HERALDING THE stories of the Blue and White, Vicsi Burgos (3 AB COM) has built herself into a recognizable figure in Ateneo sports’ fabled legacy. As Loyola Heights’ University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) correspondent over the past two seasons, Burgos has braved an era of sports highly influenced by the emergence of digital spaces.
More than reporting on the sidelines, she also showcased a delicate balance in displaying professionalism as a correspondent and building meaningful relationships with the teams she covers. Her task of navigating the current digital landscape is also exemplified by her concurrent work as a social media manager for the Ateneo Men’s Basketball Team.
The grandest stage
In her dual role for the Katipunan-based institution, Burgos has witnessed the ins and outs of what it takes to be a member of Ateneo’s most prominent sports teams. While she has already collected two seasons of storytelling experience behind her, her journey to the UAAP stage only started as a determined leap of faith.
Back in high school, Burgos recalled joking around with her friends about becoming a courtside reporter one day, but she never thought it was attainable until her freshman year. “I struggled […] in high school [because] I was so busy with all my extracurriculars. When I got into college, I really had to find something that would push me [outside my comfort zone],” she added.
When she saw the sign-ups posted by Cignal during the summer of sophomore year, Burgos took the risk. At the time, she thought the idea of being a correspondent was a long shot until she received two callbacks from the network. Eventually, this led her to one of the most pivotal points of her college life—the date of her announcement as Ateneo’s next correspondent: August 28, 2024.
After covering the tumultuous seasons of the Men’s Basketball and Women’s Volleyball Teams, Burgos returned as a correspondent in Season 88. This feat is one that she shares with her fellow Atenean contemporaries Julia Vargas, Allison Co, and Janna Ehido.
In deciding to continue her work for the UAAP, Burgos stated that she takes pride in her role as a storyteller not only of the teams, but also of the individuals that make them. “I was really attached to this story of not just the teams. When I got closer to the players, I saw how they grew and how they would develop in the season. I wanted to continue the job so [badly],” Burgos mentioned.
She also clarified that she had to audition again for Season 88 to reprise her role as a correspondent. Despite knowing the process would be harder for returnees, she simply hoped to continue being part of the teams’ journey and give justice once more to the stories entrusted to her.
For Burgos, the job of a correspondent as a storyteller is defined by a quote from veteran sports commentator Boom Gonzalez. “Your role is to humanize these athletes because people can get so lost with the points,” she recalled Gonzalez saying.
Reporting is far from an easy task for a UAAP correspondent, constantly having to deal with the magnitude of moments such as Ateneo-La Salle rivalry matches, or, in Burgos’ case, historic triple-overtime thrillers. Yet, for the Blue Eagle correspondent, the job means so much more when she’s one with the players’ One Big Fight.
Fighting with the Blue and White
Stressing the importance of forming a robust bond with athletes, Burgos often draws back to how lucky she is to amplify the stories of the Blue Eagles.
As she bears this mindset, the Ateneo correspondent works from the sidelines with sheer passion, showing up through the highs and lows of the teams with a heart full of gratitude. To her, what mattered most was that she was always there for the Blue Eagles, win or lose.
That presence, however, carried its own weight. Recalling her strong attachments to the Katipunan-based squads, Burgos revealed the intense emotions on air. She admitted that this would sometimes make her hands tremble when writing her courtside reports.
“It’s hard because [of] the drums and everything [going on]. [I] get emotional but I remember that there’s a job and [I] have to do it well,” Burgos expressed. Amid the noise and intensity, she grounds herself in professionalism.
When reporting for Ateneo, Burgos looks beyond just numbers and statistics. She focuses on highlighting everything that led the Blue Eagles to that moment—their preparations and hunger to win. This motivated her to support the Blue Eagles by attending the team’s training sessions and ultimately becoming part of their journey.
Burgos’ genuine care for Ateneo’s athletes also translated into her role as the Men’s Basketball Team’s social media manager, as she stated that it helped her get a better sense of what the Blue and White’s fans want to know about.
This experience also equipped the Cignal representative to adapt in tough situations where teams would face backlash for their underperformance, recalling one instance of a Blue Eagle receiving harsh criticism. “I would see things online, something [that is] completely wrong […] so for the next game, I decided that I should report on that,” Burgos said.
In today’s time, where digital spaces have emerged for commentary that is immediate and often unforgiving, the Blue Eagle correspondent shared that the emotional toll can be draining. Burgos felt that these invalidated the Blue Eagles’ struggles. Hence, she makes a conscious effort to protect the Men’s Basketball and Women’s Volleyball rosters by including the athletes’ hard work in her live reports.
As a courtside reporter, she went beyond gathering answers from the teams for her reports. For her, it was all about building trust and making sure that she was a friend before a reporter. “More than talking, you begin with listening,” Burgos imparted.
Her passion for what she does drives her effort to find the right moments to engage with athletes, ensuring that her presence respects the space they need.
Even at times where the Ateneo correspondent struggled with writing her reports, Burgos stated that she stepped onto the UAAP sidelines with confidence guided by one goal: to overcome the pressure of giving justice to the Blue Eagles’ stories.
A friend of the flock
As she concludes her two-year UAAP correspondent stint, Burgos hopes to be remembered as someone who poured her heart and soul into her craft. She recalls that the past two years have passed by quickly, but she constantly reminds herself of how thankful she is to seize every moment in the job.
“I’m so thankful I got to live every moment in the job, no matter how hard it is. I remind myself how lucky I am to get to be here,” she concluded.
No matter how difficult and exhausting it was, Burgos’ stint as a Blue Eagle courtside reporter was one she considers a privilege. She moves forward with overflowing love for all the players, coaches, managers, and colleagues who shaped her into who she is today.
Remembering how these people welcomed her from the moment she started to now, two-time Atenean correspondent Vicsi Burgos beams with pride as she exits the UAAP sidelines—no regrets, only lasting admiration for the flock she once stood beside.
