Beyond volleyball, beauty pageants: Padda celebrates women empowerment

Beatrice Go

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Beyond volleyball, beauty pageants: Padda celebrates women empowerment

Rappler

Padda is proud to be in the time where volleyball is empowering women in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines – In her visit to the Rappler office last Thursday, March 22, Adamson head coach Airess Padda was ecstatic to talk about something she advocated so much for a long time: women empowerment. 

Coming to the Philippines from Stockton, California in Season 79, Padda was prepared to be the only woman head coach in UAAP Volleyball with a mission to lift the Adamson Lady Falcons from the bottom of the standings. 

Even if it already sounds inspiring to many to have a woman leader coaching a women’s volleyball team, Padda had to still struggle through the patriarchal culture of Philippine sports.

The American admitted that she was not privileged to that respect the players give male coaches. It took her a year and a half to earn the trust and respect from her players because she was a woman. 

“I don’t think females are looked at as being strong, and when you’re in a country where the coaches are predominantly men, you get the idea that I felt that they weren’t going to listen to me because I was a woman,” said Padda. 

“I think the road for me has been harder because nothing was given to me. Everything I had to earn. I’m young, I’m foreign, and I’m a female, and I think that in this country, it makes the road much harder.” 

After earning that respect, Padda led the Adamson Lady Falcons to their 5th win in Season 80 from their lone victory against the University of the East in Season 79. 

Women’s Volleyball in the PH

Padda’s first encounter with Philippine women’s volleyball was in 2014, when she held a women’s volleyball clinic for the Titan Rising Stars event. 

In just 3 days, the head coach noticed differences between the upbringing of female athletes in the US compared to the Philippines. 

With the popularity of volleyball rising just a few years back, the grassroots program of the sport is almost “non-existent” according to Padda and the athletes are not taught to have a competitive mindset at a young age. 

“So when you’re getting these athletes and you’re introducing them to volleyball, they are already 13 or 14 years old compared to the States, you can start playing as early as 5. By 10, you have all the skills and the basics,” said Padda.

“Not only that, you have a mindset that has already been in planted in you to be strong. When you get to [a high level], that is super important. What separates the good from great is having that mindset.” 

In the 2014 clinic, Padda still felt that she made an impact on the younger age groups. The little girls had “stars in their eyes” after seeing an improvement in the performances. Some of the participants are already pursuing volleyball in their college freshman year. 

“I don’t know if it has to do with me as a woman, but as a coach paying attention to them, and giving them direction, [them] saying ‘naniniwala ako sayo’ (I believe in you), it is like they had stars in their eyes and I think that they were inspired,” said Padda. 

Despite lacking a grassroots program for volleyball, the California-native is glad that there are many opportunities laid out for volleyball players who want to go pro or semi-pro. For her, this is what helps empower women in the sport, giving them a future in volleyball. 

“I‘m just so happy that volleyball just doesn’t stop with UAAP. I am happy that there’s PSL and PVL,  we get the opportunity to have imports come in and my girls they look up to those imports like super women because they are foreign, they are stronger, they are taller, they are more athletic, and it just raises the level of the local play.” 

Padda recalled that back in her neighborhood in California, there were only a few options for women in sports. With the rise of volleyball in the Philippines, young girls can admire players such as Alyssa Valdez on TV and eventuallly aspire to be like her. 

“I mean, it’s so empowering for a little girl to have [volleyball] inspire her at 5 years old. That’s the future, it’s the future for women here. Those are the girls who are going to run the country one day. Those women pave the way for other young girls, and to be able to be a part of it is just makes me feel so proud. I’m so happy.”

(RAPPLER EXCLUSIVE: Air Padda shows off ‘ball is life’ tattoo

Inspiration

Before switching to volleyball, Padda played basketball in her high school. This was the time where she met Cynthia Phipps, who has inspired her to pursue what she loves doing now. 

Padda recalled that Phipps is the first real example of a “badass superwoman” in her life, with her tough coaching that immediately made impact in the school’s basketball program. Padda dreams of emulating her style of coaching that will produce the same effect she experienced.

Amidst the challenging training sessions, she and her basketball teammates were still drawn to Phipps who always made herself available for the girls whenever they had problems. More importantly, Phipps taught them how to be strong despite being a woman. 

“She always [lets] us know how powerful we are and how strong we are, and never let anyone disrespect you on and off the court. You have a responsibility to your team to yourself.” 

It was also in high school where Padda decided to pursue volleyball instead of basketball. Even at that moment, Phipps understood her and gave her blessing to Padda. 

“When it came time to choose between basketball or volleyball, she never made me feel bad about not choosing basketball. She was happy for me. She was just like an ‘ate‘ (older sister) coach for me, and i see a lot of her in myself now.” 

What struck Padda the most was that Phipps was not ashamed of being a lesbian. During the time Padda was in high school, lesbians were judged for their sexuality which led to many cowering behind a closet. The Adamson Lady Falcons head coach continues to look back at it and admire the bravery of Phipps. 

“She was a teacher, an athletic director and a high school coach. She didn’t care on what anyone had to say about her, and that’s really brave for somebody to do, so she inspired me so much. I guess it’s part of the reason why I’m here doing what I’m doing today.” 

Different perspective on beauty pageants

Before pursuing a coaching career in volleyball, Padda was a professional model and actress. She admitted to Rappler that she grew tired of it and found volleyball to be her “vehicle” of empowering women instead. 

In her first year of coaching for the Lady Falcons, Padda questioned the reasons behind the popularity of beauty pageants in the Philippines. 

“I was so biased, I was like how can people look up to beauty queens? I am being honest, they don’t do anything, all they do is they look pretty, and make other girls feel like they have to look like them and they don’t and I don’t think it’s fair,” said Padda. 

It was only until her own assistant coach Michele Gumabao joined the recently concluded Binibining Pilipinas pageant and eventually won Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2018

With the knowledge that Gumabao is a pro volleyball player with Creamline,  a 3-time UAAP champion with De La Salle University, and a two-time UAAP best blocker, Padda realized that beauty queens have their own story of hard work to tell – whether it be in sports or any other field. It totally changed her mind about pageantry. 

“It made total sense to me why a little girl will look up to somebody like [Michele Gumabao] because of her journey. A lot of these beauty queens, they just don’t grow up as beauty queens. Pageantry out here is a sport, and it is taken very seriously.” 

“She can probably teach me a thing or two now,” joked Padda about Gumabao’s pageant success. – Rappler.com

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Beatrice Go

More commonly known as Bee, Beatrice Go is a multimedia sports reporter for Rappler, who covers Philippine sports governance, national teams, football, and the UAAP. Stay tuned for her news and features on Philippine sports and videos like the Rappler Athlete’s Corner and Rappler Sports Timeout.