San Sebastian Stags
| San Sebastian Golden Stags | |
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| San Sebastian College – Recoletos | |
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| League | NCAA |
| Joined | 1969 |
| Location | C. M. Recto Ave., Manila |
| Team colors | Red and Gold |
| Women's team | Lady Stags |
| Juniors' team | Golden Staglets |
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Seniors' general championships
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Juniors' general championships
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The San Sebastian Golden Stags (also known as SSC-R Stags) are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines) basketball team of the San Sebastian College – Recoletos. Their 5 consecutive NCAA seniors basketball championships is the longest streak in the NCAA.
The other senior varsity teams may also be referred to as the Stags. The juniors team are the San Sebastian Staglets, while the women's team are the San Sebastian Lady Stags.
The Recollect fathers chose a stag for it symbolizes a Christian who, filled with moral ideas, runs fast to God swiftly yet quietly in pursuit of his goals.
The use of the stag as SSC-R symbol started when SSC-R, originally an exclusive school for boys, joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association. In religion, the stag is a symbol of moral ideals. It was used by the early Christians as an emblem of Christ and as a figure of the apostles. It became the symbol of administration of baptism because of its capacity to carry heavy load or object. It was also used as the symbol of the catechumen who aspired for martyrdom.
Some of the Holy Fathers presented the Stags as model of what a Christian should do when a pagan threatens him. That is to run away fast to God. A fitting comparison because aside from swiftness coupled with quietness in the pursuit of goals, the stags is gifted with speed and nimbleness to evade dangers. Like a stag, a Christian should be quick to avoid the practice and agencies when they become moral threats. In the same manner, without the hunter knowing it, the stag would lead the hunter out of the jungle into a cleared area. A Christian should do no less. Even as he evades the temptations of the consumeristic and materialistic establishments, he should guide the owners and consumers out of the jungle of sin to the cleared area of salvation.
Literally, it means, “brave” a word taken from “bravura” which means “courage”. But courage does no mean being the “siga-siga” type who does not run away from a fight. It means evading or running away from dangers of his soul. A coward runs away with a trembling heart and a broken spirit. A courageous man runs away with a firm heart, a strong faith and triumphant soul, and we salute this type of man.
The colors Red and Gold were adopted as to identify San Sebastian College during the National College Athletic Association. Red symbolizes sacrifice, martyrdom, bravery and baptism. The element of Gold represented by its shimmering color, on the other hand, stands for endurance and the perennial quest for high standards – inner strength in the quest for excellence – symbolic of the loyal dignity of a true Christian. Thus, the Sebastinian renders sacrifices and, in a way, martyrdom, for he submits himself to the pains of rigorous training and discipline in his quest for glory. This entails bravery not only in fighting for victory but in accepting defeat graciously as well; and endurance to be able to withstand pain.
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