JUNE 2013
THE ART OF SWIMMING GRACEFULLY
How to achieve the perfect backstroke
EAT SMART Fuel up for the
new school year
CRAMPS BEGONE
How to stay away from the pain
POWER LEGS
3 moves to strengthen your legs
BIG HEART Watch how Sacho Ilustre is swimming his way into a glorious season!
Plus: We take you to smashing swim meets in san juan and ateneo de manila grade school grounds
E ditor's Not e You are going to enjoy this issue because it is fully loaded with all sorts of tips and techniques to get you ready for the new school year. First off, we’ve got Harvie de Baron giving us the lowdown on the types of food you should be eating to enable you to do great both in school and in the pool. Next, Coach Chappy Callanta shows us a couple of moves to boost your leg power, and give you even more strength in the pool. Plus, we also uncover the techniques to get you swimming a graceful backstroke and the steps to help you avoid excruciating bouts with cramps. Last but not least, we introduce Sacho Ilustre. When we meet Sacho, he is sitting quietly in a corner. He has this sweet boyish grin that can fool you into thinking that he’s all meek and mild. But he is not! In the pool, he is a powerhouse! And he is swimming his way into a glorious season. Watch out for this guy!
06
CONTENTS Editor in Chief Jing Lejano Design & Layout Mikke Gallardo editorial associate Lexter Alcantara Contributors Thea Alcantara, Mach Frigillana,
Chappy Callanta, Harvie De Baron, Evan Grabador Marketing Monique Morales, Winna Altamira, Precy Santos, Janina Tan Photographer Kai Huang Hair and Make-Up Liza Dosano Acknowledgments:
Planet Sports Inc. • TRAP • PSI
2
Address all correspondence to 893 EDSA, brgy. south triangle, quezon city 1103 Tel: 929-5982 Fax: 929-6322 website: www.swim.ph e-mail: marketing@torqueint.co twitter: @swimmagph facebook: facebook.com/swimphilippines
8
Take care of your child’s nutrition needs for the new school year
3
cramps begone
5
the art of swimming gracefully
Publisher:
Torque Integrated
new school year habits
6
Steer clear of these spasms of pain
In the pool, Sacho Ilustre is passionate and ferocious!
Give your legs a workout
9 In Depth
A look into our growing community
10 Be Seen
Drill and tips to perfect your backstroke
big heart
strength from the ground up
Highlights of the First Plunge, Speedo Novice Swim Carnival, Alaska Ironkids Aquathlon, and Take Your Mark
12 National Q&A
Meet the sport’s future stars
HEALTH • NUTRITION • wellness CALENDAR OF EVENTS 30
JUNE
Alaska Ironkids Aquathlon
JULY 19-21 G League Finals Short Course Nationals
Public Pool Venue
Eating Right to Start School Right
S
Prepare your child for the new academic year by harvie de baron
ummer is almost over and this means a lot of things for students, most especially swimmers. Going back to school means less time for rest, more time for school work. With the change in schedule comes several repercussions including fatigue and sick days, among others. But one of the things that will drastically change, and is often overlooked, is the difference of eating schedules during summer and when school begins. Here are some handy tips to help your child survive the start of the school year.
Rest and Recovery
Since most schools start really early, kids often battle with lack of sleep. It doesn’t help that their days usually end late because they have to go training as well as finish their assignments. School work and training often leave the student-athlete with very little chance to rest and recover. The best way to battle this is to make sure that your child gets extra sleep on weekends and school holidays. Mandate afternoon naps and napping in the car on the way to training. Little naps here and there go a long way in helping the body recover.
Work Smart
Make your child accountable by asking him to make his own homework schedule. Teach him how to plan things ahead of time to make him more responsible. This will also help eliminate cramming and sleepless nights trying to finish school work.
number of problems including a weakened immune system and fatigue. Needless to say, parents need to make sure that their kids are eating the right amount and quality of food. During the summer, when most kids usually stay at home and relax, they have access to food anytime they want. When they are in school, the choices and timing are limited. My advice: Make sure your child has healthy, easy-to-eat snacks in his lunch bag. Choices like an apple, pear, or banana are always good. You can even make sandwiches with banana and honey in it. Take it one step further and prepare his lunch to take to school. Another thing that is highly overlooked is the aftertraining meal. This is a must for every swimmer. Even if your child complains of being too tired to eat, make sure he eats. Remember that your child’s body is most receptive to recovery immediately after a training session. Also note that the body takes a beating during training and the immune system is quite low because of the exertion of effort. A huge mistake would be to feed him fast food and junk food just to fill his hungry stomach. Yes, he will feel full but the quality of food he takes in after a training session will affect his health and recovery. To sum it all up, make sure your child doesn’t get overly tired and stressed at the start of the school year. Give him the right amount and quality of food to keep him healthy and strong at any time of the year.
