University of the East clarified the "inaccurate" information swirling around massive changes in their women’s volleyball team.
The University of the East spoke out about the massive overhaul of its women’s volleyball team--following reports of an exodus of players, axing of coaches, and alleged mishandling from the side of the administration in a lengthy statement released on Saturday.
Coming off of a winless outing in UAAP Season 87, the Lady Warriors saw one of their main backers — Strong Group Athletics — deciding not renew their contract with the team for the upcoming season which UE said prompted the changes in the team’s composition.
Per the statement, information surrounding the whole ordeal is “inaccurate” and “requires clarification” which led to the school’s official stand on the issue.
“One key point that requires clarification, is the change in sponsorship and its implication for the team’s composition and leadership. The former sponsor of the UE Women’s Volleyball Team, who supported the team during UAAP Season 87, chose not to renew its sponsorship for Season 88. As part of the conclusion of this sponsorship, the coaching staff who were under the sponsor’s support also ended their tenure with the team,” the statement read.
“In response, to this development, the Physical Education (PE) Department promptly took steps to secure new leadership for the team. New coaches were appointed and approved by the President as consulted from UE sports committee to guide and develop the program for the upcoming season.”
According to the UE administration, the change in coaching staff also prompted an “open tryout” which aimed to evaluate all potential players for the Lady Warriors.
The statement further said that the PE department met with former players of the team, to participate in the tryout and show their skills to the incoming coaching staff.
“All incumbent players were given the same opportunity and due process to participate in the try-out alongside new aspirants. Their previous membership in the team did not automatically guarantee automatic retention, nor did past performance result in automatic exclusion,” UE said in the statement.
“Each participant was evaluated solely on their skills, potential, and compatibility with the system being implemented by the coaching staff and or new coaching staff,” they added.
Because of this process, several members of the UAAP Season 87 team were not retained for the next season — which also meant a lot of them lost their scholarships as student athletes.
The statement also addressed this and clarified who was eligible to receive the athlete service grant.
“It is not an entitlement tied to tenure or past participation, but rather to active involvement and contribution to the University’s academic and athletic community. However, we remain fully committed to supporting our student-athletes who are truly performing,” they said.
“The outcome of the try-out to those affected who lost their spot and lost their privileges will be granted to those who qualified because of limited athletic service grant slots specific for each team/event,” the statement continued.
The UE administration concluded its statement with a reiteration that the school remains committed to its sports programs and hopes to empower their student-athletes and bring pride and honor to the university.
“Looking ahead, UE remains firmly committed to supporting its student-athletes and to building a competitive, values-driven sports program. Our ultimate goal is to empower our athletes to grow not only in their sport but also as student leaders, and to bring pride and honor to the University through excellence in the UAAP,” they said.