After finishing third and fourth in the UAAP Season 86 Men’s and Women’s Fencing Tournament, respectively, the DLSU Green and Lady Fencers return reinvigorated, eager to take the next step in their UAAP Season 87 Fencing Tournament championship campaign.
The new season brings a fresh set of challenges, new faces, and vital refinements for the Taft-based squads as they look to capitalize on their experiences from the preseason as well as the previous UAAP outing in hopes of strong finishes in Season 87.
Reflections and refinements
After missing out on a podium finish last season, the Lady Fencers used the lengthy offseason as a time for reflection, with each member focusing on their shortcomings and identifying rooms for improvement.
Lady Fencers Team Captain Krupskaya Ednilag (III-MKT) shared that she worked on maintaining her composure and overcoming self-doubt, “Ang problema ko ay natatakot ako, kinakabahan ako, and nagwo-worry ako agad na baka matalo ako [kahit] hindi pa ako nagse-set on the piste. So ang [pina-]practice ko is ‘yung pagiging matapang and pag-execute ng action ng 100 percent”. Her teammates have done the same practice to fortify their skills as a team.
(My problem is that I would get scared and nervous even before I set foot on the piste as I would worry that I might lose. So what I practice now is to be more brave and execute actions with 100 percent.)
This goal was also echoed on the men’s side. As Green Fencers Team Captain Edan Ensamtan (III, POM-LGL) noted, “Essentially, ‘yung ginagawa lang namin is [to undergo training and] if nagkulang man kami, pwedeng something [about your] mental state, specifically composure and mental fortitude.” Ensamtan also expressed that the flaws and weaknesses they face are solved through continuous training as this was their primary focus in preparation for Season 87.
(Essentially, what we do is that we just train and if ever there were issues, this could be more about your mental state, specifically composure and mental fortitude.)
Ednilag noted that the team also gained more support from the Office of Sports Development (OSD), who facilitated their growth by providing physical therapy and sports psychology services. “For example, may sports psychologist kami kung saan nalalapitan namin si Ms. Daye [Espina] kung may problems kami and mayro’n rin kaming physical therapist na pwede naming lapitan… And sa supplies naman namin, nagpu-provide sila every season. Ang kulang na lang is kami, na mag-perform kami,” she shared.
(For example, we have a sports psychologist wherein we can approach Ms. Daye Espina whenever we have problems and we also have a physical therapist. As for our supplies, they provide the things we need every season. All that’s left is for us to perform.)
Building bonds
The arrival of new recruits has brought promise and excitement to both squads. However, integrating the new blood into an evolving system comes with its challenges.
Alongside building chemistry, the Lady Fencers have faced hurdles in maintaining the team’s solidarity and determination throughout a lengthy offseason. The issue was approached in different ways. “What we did as a team was to conduct a team session with our sports psychologist sa OSD, [where] everyone can shell out their own conflicts and aspirations with regards to the team,” explained Ednilag.
(What we did as a team was to conduct a team session with our sports psychologist at OSD, where everyone can shell out their own conflicts and aspirations with regards to the team.”
Another goal of the third-year Lady Fencer was to foster individual efforts in strengthening the team, saying in Filipino, “What I did was it’s like we made an agreement with each other to be more diligent, try not to be lazy, try to arrive early at the training area—to show that we want to learn.”
Ensamtan and Ednilag have also organized social gatherings to encourage communication, including a buddy system that pairs seniors with rookies, which Ensamtam describes as the “pinakamalaking step [toward] improving the bond between rookies.”
(The biggest step toward improving the bond between the rookies.)
Long way to go
As part of their preseason preparations, the Green Fencers made waves in multiple competitions, winning multiple awards and boosting their ranking during their outings in Hampton’s Winter Cup 2024, Senior Fencing Championship, St. Ignatius Cup, and other Philippine Fencing Association-sanctioned events.
Apart from improving their chances of securing a spot on the national team, these events also help them see their strengths and weaknesses. “Yung competitions like this serve as a benchmark for our skill level and wake-up call na rin [na] ito ‘yung kailangan mong i-[train],” says Ednilag.
(Competitions like this serve as a benchmark for our skill level and it’s also a wake-up call for us that these are the things that you need to train for.)
Facing opponents from other UAAP schools in these external events has also helped the team study their future competition, giving them an edge heading into the season. “Nakikita [r]in namin ‘yung same people sa external competitions, so pwedeng natalo kami this time, makaka-adjust kami lalo na sa upcoming UAAP [season],” Ensamtam elaborated. “Alam na namin gagawin sa next time na we face them.”
(We also see the same people during external competitions, there might be an instance where we lose against them, and we would be able to adjust especially during the upcoming UAAP season, we already know what to do the next time we face them.)
Next one up
As a team with a solid number of rookies, Ednilag highlighted Fiona Sigua from the Foil Team who won a novice competition last December after just months of training. “Consistent ‘yung attendance niya [during training], nakikita ko [na] gumaganda ‘yung footwork niya, nakikita mo talaga ‘yung improvement throughout the months. Lumabas ‘yung training niya sa competition kung saan nanalo siya [ng] gold.” Krupskaya shares.
(Their attendance during training is consistent, and I could see that their footwork is improving too. You could see the improvement throughout the months. Their training for the competition was evident when they won the gold.)
On the side of the men’s team, Ensamtan mentioned Klyde Pabalan as one of the players to watch out for, spotlighting his unique style of play in comparison to the rest of the Green Fencers, “Yung [style of] play niya kasi more on breaking the fencing time nung kalaban. Para siyang ‘wild card,’ in a more general sense. ‘Yung team kasi namin consists of very standard players, sumusunod kami sa proper. Siya, wild, kaya we look forward to having him [on] our team.”
(His style of play is more on breaking the fencing time of the opponent, like a wild card in a general sense. Our team consists of very standard players and we follow the proper way of doing Fencing. He can be wild, so we’re looking forward to having him on our team.)
The Green and Lady Fencers possess the ability to achieve outstanding results in the upcoming season. While their hard work and competition will drive them forward, their mental resilience and ability to stay focused under pressure will dictate their success. With the presence of the right pieces and building upon their newfound learnings and momentum from the preseason, they are poised for success.
This article was published in The LaSallian‘s March 2025 issue. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSMarch2025.
