Tete-a-tete with ITH’s big boss

 By Myke Miravite, Ignite Academic Training

Albelda: It is my desire talaga na 

ma-upgrade ang level ng sports journalism

in the Philippines. 

Gathering 500 campus sports journalists and around 300 school paper advisers from all over the country is a big, big task never been accomplished before.

But nothing could stop Ignite Academic Training director Josiah Albelda from achieving his dreams.

Albelda and his IAT, together with school supplies big name Adventurer, major dailies People’s Journal, The Manila Standard, and Business Mirror, in cooperation of Fullcourtfresh.com, Active White, JCSGO, and DZSR Sports Radio, will be organizing the biggest sports writing event in the country: Adventurer In The Huddle-2010 National Sports Writing Congress. Hundreds of sports scribes and publications advisers from elementary, secondary and tertiary levels are expected to attend the occasion happening this November 8, 10, and 12 at the JCSGO Seed Dome in Cubao, Quezon City.

As a campus sports writer during his high school days himself, the 22-year-old Albelda is seeing a brighter future for one of the most ignored aspect of journalism, sports writing. Drawing together sports writers from all over the country, and honing in them the love of the craft has been his long-time dream since accepting the job of being a school paper adviser and sports writing trainor in various schools across the region.

“It is my desire talaga na ma-upgrade ang level ng sports journalism in the Philippines. Being a campus journalist myself, alam ko kung gaano kahirap para sa school paper advisers ang sports writing kasi hindi siya nabibigyan masyado ng attention,” he said.

Now on its second edition, Adventurer In The Huddle is guaranteeing our young writers only the best Campus Journalism and Philippine Media can offer. Journal editor Bong Pedralvez takes the helm as ITH head trainor. Inquirer’s Francis Ochoa, Business Mirror columnist and University of the Philippines sports writing professor Tessa Jazmines, ABS-CBN’s TJ Manotoc, and Rafe Bartholomew, Harper’s Magazine-New York writer and Pacific Rims author are just some of our instructors who will be mentoring and guiding our aspiring writers throughout the weeklong congress.

“It’s not everyday that you will see the Philippines’ best sports media personalities under one roof. Getting the chance to learn from them is our main goal in ITH. Of course, nandun rin ang contests, freebies, and fun for everyone,” he added.

Albelda, school paper adviser of Ignite which was proclaimed the best high school publication in last February’s NSPC in Tagum, quipped that he is looking forward to see sports writers from all over the Philippines gathered to learn from the experts. “I feel really blessed because I get the chance to arrange an event like this and to share our knowledge not only to students here in Metro Manila, but also to our far-flung neighbors throughout Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.”

As a writer for Yahoo! Southeast Asia and a contributor to Inquirer Libre, he also shared the best things about working in his chosen field. “The best thing in sports writing is you get paid to do what you love; you meet and mingle with sports personalities, you get to watch games that fans would die for, and best of all, you get the chance to share your story to your readers.”

Competitions for school and university publications, as well as participating students and school paper advisers, will also spice up the event. A total prize pot of P100,000 in cash and in kind will be offered to the best delegates of the ground-breaking sports journalism activity.

Adventurer In The Huddle 2010 will also feature Solar Sports’ Patricia Bermudez-Hizon, Business Mirror sports writer and Ateneo de Manila University instructor Rick Olivarez, Manila Bulletin Sports Digest Magazine’s Tina Maralit, Manila Bulletin’s Jonas Terrado, In The Zone and DraftChrisTiu blogger Edison Ching, QC Science High School’s Rex San Diego, Fullcourtfresh’s Jenner Ong, and Albelda as trainors in the three-day event. A pair of sports stars of the past and the future will be featured as PBA legend Allan Caidic and UAAP 2010 MVP Ryan Roose Garcia grace the event.


In its first edition last year, ITH has been instrumental to a number of QC sports journalists in their winning in the Division, Regional, and National-level contests as well as to their school publications' bagging of string of awards from the RSSPC, the Metro-Manila-wide Teodoro Valencia Search, and the prestigious National Schools Press Conference.

When asked about how ITH will ensure that participants get nothing but only the best, Albelda—with a big smile on his face and a big vision for the event—just said “Come and they will see.”