Eat Well
I often hear parents say, “I don’t mind if my child gets fat during the summer break, he will lose weight when school starts anyway.” Although this is true, you would have to ask yourself why your child loses weight quite fast once school starts. Weight loss at this period is usually a sign of either lack of food or too much exercise, or both. Either way, quick weight loss brings about a
2 SWIM PHILIPPINES
You may reach Har vie De Baron through Email har viedebaron @gmail.com, Facebook / har viesportsnutritionist or Twitter @baronmethod for more information about his sports nutrition ser vices.
Directory (Metro Manila) Marikina Sports Arena Sumulong Highway corner Shoe Ave., Marikina City (632) 682-9573/943-2140 Tuesday-Sunday (8-11AM, 1-4:30PM, 5:30-9:30PM) Pool Detail: 50mx25m, 9 lanes, 4-5ft depth, roofed Pasay City Sports Center Derham St. corner FB Harrison, Pasay City (632) 831-4792 Monday-Friday (8-11:30AM, 1-4:30PM) Pool Detail: 25m, roofed Philsports Swimming Pool Complex (Ultra Pool) Meralco Ave., Pasig City Tuesday-Sunday (8-11:30AM, 1-4:30PM) Pool Detail: 50m, 9 lanes, outdoor Amoranto Sports Complex Don A. Roces Ave., Quezon City (632) 568-2137 Tuesday-Sunday (9-12:00PM, 1-4:00 PM) Pool Detail: 50m, 8 lanes, outdoor Rizal Memorial Sports Complex Pablo Ocampo Sr. St., Malate, Manila (632) 525-2171 Tuesday-Sunday (8-11:30AM, 1-4:30PM) Pool Detail: 50mx20m, 4ft-8ft depth, outdoor Makati Aqua Sports Arena J.P. Rizal Ext., West Rembo, Makati City (632) 728-0381 to 83 Tuesday-Sunday (8AM-10PM) Pool Detail: 50m, 8 lanes, outdoor D’Ace Plaza Indoor Heated Pool United Cor. Brixton St. Bgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City 514-7520 Monday-Friday: 8AM-9PM, Saturday: 8AM-5PM Pool Detail: 25m, roofed Ace Water Spa Indoor Heated Pool 399 Del Monte Ave. Cor. Banawe St. San Francisco Del Monte QC. 367-8041 / 367-8062 Monday-Friday: 8am - 9pm, Saturday: 8am - 5pm Pool Detail: 25m, roofed
Cramps Begone! Steer clear of these spasms of pain!
O
ne of the more common problems that swimmers experience is having muscle cramps. The worst thing about it is that you never know when it’s coming. How do you prevent it from happening? Read on!
What is a cramp?
Basically, it’s when one or more of your muscles contracts way too hard even though you didn’t tell it to. It’s an involuntary contraction that won’t relax. Swimmers are more likely to experience cramps in their calf muscles, hamstrings, and quads. Because they tend to point their toes a lot and wear flippers, they are also prone to experience cramps in the bottoms of their feet. A muscle cramp can last for just a few seconds up to several minutes.
What causes a cramp and how to prevent them?
Inadequate warm up prior to exercise: In order to move, our muscles need to contract and expand. By giving yourself a good warm up, you allow your muscles to contract more vigorously. You also ensure that blood is flowing to your muscles prior to the vigorous parts of practice. Loss of fluid and electrolytes: Electrolytes are minerals such as calcium, sodium, magnesium, and potassium that control the contraction and relaxation of our muscles, allowing us to do things such as blinking our eyes and wiggling our toes. In general, sodium begins the muscle’s contraction cycle while magnesium and potassium begin the relaxation cycle. When
Pushing off too hard, especially during warm up: Go easy on your warm ups, gradually increasing the extension and pointing of your toes. For a foot cramp, you can just keep going. But for one of those debilitating calf cramps, one of the best solutions is to stop, straighten your leg, and point your toes upward until the cramp lets go. In some cases, you will have to use your hands to pull on your toes. For severe thigh cramps, pulling the knee to the chest usually does the trick. Overkicking with fins: Using fins force you to point your toes which contracts muscles in the soles of your foot. If you’re not used to it, you may get a cramp from using fins. Also, whenever you try to kick too hard or too fast, you may get a cramp. Whenever you put on fins, start easy until your feet are used to being pointed and your thigh and calf muscles get used to the added resistance. Make sure you have the right size as well. Fins that are too small or too big can cause cramping.
