Sanctified Through Sports

It's not often that I find myself moved to comment on more or less parochial matters, but the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) varsity teams have inspired me to ruminate on the transcendent quality that is grace in sports. First, the UA&P Women's Basketball team posted back to back wins in the WNCAA, a development that was, quite frankly, considered unlikely by most objective observers due to the UA&P Women's team's first couple of games. Second, the UA&P Women's Futsal team posted yet another win, this time over Miriam College, to lead their division, also in the WNCAA. Lastly, the UA&P Men's Futsal team won the 2nd division championship in the recently concluded Adidas Cup.

For better or for worse, UA&P has never been consumed by an undying passion for competitive sports, at least not in the way that other schools have. Rather, UA&P has chosen to participate in sports, not particularly to win, but to excel. In my many years as both a casual observer, and a impassioned participant in UA&P sports, I have come to the conclusion that I would rather have a UA&P team in the finals of any athletic competition rather than anyone else.

Some teams are poor losers---when subjected to the ignominy of defeat, they insist on courting the scandal of truly losing. They rant and rave against the fickle finger of fate. They blame the miserable playing conditions, and cast aspersions on either the visual acuity or the mental clarity of the referees. They blame everyone but themselves, and in doing so merely bring spectators and atheists alike to the brink of a religious conversion: if this team did not win, then there truly is a God.

Some teams are poor winners---when blessed with the eminence of victory, they insist on hewing to the ballyhoo or barbarity. They preen and jest. They mock the downtrodden. They congratulate none but themselves for their sweet satisfaction, and in doing so, bring spectators and believers alike to the brink of a crisis of faith: if there truly were a God, these buffoons shouldn't have won.

The reason why I would rather have a UA&P team in the finals of any sport, (yes, even a marathon, double round elimination tournament for Magic: the Gathering) is simple. No other team loses, or wins, with as much grace and dignity as a UA&P team. When you watch our brave young athletes give their very best, either in victory or in defeat, you couldn't help but think that excellence in sports really is ennobling, that by watching them give their all, we are somehow blessed, even a little bit, by witnessing their passion, sacrifice, and joy in competing.

To that end, allow me to make a final, embarrassingly shallow observation: the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. Thank you to Coach Manrique Reyes, Coach Chris Dominguez, and Coach Franklin Cacacho (with the special participation of Coach Toto Torbela) for making us proud to be associated with, or working in, UA&P.