CESAFI SCHOOL SPIRIT TODAY

Did you watch Game 1 of the UAAP Finals between Ateneo de Manila and University of Sto. Tomas yesterday? And how about Game 2 of the NCAA Finals between San Beda and Letran Friday night, or the do-or-die game between UST and the University of the Philippines last Wednesday? I don’t know about you, but I thought these were all great graphic testimonies of two collegiate leagues that are giving the PBA a run for the money (literally and figuratively). The venue is packed with supporters of both sides of each game, complete with school colors, cheers, yells, chants, flags, banners and other “props,” the more creative and unique, the better. Although we’re watching this on TV, we can feel the atmosphere pierce through the TV screen, as if you were part of the live audience. Exaggeration maybe, but so true, di ba?

We are in both envy and awe at how these leagues, most notably the UAAP, have grown so much since its early days, and how these have now become a must-watch event not only for basketball fans but also for the ordinary man on the street. The UAAP’s popularity has shot through the roof that its players are just as popular as the professionals in the PBA. In fact, many UAAP players and coaches are more popular than their PBA counterparts. Even if they were already eliminated, Kobe Paras of U.P. is one of the most visible personalities, with endorsements and TV commercials hitting our TV screens. And aren’t Coach Tab Baldwin and Aldin Ayo drawing more attention than PBA’s best coaches?

I can’t help but compare this to our very own CESAFI. If you go through all the ranting about the league on social media, you would think it was already dead. If you listen to all the complaints and criticisms about the league, you might think it was about to close shop. Sadly, it’s very typical of us Pinoys to jump on the bandwagon, hit hard and quickly drift away as if we had nothing to do with the league; then forget to be part of the solution. We have been asked our own thoughts on the matter, but I’m not the type to rant, complain and openly criticize. I prefer to work it out and find a way to improve the situation.

Let’s check out a key element that has made the UAAP what it is today. SCHOOL SPIRIT. School spirit is the most basic and important factor of a league’s success. In the UAAP, the students, faculty and staff of a school are solid behind their institution. They love their school dearly. The watch the games of their team (even on a week or class day), monitor their developments, join school pep rallies and even attend masses/pray for their team. Can we say the same about Cebu and our CESAFI schools? Do we care about our school or alma mater?  Do we watch the games of our school? Monitor the performance of our teams? Do we know the members of our teams (basketball, football, volleyball, etc.)?

If this were a case study in brand management, we would have to make an environmental scan and see how CESAFI fares in the minds of its market. Is the CESAFI relevant to the student or basketball fan? Is it something appealing? Or are there more appealing and important things that matter more to the target market? More importantly, is one’s school relevant to the student or alumnus? I don’t have scientific data to back this up, but in Cebu, I’m confident that support for a school and over-all school spirit is nowhere near what we see in the UAAP. One doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist or need to do any research to reach such a conclusion. Just look at the way those UAAP fans and supporters cheer for their respective teams in basketball and volleyball games. I’m also confident that CESAFI students have found other more important things that supporting their sports teams. Are these gadgets? The malls? The barkada? Hanging out in colder places vis-à-vis the sports venues?

We must remember that CAAA and CESAFI games were once closely followed and filled with fans earlier in the day. The USC Main Gym and Cebu Coliseum were packed when the playoffs rolled around. Yes. School spirit then was at an all-time high.

And wait, there is a silver lining. Did you hear about the crowd that gathered to watch the CESAFI football finals of the high school and collegiate divisions last weekend? There were more people at the football games than the all-star games for basketball. School spirit was evident as supporters of the Don Bosco and USJR teams for high school, and USC and UC for the college finals were there at the stands. For the high school finals, there was the added rivalry footnote between both sides as many players of USJR came from Don Bosco. On the part of the USC college team, their followers are a combined forces block from the various high school football teams that were once rivals.

It’s obvious that there seems to be a gap between the student or alumnus and his/her school. What can be done to make a student be proud of his/her own school? Can we also narrow this gap by possibly bringing the games closer to home, to the market, e.g. volleyball? There are a hundred more concerns about the CESAFI and you’ve seen all these on Facebook, but it will all have to start at the basics. Build school spirit and they will come.

CESAFI Finals: SWU vs. UC back in the day

CESAFI Football Crowd

The UV Crowd