AT THE close of another successful University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season that saw the much-awaited introduction of the 3×3 Basketball Tournament, Season 80 hosts Far Eastern University (FEU) passed on the torch to National University (NU) to take charge of Season 81.

The official turnover at the end of Season 80 marked the introduction of further changes to the UAAP tournament. Stemming from the suggestion of UAAP board members and coaches from past seasons, this year finally sees the shifting of calendars for Chess, Fencing, and Track and Field from the second semester, February-May, to the first semester, September-December.

The changes implemented address the common concern of most participating Track and Field teams in terms of remaining fit over the holiday break in December, as well as the issues of many Fencing and Chess teams that have team members attending national and international competitions during the second semester calendar.

University Athletics Office (UAO) Director Emmanuel Fernandez says that many UAAP stakeholders had long been discussing the move for some sports given that the lengthier sports, save for Basketball and Badminton, were all scheduled in the second semester. “We were looking for sports to transfer to the first semester because the second semester sports are loaded.”

Multiple university academic calendars prohibited these changes because of the difficulty of determining the eligibility of some athletes. With only the University of the East (UE) still following the traditional June to March calendar, the UAAP board members and coaches finally agreed to transfer the three sports to the first semester.

Making the most

Although the Ateneo Track and Field teams had already anticipated the change, they still had to make drastic adjustments to prepare for the new competition dates. Commenting on the possible difficulties in gaining fitness by November, Track and Field Captain and graduating player Kim Zulueta admitted that the teams would actually benefit from having their competition before the holiday break in December.

Aside from the physical aspect of the sport, the veteran pointed out that their mental fortitude requires toughening and sharpening as well. “I always remind them how far they have [come].”

Bouncing back

UAAP Season 80 ended in disappointment as both the Ateneo Men’s and Women’s Chess teams finished last in the standings. The departure of two key veterans Renzo Marquez, a S80 UAAP gold-medalist, and Jolo Lat meant that Ateneo Chess would need to enter another stage of rebuilding through recruitment and strenuous training.

The change in the Chess tournament schedule therefore took a major toll on the preparations of the Blue and Lady Eagles, who have had to fast-track the training of several of their rookies to prepare them for the competition in time.

According to Blue Eagles Team Captain Gavin Ong, in addition to the skills and movesets required in the sport, the rookies and the rest of the team needed to mentally prepare themselves for the cognitive demands. “Aside from the skill, we also need mental stamina,” he states.

Making ends meet

A change in the UAAP Fencing schedule was initially met with shock by the Ateneo Fencing team, however, the Blue and White were quick to adjust their training sessions and pre-season plans. A select number of athletes flew overseas to compete in the Thailand Opens to prepare and sharpen their skills ahead of the upcoming tournament.

The Ateneo Fencing teams have taken drastic measures in training to ensure that they are fit and firing come November, starting official training at 4:00 PM and ending at around 10:00 PM. “Training for most of us has been our number one priority. [We are] making sure that we train for UAAP as if [it started] tomorrow,” says fencer Patricia Paulo.

‘It all begins here’

The mixed-bag of graduating seniors and eager rookies that make up the teams are understandably more emotional and anxious for their seasons, with seniors having to end their UAAP careers months earlier than expected, and rookies having to start their season unsure if their trainings thus far will suffice.

“It just saddens me that for us seniors, it would be an earlier goodbye to the UAAP,” adds Paulo.

While the calendar shift for the Chess, Fencing, and Track and Field competitions is season-defining for many of the teams that participate annually, the changes are well-intentioned and will ultimately prove to benefit the teams involved.