(c) Illustration by: Efigenio Baluyot

               UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES CEBU SPORTS CENTER

A proposal for funding to support [UP Cebu Sports Center]

An Initiative by:  [UP CEBU STUDENTS: Alonzo, Agnes; Meneses, Justine; Poonsakulthip, Wjitra; Reyes, Ry, and Seno, Noelle]

 

Problem
             The need to build a sports center is mainly anchored on developing the students’ skills in different sports as well as on the maintenance of their overall health and wellbeing.

              The University of the Philippines Cebu lack a sports facility where several sports and Physical Education activities can be properly held. Some areas of the campus, such as the Arts and Sciences (AS) Conference Hall and the University of the Philippines High School (UPHS) basketball court, are turned into makeshift Physical Education (PE) areas.

               The basketball court near the School of Management and the volleyball court are not maintained, with the latter being used as a parking area. The soccer field lacks the proper dimensions and grass/ground leveling. The PE office, especially during the Intramurals, look for venues outside UP to conduct certain sports or activities. This makes it costly for both the university and its students; it also risks the puts students at risk. Moreover, the university has not established any varsity teams due to the lack of support and quality areas for trainings and matches.


Solution
             Our mission is to provide the University of the Philippines Cebu student body with an area where they can express their creativity through sports, with the ultimate goal of facilitating the maintenance of the students’ physical and mental health.

This project aims to:

1. Build a conducive environment for UP students in developing their athletic abilities. Help in the improvement of the health and fitness of the people that will be able to benefit from it such as the students, faculties, and staff
2. Establish camaraderie among athletes of various sports and improve training quality for winning future sports competition participated by the university teams.
3. Help in the formation of the varsity team of the university and the coordination of sporting events inside the campus
4. Accelerate UP Cebu’s status as an institution with not just academic but athletic/sports excellence while enhancing the university’s team spirit.

 

Project Rationale and Review of Literature

              The importance of building the sports center is based on the need to have quality and proper venues and to encourage UP students and staff to increase their activeness for their overall physical and mental well-being.

             The university cannot hold inter-school sports competitions due to the lack of interested and skilled students. A study by Greenwell, Fink, and Pastore (2002) and an article written by Cannella (1999) for Sports Illustrated revealed that the lack of stadium atmosphere and amenities has been linked to low attendance among athletes and spectators. This implies that the physical environment attributed to playing and watching sports influences the behavior and attitude of athletes and supporters alike.

            The accessibility and the multi-functionality of a sports facility also affects use. In a study by Limstrand and Rehrer (2008) on young people’s use of sports facilities, the findings indicate that the accessibility of sports facilities encourage both boys and girls in playing sports. Building multifunctional or opening and upgrading existing facilities improve the participation of young people in several sports. Also, in the study “Is change in availability of sports facilities associated with change in physical activity?” by Halonen et. al. (2015) it was found that a decrease in availability (by distance and count) of sports facilities is associated with decreased physical activity.

            The university will also be able to support and train varsity teams once the facility is constructed. Having varsity teams not only encourages a united spirit among UP students, it may also be a factor in increasing the number of applicants for admission (Pope and Pope 2009).

              With the establishment of the facility, the students, staff, and other clients will be encouraged to attend and participate in sports events in the campus as well as use it. The increase in the physical activity among students will also aid in the improvement of their physical and mental wellbeing.

 

Personal story

      We are a group of University of the Philippines Cebu students that aim to gain the attention of the University administration to build infrastructures inside the campus that will benefit more than one group of athletes or only one community.

 

 

References

Greenwell, T. C., Fink, J. S., & Pastore, D. L. (2002). Assessing the Influence of the Physical Sports Facility on Customer Satisfaction within the Context of the Service Experience. Sport Management Review, 5(2), 129–148. doi:10.1016/s1441-3523(02)70064-8

Cannella, S. (1999, June 14). Bedeviled in Tampa Bay. Sports Illustrated, 90, 78

Limstrand, T., & Rehrer, N. J. (2008). Young people’s use of sports facilities: A Norwegian study on physical activity. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 36(5), 452–459. doi:10.1177/1403494807088455

Halonen, J. I., Stenholm, S., Kivimäki, M., Pentti, J., Subramanian, S. V., Kawachi, I., & Vahtera, J. (2015). Is change in availability of sports facilities associated with change in physical activity? A prospective cohort study. Preventive medicine, 73, 10-14.

Department of Local Government, Sport, and Cultural Industries (2018). Dimensions Guide. Retrieved from https://www.dsr.wa.gov.au/support-and-advice/facility-management/developing-facilities/dimensions-guide Retrieved on 20 October 2018

Pope, D. G., & Pope, J. C. (2009). The impact of college sports success on the quantity and quality of student applications. Southern Economic Journal, 750-780.