Geva de Vera played a pivotal role in lifting Ateneo de Manila University, securing two UAAP Women’s Badminton championships after years of being “almost there” before her departure from the squad.
After graduating from Ateneo, she stepped away from competitive badminton and shifted her focus to helping develop young athletes through her family’s Whackers Badminton Academy.
This year, the two-time UAAP champion and MVP received a call from former teammate Theodore Co, now managing University of the Philippines’s teams, offering her a coaching role at the collegiate level.
Embracing the opportunity, De Vera accepted the challenge.
Fittingly, her coaching journey begins where her playing career flourished—back in the UAAP.
“UAAP is a totally different scene,” De Vera said. “And I’m just so happy to have the opportunity to coach at the collegiate level. Especially this year, I didn’t expect we’ll return here at the Rizal Memorial. I had so many memories here. I started with my rookie year here and we eventually won a championship — the first of the ongoing streak. We ignited the thirst for victory that the Ateneo team is continuing up to now.
“I’m just so proud to be able to coach and do it here at the Rizal Memorial.”
De Vera expressed pride in coaching at a venue that holds so much significance for her, as it was where her career was shaped from her time with the junior and senior national teams.
Yet, she noted that her time with the Blue Eagles contributed the most to her development as both a player and person.
“I will never forget my rookie year. I felt it was me against the world because I was the only national team member in the Ateneo women’s team and, during that time, UP was the top contender, which is ironic because I’m now coaching UP. I remember my struggle during that time to reach the top because we needed to beat UP three times. You can just imagine our hardship during that Finals run,” De Vera recalled.
“I also remember I had a photo, I think it is from Tiebreaker. I was just crying hard and sitting on the ground. A week before that UAAP season, I had cramps and I hit the limit of my fatigue level, which resulted in pain in my legs. I got very sick, I had LBM, and I was vomiting. So imagine what I had to do to be able to play until the Finals.”
That story of struggle and triumph is one De Vera now shares with every child or young athlete she coaches, emphasizing that hardship is an opportunity for growth.
“All those failures — you sometimes think it is the end for you. I just always thought of being a better person, looking toward development, and looking towards growth; not losing that fighting spirit, so you won’t let your guard down,” the pride of Laguna shared.
Reflecting on her time as a student-athlete, she added, “Of course, you are a UAAP athlete — it is about balancing your studies, your life, your relationships with people. And now when I look at it as a coach to these younger athletes, I want them to learn the same. My college kids, my club kids, I tell them that it is all about managing, but at the same time, looking toward your growth.”
De Vera left her athletes with a powerful message:
“It is really hard to pinpoint what you want but give yourself a moment of gratitude for everything that you have been through. But with the right guidance, with the right mindset of development, you will get that trophy eventually.”
