THE birth of the Bohol Schools Athletic Association is full of memories in the field of sports in the province.
Although there were already two tertiary schools in this province in the latter part of the 1940s until 1962, the sports enthusiasts of these two colleges exhibited almost the same degree of attitude that clearly speaks of unlettered men in the field of sports.
Coaches and assistant coaches in these two colleges were not exceptions to this observation.
To Short Cuts understanding, they were not ‘sport’ enough to observe a basketball game played between their two schools. They seem to entertain the idea that in every game, their team must be the winner.
They forgot the truism that in a sports game, there are only two possible family names of the game.
That of a winner and that of a loser!
As a consequence, the basketball games played between the two colleges during those years ended with a “karambola”.
Therefore, the game had to be stopped.
Thus, no winner was declared on that particular game.
Short Cuts was always a witness to this phenomenon.
However, in 1962, Short Cuts was privileged to join the administration of the newly-established St. James College, now PMI Colleges-Bohol.
It was on this stage of his employment that he tried to view on a wider screen the possible reasons behind the usual scrambled and unfinished games played between the two original colleges in Bohol.
Therefore, Short Cuts suggested to the owners of the St. James College to organize a basketball team.
And with a positive response to the suggestion, Short Cuts initiated a game to be played between the then Rafael Palma College (now University of Bohol) basketball team and that of the St. James College.
With the successful holding of the games – without a “karambola” – Short Cuts diverted his attention to the then Holy Name College basketball team.
`The game materialized and without a “karambola” ALSO.
If Short Cuts’ memory does not fail him, there were three basketball games played between St. James College and Rafael Palma College in a span of three years. Holy Name College had also the same number of encounters with St. James College.
In all these games, no “KARAMBOLA” ever occurred.
And by God’s grace, Short Cuts was able to establish his first college in June, 1981.
Always rekindled by his love of sports, more specifically in basketball games, Short Cuts had to organize his basketball team in 1984.
This basketball team was first named the BIT CRUISERS.
And in the second year of its operation, Short Cuts was not satisfied of his team playing ONLY with the locals – BOHOL basketball teams.
He went to Cebu City and sought an audience with Atty. Augusto Go, the president of the most prestigious athletic association of Region 7 – the defunct CEBU AMATEUR ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (CAAA).
The only purpose for the audience?
To request that the BIT CRUISERS be allowed to play in the CAAA!
Almost all colleges and universities in Cebu City were members of this athletic organization.
It was a very coincidental encounter with Atty. Go on that particular trip. The CAAA Board of Directors had a meeting.
Then and there the request of Short Cuts was approved.
So, in the last Saturday of July of 1984, the two basketball teams (both senior and junior) of Short Cuts’ school left for Cebu City. And, Short Cuts’ family led the group for the Opening Program of the athletic organization.
And after the Opening Program at the University of San Carlos Gymnasium, and while the first game was about to start, team officials and school heads were told to gather at the ground floor of the gymnasium.
Short Cuts had to abide by the announcement.
It was at this particular moment that WONDERS of all WONDERS crept into the mind of Short Cuts.
Why?
All school heads and team officials of the different member schools of the organization were engaged in a free-wheeling and no-holds barred conversation.
The gathering was more of a long-lost friends encounter!
Their being protagonists in the athletic organization was nothing to them.
With that picture, Short Cuts was speechless but was filled with remarkable breaks in his mind.
So that he had to silently ask himself, “CAN THIS HAPPEN in my own home province?“
Days, week, and months after that incident, Short Cuts had to shout to himself:” IF CEBU SCHOOL HEADS and TEAM OFFICIALS exhibited these traits, WHY NOT IN BOHOL ALSO?”
And that’s the beginning of the Bohol Schools Athletic Association (BSAA).
This athletic aggrupation was organized to erase the ‘KARAMBOLA’ system of playing basketball games.
With the kind support from the following: Rev. Fr. Francisco T. Estepa, SVD, Rev. Fr. Florante S. Camacho, Rev. Fr. Vicente I. Uy, Dir. Misoro A. Salamera, and Atty. Victorano B. Tirol, Jr., BSAA was born twelve (12) years ago.
Originally membered by only four colleges and universities, the sports organization is already registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
