THE Cebu City Sports Commission has asked Sen. Pia Cayetano to require student-athletes to volunteer their services for grassroots training.
In its weekly meeting last week, CCSC came up with a position paper that was submitted to Cayetano’s office, as an additional input for Senate Bill 2166, which is also known as “An Act Providing Magna Carta for Students-Athletes.”
This bill, if approved, will take away restrictions in eligibility requirements, especially to high school players, who are going to play in another school.
Cayetano’s move stemmed from the controversial residency ruled applied by the UAAP last year that requires high school players to sit out for two years if they will play for another school.
This rule was believed to be written to bar Cebuano point guard Marlon Jerei Pingoy from playing directly with the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles after winning two MVP and a high school championship title with the Far Eastern University Cobras.
Excess
Aside from “liberating” athletes, the bill will also put players piracy to a stop as Cayetano found the root of this practice to the “excessive” scholarship benefits offered by a school to the players.
Last April 7, Cayetano conducted a consultation with the stakeholders in Cebu for its inputs on her proposed bill.
“(The) Sports Com also submitted our position paper to Sen. Pia (Cayetano) for her inputs to the Magna Carta for Student-Athletes. Our position is that student athletes will be required to volunteer their services 40-hours a year to grassroots training.
And schools are mandated to oversee and organize (free) grassroots summer program,” CCSC chairman Edward Hayco told Sun.Star Cebu.
Trend
CCSC is putting premium on student athletes’ volunteerism, which has been the trend when Hayco took over the helm of the commission.
On Monday, CCSC will start its summer grassroots development program by offering free sports clinics for 15 disciplines to the barangays.
This would be CCSC’s fifth year in holding this program, but Hayco’s 16th year since he organized baranggay-based workshops for dancesports.
