In their weekly meeting with fellow school representatives, NCAA management committee chairman Fr. Vic Calvo reminded each other to follow government health protocols, particularly the ‘no training’ policy during the pandemic.
Calvo said Tuesday that they are cautious of this directive since the country issued a lockdown because of the coronavirus outbreak, and since March, the NCAA has been following these guidelines.
“We’ve been meeting regularly, every week actually since the start of season 96,” Calvo, who represents Season 96 host Letran College, told Manila Bulletin in a phone interview.
“We believe that the association has a responsibility of policing its ranks and that includes reminding its members of the IATF, Commission on Higher Education and Department of Education guidelines.”
Calvo’s reaction came in response to the alleged ‘bubble’ training conducted by University of Santo Tomas in Sorsogon, now under investigation by the UAAP and the IATF.
Calvo said the NCAA management committee, as approved by the Policy Board, would only allow teams to start physical practice sessions when the government agrees to have face-to-face classes.
Without that, the only allowed training is via online.
“We are promoting online training,” said Calvo, adding that online videos of different team practice sessions are being shared to all 10 member schools.
“We are collating through online training and activities of our student-athletes, to be posted online on the NCAA page. It will also help non-NCAA athletes, especially from the provinces, to learn from the NCAA training.”
Arellano University’s Peter Cayco, MANCOM head last year, said these videos submitted by teams are voluntary and not a policy of the NCAA. He said all teams heeded the suggestion.
More important for the league is the orders given by the government, which disallows ‘physical’ training of amateur athletes.
“Of course we adhere to the guidelines imposed by the government,” said Cayco. “That’s all we’re doing right now – online – with the teams from every sports of each school.”