Source: http://www.goswim.tv/entries/878/how-to-handle-muscle-cramps.html
Overexertion: Lack of oxygen in working muscles causes buildup of lactic acid. Once the buildup reaches critical mass, the muscles go
into spasm. This is the reason why cramps are most common towards the end of workouts, when your muscles are already tired. Prevent this from happening by making sure that you build your fitness level gradually instead of jumping into an overambitious exercise program.
you get a muscle cramp, it’s often due to lack of magnesium or potassium in your blood that causes the muscles to relax. The solution? Stay hydrated and don’t wait until practice to pour in the fluids. Another trick: Eat a banana every day. Bananas are rich in potassium and magnesium.
3
THE ART OF
SWIMMING GRACEFULLY
Drills and tips to perfect your backstroke By Evan Grabador Swimming the backstroke is all about achieving balance and finesse.
You need finesse. The backstroke is the most graceful stroke of all. While swimming the backstroke, imagine you are a ramp model. You have to be graceful while minding the accuracy of your techniques and maintaining the power of your strokes. You have to keep your head still while your shoulders, hips, and legs move from side to side. You need balance. That’s because backstroke
swimmers don’t have the luxury of markers to keep them straight. They must also avoid overshooting their arms upon entry, a common mistake among tired swimmers.
Here, a couple of drills to help you perfect your backstroke: >> Head: Avoid looking at your toes as it will make your hips go down and swim in a vertical position. Keep your head and hips in one plane. Drill: Put a pair of goggles or a half-full water bottle on top of your forehead and try not to drop it.
>> Roll: Swimming flat in freestyle and backstroke is bad. A chin-to-shoulder relationship is essential in order for the swimmer to get the full range pull of every stroke. Don’t forget that the key to a good pull is your core, so make sure that your hip is involved in the pull. Drill: Do 6 kicks on the side chin-toshoulder plus 3 strokes. Put emphasis on your hips. >> Pull: Imagine that you are Iron Man. Your palm should face the opposite direction of where you are going. Avoid creating bubbles when you pull. Drill: Practice sculling, focusing on the end position. >> Kick: Keep rubbing your big toes to create boiling water. Drill: Do 20 kicks streamline on back and 10 kicks streamline pointing towards the sky to create 90 degrees from your arms to your body. There are different kinds of backstroke drills that you can do or invent. It is up to you to determine what your body needs. Don’t take the drill sets for granted. You’ll need them to keep your head, arms, core and legs connected.
1
2
3
Raphael Evan A. Grabador is the head coach of the La Salle Green Archers Swim Club. You may contact him at evangrabador@gmail. com
5
BIG HEART Don’t let Sacho Ilustre’s unassuming countenance fool you! In the pool, this young swimmer is passionate and ferocious! B y J i n g L e j a n o • P hotographed by Kai H uan G
M
aurice Sacho Ilustre’s boyish grin and slight figure can be quite deceiving. Many a competitor who have mistaken his unassuming countenance for weakness have found themselves left in the dust, as one might say, trying mightily to catch up with the passionate swimmer. At the Palarong Pambansa 2013 in Dumaguete, Ilustre made mincemeat of the competition, doing the 800-meter freestyle in nine minutes and gobbling up the 200-meter butterfly event in two minutes earning for him two gold medals. His third gold came during the 4x100 freestyle, which he shared with fellow standouts Mark Rominquit, Rafael Sta. Maria, and Alnair Guevarra. For good measure, Sacho—as he prefers to be called—also snagged a silver medal at the 400-meter freestyle. In an article which appeared in The Philippine Star, Philippine Swimming League president Susan Papa said, “I’m really impressed with his performance. Imagine, he’s only 13 years old and stands below five feet and he won the gold. He’s really motivated to win.”
