potential talents, but it also offers less incentive for members to stay.

For other teams, performance is not solely based on perks. FEU Cheering Squad Captain Eryka de Roxas says, “It was only in my second year when I got a scholarship, but it wasn’t the basis for my decision to stay in the team or not.” On top of their scholarship, the university subsidizes their training expenses and equipment as well.

Every year for the Blue Babble Battalion, there are more and more incoming members who have skill and potential. Despite all this, though, the team struggles with consistency—it is still different when there are members who have really chosen to stay and grow with the team.

Moreover, while it is only San Gregorio who teaches, choreographs, and disciplines, other teams employ several coaches who specialize in different aspects. “Although he does his job well, not all are focused on one at a time so the progress of improvement may be slower than other teams,” shares Sta. Ana. De Roxas mentions that in FEU, aside from the head coach, they have one coach for each event: dance, stunts and gymnastics.

A comeback

The Blue Babble Battalion remains confident about rising up in the ranks again. “We [have] devoted our skills into the stunts since summer, and we actually achieved rank one for the pyramids event in the last NCC,” says Arceño.

Skills and training aside, they are optimistic about the nature of the tournament. “In UAAP, the prestige is in the fact that it’s a cheerdance competition. It’s not just cheerleading; it’s dance as well,” says Belandres. The largest percentage in the criteria goes to dance technique, which is their coach’s forte. In fact, San Gregorio recently trained The Crew, which was awarded champion in the World Hip Hop Dance Championship in Las Vegas this August.

The Blue Babble Battalion consists of more veterans this year, perhaps giving them a higher chance of coming out on top. “We won with a routine that easy in 2009. Now, it’s all in the improvement of the team,” Belandres observes. “It all boils down [to] the execution and the determination to win the competition.”

Meanwhile, the Blue Babble Battalion’s second runner-up finish in their first appearance in the FilOil Flying V Cheerleading Competition may be a promising sign for the cheerdance competition this September. Whether or not they place, however, the team is resolved on first conquering their routine, because the awards and respect will all just follow.

In the end, what it will all come down to are the breaks of the game and whether or not they give it their best shot. Toledo concludes, “More than winning, it’s about showing what you have.”