A community that JAMs together…

In last week’s column, I talked about how I wished sports would be given attention by all those running for elections. Sports not only helps in the holistic development of a person, it can also unite a country. The irony was that I almost forgot that I’m actually involved in a sports event that should become a case study of how sports can unite a community. And it’s happening right now.

It’s the JAM 2018. JAM stands for Jesuit Athletic Meet, a multi-sport event featuring ten Jesuit schools from all over the country. This is held every two years for the high school division/age group level. The goals of the JAM are to create a bond among Jesuit schools and to provide a venue for friendly competitions among the schools. If you’re not familiar with the Jesuit schools, these are also more popularly known as the Ateneo chain of schools; they’re all here in Cebu at the JAM Cebu 2018. They are Ateneo de Manila, Xavier School San Juan, Xavier School Nuvali, Ateneo de Naga, Loyola College of Culion, Ateneo de Iloilo, Ateneo de Davao, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Ateneo de Zamboanga and host Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu. Events being played are athletics, badminton, basketball, chess, football, futsal, lawn tennis, swimming, table tennis, and volleyball. One might think why the fuss for a sports event.

But when you look at the magnitude of staging and hosting an event like this, you’ll realize that it is not an easy task. There is so much ground to cover when you expect 1,000 students and coaches to converge in Cebu for the JAM. The host school has to take care of their accommodations, meals, transportation, and a whole lot more. From October 25 to 31, the SHS-Ateneo de Cebu campus will be converted into an athletes’ village that will not only host games but also serve as a second home for 15-18 year old athletes.

But that wasn’t the simple mission. When it was announced that Cebu would host the JAM, SHS-Ateneo de Cebu committed that this JAM wouldn’t be just a simple sports event. It was going to be more than any other previous JAMs and would set the bar as far as JAM hosting was concerned. It was going to be the best JAM ever. We made it a goal that every JAM participant would go home with a non-negotiable experience that this JAM would become an unforgettable moment in his or her life. Have your heard of the saying “To think is to create?” We dreamed about what we wanted to happen and so we embarked on the ambitious mission to make it happen. “Let’s do this,” we all dared. But saying it is one thing. Doing it is another. And so how are we doing it? Note that the JAM is ongoing as we write. The school, led by its president Fr. Manny Uy, SJ, summoned all of its might to make the hosting of the JAM hit its objectives. While the holding of the games is already a given, we were certain this would be covered easily. With a team of Cebu’s most competent tournament officials working closely with our coaches, this was set. The bigger challenge was to how to build and create the JAM Cebu experience.

The moment the visiting teams touched down at the Mactan airport or docked at the pier, SHS-Ateneo de Cebu representatives were there to meet all guests. They were brought to the SHS-Ateneo Canduman campus on the comfortable buses of Catalina and Tim Trans. When they got to the campus, a dragon dance welcomed them along with the ambassadors of the school turning over brownies from Abaca, snacks and a drink. That was just the start of their JAM experience. The rest is history. A key element of the JAM experience is ironically not about the games but all the activities off the court that sought to bring all students together. The opening ceremony was a cultural showcase that included guest performers from Gonzaga College of Indonesia (also a Jesuit school), the Maskara Dance Troupe of Ateneo de Davao, the Agila Dance Troupe of SHS-Ateneo de Cebu and the University of Cebu dance troupe. The over-all theme was “I love Cebu” and the Sinulog. You can check it out on the Facebook page JAM Cebu 2018. The first official dinner was a boodle fight at the Lux Oriens Gym. At the Open Mic night last Friday, different talents from the different schools performed in a free-wheeling night of fun. They sang, rapped, danced and delivered their pick-up lines on the spot. A movie is shown every night at the school theater, drawing a full-house crowd. Other little things that counted? Everyone receives the “Magis” greeting from Ateneo Hearters. There are water dispensers on every floor of the school and at all venues. There are information booths in critical areas of the school. A coaches’ lounge was set up as a “tambayan” for coaches and officials. Need a free massage? A free haircut? Sign up and you’ll even get a text to remind you of your schedule. The school’s campus custodians are working double time to keep everything clean and in shape. The security guards are on their toes. And the heroic teachers and school staff are ready to serve even as the school is on its semestral break. Now that’s Magis personified.

This JAM experience was made possible by the entire SHS-Ateneo de Cebu community working together to make it happen. A simple sports event has brought an academic institution/community together to host what may go down as the best JAM ever. #JAMagis #JAMCebu2018. JAM na ta bai!