"Actually, very mixed ang emotions ko dahil sa enormity ng trabaho. There are over 700 student-athletes sa Diliman pa lang and ang intensyon ko talaga is to get to know each of them para matutunan natin how to move forward 'di lang para sa kanila kundi para rin sa future student-athletes," he said, after his appointment was formalized on Wednesday.
For four years prior, the 52-year-old called the shots himself for UP, amassing a 28-28 record on the sidelines, all the while leading the Fighting Maroons out of their so-called dark days -- when they only won 13 times from 2008 to 2015 -- and into legitimate contention. Now, Perasol stands as first-ever athletic director for all eight campuses of the UP system, overseeing each and every sport and event the Fighting Maroons compete in.
Now the team captain of all UP sports, Perasol hopes to help the current crop of Iskolar-Atleta ng Bayan become the best versions of themselves. And that means, first and foremost, unifying alumni backing and then finding ways to make sure the Fighting Maroons will be competitive on- and off-court. As Perasol looks forward to taking on another uphill climb, he can rest assured that he has already gotten over the hump before -- and in doing so, paved the path for many more to do so as well.