THE COUNTRY’s transition to the K to 12 program, and the lowering of the UAAP age limit in the juniors’ division, are taking their toll on some UST teams, coaches said.
The K to 12, which pioneered the senior high school (SHS) program in 2016, forced UST’s homegrown high school players to extend their UAAP juniors’ careers when they move up to Grades 11 and 12.
The UAAP board lowered the age limit in the juniors’ division from 20 to 19 years old beginning Season 79.
While junior athletes are allowed up to six playing years, they shall be ruled ineligible to play if they turn 19 years old or have birthdays prior to July 1, 1999 before the end of the season.
UST Tracksters head coach Emmanuel Calipes slammed the new age limit, saying the ruling greatly affected the number of recruits from the juniors’ squad coming into Season 80.
“Ang problema, ‘yung continuity ng pagiging athlete nagiging stagnant. Paano ‘yung iba naming prospect? Hindi rito nagaaral. After one year ng pag–recruit namin sa ibang grade 11 na students, iba na itsura nila kasi hindi na sila nag–te-training,” he said.
The Male Tracksters, who placed silver behind powerhouse Far Eastern University in Season 79, crashed to fifth place this year while fielding just 10 out of the usual 20 players. It was the first time UST crashed out of the podium since 2010.
The women’s squad was hardly affected with only three players less than the usual pool. The Female Tracksters also brought home the championship for the fourth-straight year.
The Lady Fencers were left with a young team and crashed to last place this Season 80.
While the Lady Fencers may have their wounds patched up by Season 81, their male counterparts will have to welcome a young group of players from SHS as most of their veterans will be wiped out by Season 80.
The Lady Shuttlers suffered the same fate and became this year’s cellar-dwellers in UAAP badminton, a feat head coach RJ Ormilla expected due to the lack of recruits and “lack of determination” among his remaining female wards.
Ormilla, in a previous interview, said his outgoing Grade 12 players from the junior pool would replace the sacked Lady Shuttlers team that competed this season.
Ronald Dableo, head coach of UST’s chess teams, also attributed the teams’ lackluster finishes with recruitment problems, since the seniors’ team only fielded six players with no reserves.
Dableo added that their burden would carry on to Season 81 since all of their reserves in the juniors’ division are incoming grade 12 students.
“Naubusan tayo ng players na na-timing sa K-to-12. Kailangan pa maghintay ng two years para makapag-recruit ulit,” he said. “Wala pang aakyat mula sa juniors’… ‘Yun, magagaling ‘yun.”
Waiting for homegrown talent
With the K to 12 transition in full swing, Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA) athletics moderator Rodrigo Sambuang said the University’s sports program has no choice but to wait for the SHS players to move up to the collegiate scene.
“We are just waiting for our SHS athletes to graduate and compete in the collegiate levels because other universities have already imprinted on blue-chip players,” Sambuang told the Varsitarian.
Aside from giving tryouts, UST coaches sc
While the two-year SHS program stagnates the development of the players in terms of skills, Calipes said the upside of the program is that players have more matured physical attributes upon entering college.
“Hindi na sila ma–aagrabyado against the seniors. ‘Yung equivalent ng grade 12 ay supposedly second year college, so ‘yung physical hustle nila, average na.”