Big Splash
Sacho first hit the pool when he was only four years old, mentored by his Uncle Romy and Tito Ferdie. Sacho enjoyed his swimming lessons because he learned a lot from the two’s different styles of teaching: one emphasized the importance of discipline and the other, a sense of fun. By the time he was five, Sacho was already competing. He remembers his first taste of competition as being both scary and exciting, emotions he would feel again and again as he joined one meet after another. Sacho didn’t realize the splash that he was making until people started recognizing him in meets. They have taken notice of his passion, some becoming certified fans. By the time Sacho hit his teens, there seems to be no stopping him. At the Palarong Pambansa in Dagupan last May 2012, he won the gold for the
6 SWIM PHILIPPINES
400-meter freestyle. Sacho was particularly happy with that win as his competitors were already gold medalists in previous competitions—and he had managed to beat them all! Asked what he felt after winning, Sacho said, “Masaya po. Naging confident po ako.” In September of the same year, he was named UAAP Rookie of the Year. This made everybody sit up and notice, including the university coaches and scouts who are always on the lookout for promising talents. As Sacho was on his last year in grade school, a number of universities approached him, offering him high scholarships. Sacho was ecstatic. He had been swimming towards such a goal all along. His sisters Ingrid, 17, and Bianca, 20, were also swimmers, and also managed to get sports scholarships. Sacho wanted to follow in their path. Eventually, he chose the University of the East.
Big Plans
These days, it is Sacho’s father, Noel Ilustre, who takes charge of his training. They train every day, except Sunday, focusing on strengthening his strokes and improving his times. Although training has become second nature to Sacho, the thirteen-year-old also has other preoccupations. He takes care of amphibians, for example, saying that he is amazed at how they can change their colors. At home, he has a Leopard Gecko and a Pacman Frog. It’s not surprising then that Sacho wants to take up Biology in college, considering his fondness for living things. But it’s not a doctor that he eventually wants to be, Sacho wants to be a travelling biologist, an adventurer investigating the wonders of the nature. Like most young swimmers, Sacho looks up to Michael Phelps, primarily because of the elegance of his dolphin kick, his power in the pool, and his impressive height. Like the highly-motivated world-renowned swimmer, Sacho’s got all sorts of plans too. He wants to get better, improve his time, qualify for the Asian Games, and snag a college scholarship—and Sacho will likely achieve all his goals. That’s because he is all heart!
On Sacho: FSA - 0630 Arena Competition Goggles Latex Swimcap Royal Blue
7
HIGH PERFORMANCE SWIMMING
Strength from the Ground Up W
It’s time to work on the power potential of your legs! by coach chappy callanta
e’ve spent a lot of time covering the core, so I hope that you guys already know what to do to get the midsection you’ve been dreaming of. Now it’s time to focus on the parts of the body that literally carry you around in life: your legs. Swimmers need to work on their legs as having strong and powerful legs may be the difference between winning and losing. Recreational swimmers need to work on their legs all the more, especially if swimming is their main form of exercise. When swimmers come to me for training, one of the first things that I work on is strengthening their legs. Swimming is a very upper body oriented sport. Most of the time, the legs of swimmers tend to be underdeveloped. However, having powerful legs is an asset to any swimmer and is the cure to the prevalent “Johnny Bravo syndrome.” For the younger generation who might have missed Johnny Bravo, just imagine one of those toy tops and that’s what he looks like: top heavy. Although this might be the goal for some people, there should be at least some balance of strength when comparing the upper body to the lower body. In fact, your legs have some of the biggest muscles in the body, with the most potential for power. It makes sense to work on them to build your overall strength and power. Below are three exercises that you can do to make sure that your legs never get left behind. I purposely left out the squat because this is an obvious choice and should be a staple in any exercise program.
1
2
Sprinter’s Lunge: This works your glutes, calves, and yes, even your quads. Grab a
pair of dumbbells and stand straight. Lift your right knee up keeping it bent at 90 degrees. This is your starting position. Lunge forward, making sure to bend both knees with your back leg barely hovering over the floor. Explosively lift the front leg back up to starting position. Do 10 to12 reps per side.
1 2
Hamstring rolls: You can use an exercise ball, a suspension trainer like the
TRX or the jungle gym, or even a towel if you don’t have any of the two. Lie down on your back with your knees bent and your feet on a Swiss ball. Lift your butt off the floor creating a straight line from the shoulders to the knees. Straighten your knees, pushing the ball away from you all the while keeping your hips up and your butt engaged. Pull the ball back in, again while keeping your hips up. Repeat for 10 to 15 times.
1
2
Step ups:
This also works the glutes and quads. Stand with one foot on top of a 12- or 15-inch box. Holding dumbbells on your shoulders, explosively lift your left knee up while extending your right leg. Go down slowly then repeat. Make sure to push off from your heels rather than your toes. Do 10 to 15 reps per leg.
