‘Girl Power’: In male-dominated women’s league, Lerma Giron holds fort
Lerma Giron of the Galeries Tower Highrisers is currently the only female coach in the PVL. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
It is quite ironic that in one of the most powerful platforms for women in sports, the Premier Volleyball League sidelines is teeming with men.
Lerma Giron is the only exception. And she hopes to be a game-changer, too.
As the only female head coach in the All-Filipino Conference, Giron not only guided the Galeries Tower Highrisers to their first playoff appearance but also reshaped the conversation around women in leadership.
READ: PVL: Still long way to go for young Galeries after quarterfinals exit
Galeries Tower, an underdog squad with just one win in 10 games in the preliminary round, pulled off a shocker over third-seeded Cignal in the qualifying round. That victory marked the Highrisers’ first-ever quarterfinals appearance—an achievement Giron calls a “celebration of women’s strength and strategy.”
“Girl power,” Giron said, proudly. “We’ve seen that women can excel in leadership, in tactical decisions, in technical aspects. We go beyond the limits set for us.”
“As a representative of women, it feels great. In this field, it’s mostly men who dominate. I’m really grateful that even though a woman is leading, we’re still able to bring the team up. And of course, I couldn’t do this alone.”
Lerma Giron part of the UST Golden Tigresses coaching staff in the UAAP. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
The Highrisers’ Cinderella run continued as they battled the Akari Chargers, silver medalists of the previous Reinforced Conference, in two grueling five-set quarterfinal matches. Though Galeries couldn’t close out those games, their spirited performance caught people’s attention.
A former head coach at Adamson and current assistant for the UST Tigresses, Giron is only the second woman to lead a PVL team since Regine Diego’s stint with the now-defunct F2 Logistics. Her rise comes amid lingering gender-role stereotypes in coaching, where women’s voices can be overlooked.
READ: Behind UST’s hot start in UAAP volleyball: ‘Fantastic’ coaching staff
“Sometimes it’s hard to be heard,” she shared. “In discussions dominated by men, our input can get lost. That’s one of the challenges.”
Yet Giron has embraced both toughness and empathy in her coaching style—a blend she attributes to years of working with mostly male colleagues. While players often expect a softer touch from a female coach, Giron has learned to bring firm guidance when necessary, always tempered by a motherly concern for her team’s well-being.
Lerma Giron talks to her players during a PVL All-Filipino Conference game. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
“When [players] see a woman in charge, they expect more understanding and compassion. But the teams I’ve been part of before were mostly made up of men. So, in a way, I’ve become tougher on them, but of course, I still bring in that touch of being a woman, a bit motherly,” she said.
“At the end of the day, I still try to understand their struggles. Even if I’m tough on them, I make sure they feel supported.”
Giron credits her coaching staff for sharing the weight of their success, underscoring that leadership doesn’t happen in a vacuum. “I wouldn’t be able to do this without them,” she said.
As Women’s Month coincides with her team’s historic run, Giron hopes to see more women take leadership roles in Philippine volleyball. With mentors like Tina Salak at FEU and Cha Cruz-Behag, Vilet Ponce-De Leon, and others serving as assistants in the PVL, the path is beginning to widen.
“There’s room for more women to shine,” Giron said. “We’re just getting started.”
