Burst My Babble Part 2

In part 1, I related just how difficult it was to swim for a relatively non-existent crowd. Here, I will share my thoughts and frustrations with the so-called force behind "One Big Fight."

Ever since I first saw these guys perform in their cool jackets to the cacophony of drum cadences, I yearned to be at the receiving end of such cheers. However, as I swam for my school through the years, I realized that my hopes would be in vain. In the twelve years I spent swimming for my school--seven of which in the UAAP--only once did the varsity cheerleaders attend any of our meets.

Their reasons for not going usually concern transportation, availability of members and/or prioritizing the UAAP basketball teams. Usually, I let it go. But now, I will use this opportunity to say what I have been keeping to myself with regard to these excuses.

Transportation is always a problem especially when our venue was moved from Rizal Memorial Stadium to Trace College in Los Banos, Laguna. I have always understood such concerns since it is indeed a hassle to drive all the way to Laguna hauling drums and equipment. But why should that be a problem? Is it really difficult to drive the miles and pay the tolls using personal vehicles and money to support us? Okay, shelling out personal money to fund activities for the school may seem to be a bit extreme. I get it. But is it so difficult to ask the offices for subsidies and/or reimbursements for such personal expenditures? I really don't see why the school wouldn't be willing to reimburse such expenses especially when they are incurred during the execution of varsity duties.

The availability of manpower is one of my favorite reasons, to be honest. You mean to tell me that of the more than 30 people we see hanging out in the benches, not one is available to cheer for us? I refuse to believe that. Also, I have always had an issue with this policy that we have to ask them to attend our meets and cheer for us. Do we owe it to them to be cheered? Shouldn't it be the other way around? Shouldn't they owe it to us since their very existence as a varsity is hinged on the idea that they should cheer for all varsities without exception?

To be fair to them, no one has ever told me that they prioritize the UAAP basketball teams over other varsities. However, their conduct has always favored such an idea. In all my years, I have come to the realization that these cheerleaders will always attach themselves to UAAP basketball. After all, it is in basketball where school spirit is most alive and evident. And though I understand that these guys go where the crowds go, thus, where greatness is expected, I cannot fathom their absence when the Junior Tankers clinched a historic 7th straight UAAP Swimming Championship last September. Or why they were not present when the Lady Tankers fought tooth and nail to win their first championship back in 2008. Greatness happened then. Why were they not there? Strictly speaking from a swimmer's perspective, it is evident that they prioritize UAAP basketball.

So where does that leave us swimmers? Are we second-tier UAAP teams? Are we not worthy of your presence when we compete in our UAAP because it always coincides with the Final Four? Are the championships we won and the records we set pale in comparison to that of the basketball team's? I adamantly refuse to believe that! But do you believe that? I sincerely hope not.

Varsities have the greatest honor in representing their schools. For these cheerleaders, they represent both the good and bad facets of the student body and my alma mater--the enthusiasm and bias toward UAAP basketball and the apathy and ignorance toward every other sport during the first semester. My decade-long swimming career has made me numb to such realities. Yet, I can never reconcile why they conduct themselves as a varsity when they do not fulfill their duties and obligations. At the risk of sounding conceited, partial dedication to the duties of a varsity team does not make anyone a varsity in my eyes.

There is an old saying that goes like this, "People hate what they don't understand." Perhaps these cheerleaders can take this as a word of warning. Due to continued absences in meets, swimmers will soon come to resent your presence when you do show up. They wouldn't understand why you are there. In their eyes, you might become more of a nuisance than actual supporters. So please, act now and prevent this from happening. It will be a pitiful sight if two varsities do not get along or come on the brink of a serious disagreement.

Let me make something clear. We do not wish to see the grandeur put up during UAAP basketball games. We only want to see you at the stands. Plain and simple. We want you guys to be there cheering for us and giving us the will to muster that one big fight while we swim against imposing odds. We want to hear the thunderous drum cadences as we inch closer to the wall to bring home that decisive victory. But most of all, we want to earnestly dedicate our wins to the school by dedicating them to you--you, who directly represent the blue and white crowds that are suppose to be packing the stands.

Take your mark!

25 Reasons Why You Should Date A Swimmer

To all the girls out there, here are some compelling reasons why you should date a swimmer, even a retired one at that!

1. We like it wet
2. We are used to wearing next to nothing in front of people
3. We are experts at putting on rubber and can do it fast
4. We know how to push it and work under HARD conditions
5. We believe practice makes perfect and will any time day or night
6. We are used to doing things till you cant go on any longer
7. Sprinters are fast and efficient. Distance swimmers can last a long time
8. We are always ready to dive in head first
9. We may get tired but never stop in the middle
10. We do it in the water
11. We start fast, stay strong, and finish hard
12. We are always wet and half naked
13. We are able to do it on our backs or our stomachs
14. We can do it fast or slow
15. We can do it 4 different ways
16. We know how to get dressed and undressed in no time
17. We are always improving our times
18. We are better when we put our hips into it
19. We have good endurance
20. We are not afraid of pain
21. We always finish what they start
22. We are always clean
23. We will flip for you in a second
24. The deeper we go the faster we get
25. We are always looking for the perfect stroke

Swimming Leadership

In every sport, every team always looks for a very good leader. A leader who everyone respects and has the ability to connect with his teammates, understanding them at a fundamental way. I do not pretend to understand or know the best qualities which make up a leader in a swim team. However, my experiences of being team captain has taught me a few things which made my job not as difficult as it should be.