Coach ChappyCallanta is the Fitness Program Director of 360 Fitness Club. You may get in touch with him through his phone at 0917-7962173 ore-mail him at cscallanta@ gmail.com or chappy@ completethecircuit.com
IN DEPTH Featured SWIMMERS: Name: Chloe Denise Cheng Barraza Date of birth: August 27, 2003 School: Jubilee Christian Academy Team: QCSC Buccaneers Coach: Sherwyn Santiago >> What are your favorite events and best times? Back, 45.90 ; Breast, 51.54; Free, 36.35; Fly, 44.76
Featured Coach:
Sherwyn John Santiago, 28
>> What is your greatest achievement? I was awarded as MOS at Fil-Chi Association when I was 8 years old.
QCSC Buccaneers >> How long have you been coaching? 7 years
>> What is your typical day like? I train Monday to Saturday, 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
>> How long have you been into swimming? 16 years
>> What are your future goals? I want to be the best swimmer in my age group and maybe one day I can represent my country in swimming competitions abroad.
>> How would you describe yourself as a swimmer? I am a disciplined swimmer. I follow my training schedule and make sure I give my best every time I practice.
Chloe, 9
>> Who do you look up to? I look up to my parents. They give me pointers and make sure I listen to my coach and improve my swimming.
>> What made you decide to be a coach? To share my knowledge to the younger swimming generation >> What are you like as a coach? Strict but fun >> What is your coaching philosophy? Nothing can be achieved overnight. Practice makes permanent. >> What makes a good student/ athlete? Hardworking, focused, proactive, and disciplined >> What do you think is the most important attribute an athlete must have? Discipline >> How do you motivate your students? I give them praise, and always remind them about their strengths, but at the same time point out their weaknesses. >> What are your tips for athletes who are just starting out? I always tell them to just do it. If you don’t start now, you’ll never know if you can. And always have fun. >> What are your goals as a coach? To produce more internationally competitive swimmers. >> What is your team’s philosophy? One team. One goal.
Featured Team:
QCSC BUCCANEERS
Head Coach: Sherwyn John C. Santiago CoachES: Kiel Anoos, Gianina Gonzales
Number of Swimmers: 35 Location: Quezon City Sports Club
>> What are you most grateful for? I am most grateful for the guidance and support of my QCSC Buccaneers parents towards their children with regards to this sport.
9
BE SEEN First Plunge
May 18, 2013 Xavier School, San Juan
Speedo Novice Swim Carnival
May 25, 2013 Xavier School, San Juan
10 SWIM PHILIPPINES
BE SEEN Alaska Ironkids Aquathlon May 19, 2013 Ateneo De Manila Grade School Grounds
Take Your Mark May 19, 2013 Xavier School, San Juan
11
NCR
LUZON
VISAYAS
MINDANAO
Anne Jordan Lara
Gabriel Yeshua De Jesus Morante
Stefany Louise Sa-ac 9 yrs old • Iloilo City
John Michael Bondoc
8 yrs old • Cagayan De Oro City
Team: Elizabeth Seton Saints Favorite events: 50 Breast, 100 Breast, 50 Fly, 200 IM Future goal: To be an Olympian Hobbies: Ballet, sewing Famous person I look up to: God What I want to be when I grow up: Teacher The thing I love most about swimming: When my time improves
Team: Vikings Swim Club of Montessori De Sagrada Familia Favorite events: Breaststroke, Butterfly, and IM Future goal: To represent our country in an international swim competition and to compete in Ironman Hobbies: Swimming, biking, reading books, and collecting toys Famous person I look up to: Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte
Team: Nautilus Swim Club Favorite events: Backstroke and Butterfly Future goal: To join the Philippine Team Hobbies: Playing the piano and reading books Famous person I look up to: Michael Phelps What I want to be when I grow up: Doctor The thing I love most about swimming: Competing and meeting new friends
Team: Cagayan de Oro Swim Club Favorite Event: Individual Medley Future goal: To become a member of the Philippine team Hobbies: Soccer Famous person I look up to: Michael Phelps What I want to be when I grow up: Doctor The thing I love most about swimming is: It’s fun!
10 yrs old • Las Piñas
8 yrs old • Bulacan
Want to be seen in SWIM Kids?
If you’re a swimmer 10 years and below, just email your answers to the above questions together with your photo to info@swim.ph