MANILA, Philippines – “Your UAAP Cheerdance Competitors champion… the NU Pep Squad!”
Since 2013, that phrase has been bellowed out not as soon as, not twice, however 9 totally different instances. But, the established order had not all the time been this manner.
When the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe received its record-setting eighth CDC title in 2006, NU already had 9 — no, not titles, nor podium finishes, however 9 straight last-place crash-outs, ultimately ballooning to a doubtful, doubtless unbreakable file of 12 consecutive bottom-ranked efforts.
By 2012 in UAAP Season 75, the UP Pep Squad had caught as much as UST with a file eighth championship of its personal, capping off a three-peat run from 2010. Misplaced within the rightfully royal revelry of a brand new cheerdance dynasty, nonetheless, was a curious little element.
There it was, little league laughingstock NU Pep, now in third place — a surprising breakthrough podium end for an afterthought of a program.
Nobody knew on the time, after all, however that second stood as considerably of a cliched passing of the torch. Right here was the comedy act as soon as flamed for working round half-asleep on the court docket in blankets, now totally awake and conscious of its untapped potential.
By 2013, with NU Pep now boasting a strong backer, elite coaches and devoted athletes, the unbelievable occurred. From the ashes of 12 straight cellar-dwelling finishes rose one gleaming gold medal.
Then got here one other, and one other, and one other, and the remainder was historical past.
Pushed by a need to be seen, to be revered, the NU Pep Squad made probably the most of their newfound assist and turned rubbish into gold, the laughs to loud cheers.
Insatiable starvation for extra
Since its first title, NU Pep solely caught to what it knew could be a title-winning method: keep hungry for extra.
Whether or not that’s via persistent recruitment, perfecting observe runs or cautious vitamin planning, there’s no nook or cranny of athletic improvement the teaching workers wouldn’t have a look at and see if it demanded enchancment.
From seven-time coach Ghicka Bernabe to present two-time titlist mentor Gab Bajacan, NU Pep’s improvement all the time revolved round starvation — starvation to be higher, starvation to take extra dangers — and satisfying it on the way in which to at least one shot to win all of it, with no do-overs nor second possibilities.
“What actually units our program aside from different cheer applications is we now have an excellent administration that helps us, not simply financially, however in all other forms of assist they can provide,” Bajacan mentioned in Filipino after the championship.
“We actually have good athletes, whom we actually recruited [from the grassroots level], and the most effective coaches, all of the coaches. This routine wouldn’t be full with out the information and knowledge they contributed to it.”
Close to gymnastics venues of grassroots sports activities occasions just like the Palarong Pambansa, Bajacan himself would man NU Pep Squad cubicles, handing out recruitment supplies to younger aspiring gymnasts even in far-off occasion hosts like Cebu.
“These are the secrets and techniques of the NU Pep Squad and why their program is the way in which it’s,” he continued. “It actually comes all the way down to assist — should you lack assist, how will you recruit athletes if nobody is supporting you? How will you get coaches if the administration doesn’t assist the individuals you’re working with?”
An avid fan of the previous champion applications when he was nonetheless a cheerleader in FEU, Bajacan might solely sit speechless after realizing the pace that NU rose to overhaul everybody else.
“I actually idolized UP and UST. After I was behind a classroom in FEU, I used to bounce their routines. That’s how a lot of a fanatic I’m,” he recalled.
“What occurred now could be one thing I actually didn’t count on as a result of those counting tallies earlier than had been actually FEU, UST, and UP. We in NU form of simply swooped in after, and I simply can’t clarify the sensation. It’s so surreal.”
Fixed evolution
Like each profitable sports activities program, NU Pep isn’t happy with its strategies. Even with grueling, seven-days-a-week coaching lasting via the wee morning hours, Bajacan all the time feels that there are all the time higher methods to keep up a championship workforce.
“We received’t settle and consider what we’re doing is efficient. There are all the time errors in your system. You can’t count on that what you’re doing is ideal,” he mentioned.
“You all the time have totally different individuals, totally different athletes, totally different generations, and what we do will depend upon who we now have. Earlier than you may simply be ruthless and lead that means, however now, you must be extra nurturing. Our sport all the time evolves and so should we.”
“We now have to adapt, adapt, adapt. Progress by no means ends so we now have to maintain evolving. We now have to maintain transferring this system ahead.”
Now wading via uncharted territory as probably the most bemedaled program in CDC historical past, NU Pep continues to chart its personal course and uncover strategies others have but to search out on their very own.
Historical past exhibits that no different cheerdance program has recognized loss fairly just like the NU Pep Squad. Now, it will get to win like no different can. – Rappler.com
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