THE wave of disbandments and leaves of absence sweeping through Philippine volleyball could have easily discouraged her.
Instead, it gave Savouge founder and head coach Sydney Calderon a reason to act.
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Two years after launching the Savouge Spin Doctors, Calderon is expanding her volleyball family with the Clearskiiin UV Smashers, giving players who suddenly find themselves without a team another place to chase their sporting dreams.
The move comes at a time when the men's volleyball scene has been rocked by teams stepping away from competition, either through disbandments or leaves of absence.
Rather than watch players lose opportunities along with those teams, Calderon saw an opening to provide another one.
“The Clearskiiin UV Smashers started with a very simple but meaningful reason,” she said.
“We wanted to create an opportunity for players who suddenly found themselves without a team. So, a place where they can continue doing what they love, continue competing, and at the same time have a job and source of income through volleyball. So, para sa akin, sayang ang talent kapag mawawalan ng opportunity.”
The decision was also born from what Calderon had seen firsthand at Savouge.
In five conferences over the past two years, the Spin Doctors have already built a respectable resumé, finishing with two bronze medals and a silver.
“Maraming magagaling na players ang gusto pang maglaro, pero minsan, nawawalan talaga sila ng team. Or pagkakataon para may pagpatuloy nila ito.”
“We decided to build this team to give them another opportunity, another platform, and another chance to prove themselves.”
But as the roster and Calderon's growing family of players continued to expand, so did the number of athletes looking for meaningful opportunities.
A second team, then, became more than an expansion. It became another avenue to give more players a chance to stay in the game while providing a stable source of income through their sport, even as other teams disappear from the landscape.
Making that vision happen, however, required Calderon to add another responsibility to an already busy schedule. The owner of a beauty and skincare brand is now juggling her entrepreneurial ventures while overseeing two Spikers' Turf teams.
She was nonetheless eager to push the idea forward, repeatedly sitting down with league management to turn the prospect of a Savouge sister team into reality.
That persistence eventually produced the Clearskiiin UV Smashers, who will make their debut in the Spikers' Turf's 10th anniversary season.
And Calderon does not want the new club to simply fill a spot in the league.
With Filipino-American head coach Joe Bangit at the helm, Clearskiiin is setting its sights beyond participation, hoping to establish itself as a legitimate contender and bring its championship ambitions to life sooner rather than later.
The timing may have made the decision more challenging, but it also made Calderon's vision more urgent.
As teams disappear and players are left searching for their next opportunity, Clearskiiin wants to make sure there is still another door open.
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