What Student-Athletes Should Be

Gretchen Ho

By FRANCIS SANTIAGO

September 14, 2010, 11:53am

MANILA, Philippines – On the court of the Shakey’s V-League, Gretchen Ho rises on top of the net and extends her arms to thwart any volleyball kill from an opposing hitter.

Not an easy job for a middle blocker, whose position requires quick feet and lightning-fast decision-making.

But the Ateneo Lady Eagle has thrived on it and even built a reputation as one of the most ferocious defenders in the league. Make no mistake about it though.

While she is known for being tough, Gretchen has a very soft heart for the less privileged, especially with kids. As a member of the Ateneo Christian Life Community (ACLC), Gretchen gets the chance to participate in community outreach programs and help different families living in the slum area of Payatas. “That’s me outside of the volleyball court,” Gretchen says. “And I feel happy doing it.”

While most student-athletes spend their spare times on nightlife, Gretchen would rather devote her time to quietly doing charity work, especially on weekends. “One time I tried to help a kid (from Payatas) to review for his upcoming entrance exams in college,” Gretchen shares.

“The feeling is very fulfilling. I do this because it also helps me grow as a person. I learned many things from the families I talk to. I think I became thrifty when I realized how lucky I am compared to them.’’

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR

Gretchen is no ordinary studentathlete.

At 20 years old, she already co-owns a food stall operating on the Ateneo campus in Katipunan. She and three other schoolmates, including teammate Kara Acevedo, invested P100,000 to put up Granny’s American Diner.

Surprisingly, Gretchen is not keen on putting up her own business when she graduates. “I want to work in a multi-national company and become an employee. I also want to travel,” Gretchen, a third year Management Engineering student, says. “Any position in the company will do - HR, marketing, as long as it is not a desk job and I can travel around the world.”

FIRST LOVE

As young as 11 years old, Gretchen has already fallen in love with volleyball. “When I saw the high school team playing, I already saw myself wanting to play the game. The players were very inspiring,” recalls Gretchen, referring to her high school volleyball team at the Immaculate Conception Academy.

In Grade 5, she gave it her best shot and was considered for the ICA team. But the training would go way beyond her 6 p.m. curfew and her parents disapproved of it.

The situation did not however dash her hopes. She got the chance to get back into the team two years later after her parents allowed her to try out anew as a gift on her 13th birthday.

With Gretchen in the fold, the ICA volleyball team began ruling several inter-high school championships. It didn’t take long before scouts from the collegiate teams noticed her skills. The Ateneo squad was the lucky team to bag her. Coach Ron Dulay helped her adjust to the kind of play in college, especially in the UAAP.

WRONG NOTION ABOUT STUDENT-ATHLETES

“It’s unfair for us student-athletes to be judged as all brawns,” laments Gretchen, a consistent honor student in high school and a dean’s lister in Ateneo. “It takes a lot of sacrifice to be an athlete and a student at the same time. We have to sacrifice many things and for me, this challenges me to study and work and be the best in whatever I do,” says Gretchen who adds that time management plays a key role in her bid to be on top of everything she does, whether on the court or inside the classroom.

A typical schedule for Gretchen goes like this: She devotes 5 to 8 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 2 to 5 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday for team practice. On weekends, she spends her time for her studies. In her spare time, she plays guitar and sings at times.

Despite the Lady Eagles’ failure to win their first ever Shakey’s V-League title in the second conference of the seventh edition, Gretchen remains optimistic. “I think we need more experience and height,” Gretchen says of her team which is still looking for a first title since joining the league in 2004. “We can bounce back next year.”

Over at the UAAP volleyball competitions, Gretchen says the team is poised to duplicate its feat last year. The Lady Eagles finished third last year behind De La Salle University and the perennial champion University of Santo Tomas. It was their highest finish ever in the country’s most prestigious collegiate league.

“I think the teams to beat again are UST, La Salle and FEU. But we will do our best to surprise them,” says Gretchen.


via Manila Bulletin