Echelon, Blusoar forge pathway for Filipino student-athletes

MANILA, Philippines — Echelon Volleyball, a Philippine club volleyball circuit and athlete development platform, on Sunday announced a partnership with Blusoar Education, naming Blusoar as Echelon’s official education and international pathway partner for volleyball in the Philippines.

The partnership will connect qualified Echelon athletes and their families with Blusoar’s private-school placement services in North America, providing a structured pathway for student-athletes interested in pursuing academic and volleyball opportunities abroad.

For qualified students, the pathway may also support longer-term opportunities with NCAA, NAIA and other collegiate programs, subject to their athletic development, eligibility and admission.

As part of the partnership’s broader roadmap, Echelon and Blusoar plan to develop co-branded athlete identification showcases that will draw on Echelon’s positional rankings and club network to help identify student-athletes who may be suited for the pathway. Details of any showcases will be agreed upon separately by the parties.

The pathway will be introduced to families for the first time at Echelon’s upcoming Stop 2 circuit event, scheduled for October 23, at the Valor Performance Institute in Pasig. Blusoar will share initial program information as part of Echelon’s ongoing circuit calendar.

“We’re not interested in running events simply for the sake of running more events. We want every part of Echelon to create a meaningful next step for athletes and their families,” said Brian Dacanay, CEO and co-founder of Echelon Volleyball. “Blusoar gives qualified student-athletes a credible way to explore education and volleyball opportunities abroad, while bringing those experiences and standards back into the Philippine volleyball community.”

“Not every student-athlete needs the same pathway, and not every family will be the right fit for private boarding school,” said Jason Benadretti, Director of Blusoar Education. “Our role is to assess each situation honestly and, for those who qualify, guide them through finding the right academic and athletic environment. Echelon gives us a strong way to reach serious volleyball families across the Philippines and introduce them to opportunities they may not otherwise know how to access.” (Contributed story)