Alyssa Valdez went to the SEA Games 2025 in Thailand not as a player, but as a correspondent for Cignal – a first for the Creamline star.
Alyssa Valdez is certainly a SEA Games veteran, with the Philippine volleyball phenom seeing action in four editions of the biennial meet.
But during the SEA Games 2025 in Thailand, it was an entirely different role for Valdez.
[RELATED: SEA Games: Alyssa Valdez shares experience as an athlete-turned-correspondent]
From being the subject of stories and reports, Valdez found herself as a media correspondent for Cignal, the SEA Games’ official broadcaster in the Philippines.
Seeing the games from a different set of lens, Valdez admitted that it was a daunting task that had her feeling tremendously nervous.
“Honestly, when I took the job, I was asking Boom [Gonzales] kung paano ba [gagawin]? Sobrang kabado talaga ako,” Valdez recalled during a recent live recording of her podcast "The Transition Playbook" in Makati.
Even in her comfort sport of volleyball, Alyssa's familiarity with the game and the players added a layer of pressure, even a little bit of awkwardness as she found herself on the other side of media scrums.
“I was once teammates with all these players, most especially sa women’s [indoor volleyball], di ba? So medyo iba din talaga yung kaba,” Valdez said, as covering Alas Pilipinas was one of her SEA Games assignments.
But similar to her on-court exploits, Valdez was game to step up to the plate – even in sports that daunted her, having to do reports on swimming, athletics, and football, to name a few.
For the most part, Valdez said that the SEA Games media experience let her embrace a new perspective on sports.
“I'd say, naging iba yung relationship ko with sports. Kasi, one, as an athlete, alam mo yung pinaghirapan kasi nung mga athlete na lumalaban to represent the country. So, iba yung pag-approach ko din sa kanila,” said Valdez, who also had the chance to interview her good friend EJ Obiena as the latter retained his gold medal in pole vault.
A full-fledged fan
For Valdez, her experience as an athlete ultimately shaped her approach as a member of the media in talking to fellow national team athletes in Thailand.
Even if it was her first foray into reporting, the Creamline star had a handful of aces up her sleeve based from her still being an active athlete, which in turn gave her a unique perspective on things.
“I just feel like iba yung pag-approach ko sa kanila bilang atleta pa rin. So, yun yung actually dinala ko when I went there. And yun naman yung advice din sa akin [nila] Boom,” she said.
“Iba din yung pagiging conversation when you talk parang as athletes to athletes. So, yun yung dinala ko. But siguro now, mas lumawak yung learnings ko about sports,” Valdez added.
After dedicating her sporting life to volleyball, Valdez also cherished the unique chance of being exposed to other disciplines, ones that she never imagined to watch and cover in her lifetime.
When all is said and done, Valdez said that her heart had grown for sports and is now a self-proclaimed sports fan – not just of volleyball.
“I got to cover futsal, swimming, na normally hindi ko naman talaga masyadong pinapanood. But I know the players. So, nakikita ko yung pag-celebrate, yung pag natatalo sila,” she said.
“So, ibang-iba [yung experience]. So, right now, I would say I'm really a big sports fan. Hindi na lang sa volleyball.”
As for her views on if reporting would be a viable next step in her career, Valdez, like in everything else in her life, wanted to first hone her skills and hopefully excel in it the way she does in volleyball.
“I think if I'm gonna do it, I really want to explore more. But if I'm gonna do it, I really have to learn and really study all the things na kasama nun,” Valdez said.
“Kasi, siyempre, ibang world na yun. So, I really want to be ready if magkaroon ng chance ulit na mapunta ako [sa ganong sitwasyon]."
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.