Amidst the adrenaline filled basketball games stands a lady with a duty to the Lasallian community. As the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 opened last September 8, UAAP Courtside Reporter (CSR) Eileen Shi’s successor was revealed to the public in the form of 19-year-old Psychology major Aiyana Perlas.
As a new member of the brave reporters of ABS-CBN Sports is embedded in the different UAAP teams, Perlas will be manning courtside duties for the Green-and-White.
Sheer will and passion
For Perlas, hosting has always been one of her passions, and this became more evident after she joined the MYX VJ Search 2018. She explains that MYX helped her gain the right amount of confidence and spontaneity needed for her future endeavors. Right after the MYX event, she was left with the question: “Why not give Courtside Reporting a shot?” The Psychology major shares, “In all honestly, I think what truly pushed me was my passion and my will to improve in the field of hosting, and of course, my love for sports.”
Aside from hosting, the 19-year-old also used to be a member of Poveda Hardcourt, the Saint Pedro Poveda College high school varsity pep squad. Aside from cheerleading, she believes that her gymnastics and golf background also helped her become more familiar with the sports spectrum. Additionally, this helped her out a lot in her job as she slowly realized that the nature of courtside reporting is no stranger. Perlas concludes, “the world of the UAAP is like home to me.”
On and off the court support
Aside from the good camaraderie among the courtside reporters assigned to the different participating universities, Perlas shares that the former DLSU Courtside Reporters (CSRs) have been looking out for her. “I was able to talk to Ate Eileen, Ate Bea, and Ate Jeanine, and they have been super helpful. They have been giving me constant advice about what to do and what not to do when courtside reporting,” says Perlas.
Likewise, the players have been a great support system for the young courtside reporter especially while she’s on the court. She explains, “I can see how supportive the players are! Especially with my reports, some of them really help me with what to say and give me their time when I need help or when I need to interview one of them.”
Additionally, after game time, behind the scenes are her supportive friends and family as well. Perlas affirms, “Every game, my family watches to support me and help me memorize my reports, while my friends always watch the games at home and take videos of my reports!”
Looking ahead
In the beginning, Perlas knew that creating reports on the spot was going to be a challenge for her. Although, this didn’t hinder her from wanting to do her best as DLSU’s courtside reporter.
Another challenge for courtside reporters would be figuring out what to say to true basketball fans and to just casual La Salle fans. Perlas explains, “Like what my fellow CSRs and I learned before, we must always speak generally especially because we are not just talking to Lasallians alone, but even to students from different schools. We need everyone to understand our reports as much as possible.”
“I’ll be on the sidelines so I thought that was a good opportunity for me also to also continue learning how to host. Also, hopefully, if I get to flourish in this path, I can develop my skills in hosting and use it for different careers,” Perlas enthusiastically says as she discerns her future career path.
One of the biggest challenges of being a CSR is being able to live up to the standard of the fans, of the school, and the community. Each and every CSR has left their mark in the history of UAAP, and when Perlas was asked about what kind of legacy she wants the Lasallian community to remember her for, she says, “Definitely, being, if not the youngest, one of the youngest courtside reporters of the De La Salle University.”
