Sagay’s international softball champions thrive on ‘bayanihan’

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Sagay City may be known for its world-renowned 32,000-hectare marine reserve, but it’s recently getting popular for one more thing: softball. 

The city’s 14-under (U14) and 12-under (U12) softball girls’ teams captured the Pony League World Series in both age groups last July in the US, just two years after its 16-under team also bagged a title in the tournament. 

“What a journey for our daughter,” said Wilmett Cosi, mother of 11-year-old Savannah Beatrix, the pitcher and right fielder of the U12 team.

The Sagay U12 girls’ team pulled off a historic feat, completing an unbeaten run to capture the crown after toppling the Red Lands of USA in their championship match in Hemet, California.

With the win, Sagay made it a double victory as its U14 girls’ team also ruled the same tournament just 13 days earlier, stunning RXII Kino Team of Mexico in the finals in McAllen, Texas.

“We’re beyond inspired,” said Sagay Mayor Leo Rafael “Bebo” Cueva.

Sagay welcomed home its two softball teams with a grand hero’s welcome on August 11, highlighted by a city-wide parade and a recognition program.

Cueva said he’s proud the young girls put Sagay in the world map again, adding to the city’s international accolades for its sustainable marine protection, biodiversity conservation, and coastal management programs of its vast marine sanctuary. 

Team effort

Sagay’s international softball success didn’t come easy. 

When Negros Occidental 2nd District Representative Alfredo “Thirdy” Maran̈on III met seasoned softball coach Rey Fuentes by chance a few years back, they talked about forming a softball girls team.

They assembled a U16 girls team, which impressively topped the 2024 Pony League World Series in Texas after just one year of rigorous training.

This challenged the Sagay local government to step up, prompting officials to help form the U14 and U12 teams to ensure the continuity of the softball program. 

Cueva related that it was, however, too costly to maintain the three age-group teams.

But the Sagaynons here and abroad refused to give up on their promising softball squads, thus, a bayanihan (community spirit) was born.

Fuentes agreed to coach pro bono, the local government also found ways to cover the dormitory and food of the players and salaries of the assistant coaches.

The Sagaynons in the US and the Filipino-American Association of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas also helped cover the teams’ expenses during competition, including their airfare, accommodations, and meals. 

Softball capital

The city’s Schools Division Superintendent Dannie Clark Uguil told Rappler that Sagay National High School (SNHS), where the players study, applied for a Special Program in Sports and it got approved by the Department of Education last year.

This allowed the girls to spend two hours of training daily as part of their daily classes, Uguil said.

But Fuentes shared that the young girls have always been dedicated, training even beyond the allotted hours. 

Aside from the practice time during class hours, the girls start their day with morning exercises from 4 am to 7 am. Then after school, they also attend a 5 pm to 8 pm training.

Even on Saturdays, the softball teams spend the whole day training. 

The teams’ success encouraged more students to join the program despite the tough training, according to SNHS school principal Jerson Donasco.

Cosi’s daughter, Savannah, also shared that traveling to compete felt like an incentive itself.

“I just saw America on TV before. Since I was a little girl, it’s really my dream to go there. Now, I cannot imagine that at age 11,  my dream has been fulfilled,” Savannah told Rappler during their homecoming celebration, where each player also received a P10,000 cash reward from the local government.

But Uguil said both the parents and young students should be ready for the demands of training. 

“First thing first to be considered is the willingness of both students and their parents,” said Uguil. 

Aside from  the girls’ teams, Sagay also plans to form a U12 boys’ team as the city hopes to earn the title “Softball Capital of the Philippines.”

With the Sagaynons’ bayanihan spirit, it may just be achievable. – Rappler.com