To all the would-be leaders of their swim teams, sincerely hope that these points can be of help to you.

1. Know Yourself!
The most important quality of a leader is self-awareness; one's leadership style is hinged to one's personality. Knowing who you are and what makes you tick--your strengths and weaknesses--allows you to fashion your leadership style accordingly. In so doing, you will be yourself; you won't delude others into believing that you are someone you are not. Having good self-awareness creates credibility in the eyes of your teammates insofar as your character is concerned.

2. Know Your Teammates!
What good is a leader who does not have the faintest idea who his teammates are? How can he lead them if does not understand them? In the teams that I have been part of, very few of my team captains really saw to it that they knew my teammates and I beyond our nicknames. They respected and put up with our quirks and eccentricities to maintain team integrity. While we always had our disagreements, the respect between us swimmers and our captains was never put on jeopardy in any way. Our captains knew how we followed, simply put. This enabled them to lead us efficiently and effectively.

So know your teammates, guys. Understand them personally so it would be easier for you to motivate them. Find out where they are coming from so you can effectively communicate with the. It will be difficult but the benefits you will reap will be abundant in the end. '

3. Be Friendly with the Cliques; Don't be Part of Any!
In every team, there will always be cliques. Usually, there is the majority who influences and dominates the team. And of course, there is the minority which, for all intents and purposes, is the direct foil of the majority clique in every way. As much as cliques are almost mandatory in any team, captains do not have the luxury to be part of one. Impartiality when it comes to personal ties ensures that the leader is for and with his teammates. All of them. Not just a select few. That way, everyone will trust and respect you which, in turn, deters anyone from questioning or undermining your authority.

When my teammates elected me as captain, I was neither part nor intending to join any of the cliques within my team. To point a fact, I was pretty much on my own majority of the time though I occasionally yearned to be part of the team's inner social circles. While I did have a close group of friends within my team, I saw to it that I spent the same amount of time with each of my cliques and conducted myself in a manner conducive to be respected. It made things less difficult for me since everyone understood that my decisions did not favor a certain group of swimmers only. My teammates understood that my decisions were for the betterment of the entire team.

4. Be Better, Not Necessarily the Best!
Each team has its stars and superstars with the former being the faster, the latter being the fastest. As captain, you need not be the fastest or the superstar. Talent and swimming prowess alone does not determine the effectiveness of a leader. They are, however, an important driver to effective leadership in swimming. Simply put, you do not have to be fastest swimmer in the team or the most versatile. You do, however, ought to be one of the better swimmers; not the best but simply not the good either. This strengthens your credibility among his teammates especially when he intends to motivate them. After all, in sports, a lot of things are derived from and are hinged to one's athletic prowess including leadership.

I like to believe that when my teammates elected me, they greatly considered my skills as a swimmer as much as my character as my teammate. I was never the fastest nor greatest swimmer in all of the teams I joined and eventually led. But I was faster in the butterfly than most and was always among the faster freestylers . My teammates questioned how I handled things every now and again but never had they questioned my swimming skills or my complete dedication and devotion to them and the team. If I was to give my guess, perhaps this was why my teammates stuck it out with with my until my graduation. They allowed me to lead them because of my credibility in swimming as well as my integrity as a teammate.

5. In Every Occasion, Play Your Role!
In Filipino, my teacher calls this, "Astang Dalubhasa". In a sense, make your leadership qualities natural to you. Exude leadership even when you are not called to lead so that when you are, it is already part of you. This eliminates second guessing yourself because you act and react on instinct.

Leaders are often called to make the difficult decisions. In sports, captains are always asked to keep their teammates in line as well as motivating and inspiring the, to reach heights they never thought they could reach. As I said in number 2, motivation is easy when you know your teammates. But knowing them on a personal level may also hinder you from being stern when keeping them in line. Remember, the closeness of your relationship with your teammates should not restrain you from disciplining your teammates even if it means straining such ties. Friend or not, when a teammate commits an infraction against team rules, never hesitate to speak your mind and come down on them. Whether or not you use brutal honesty, constructive criticism or whatever disciplinary method, it is imperative to be the same disciplinarian-captain to every person in the your team. No exceptions.

If you will notice, credibility and integrity sums up swimming leadership. I have already given you guys five points on swimming leadership. But allow me just one more point; consider it a parting shot of sorts.

There is an age old saying that one must follow before he leads and one must lead as he follows. In my years as captain, I have learned something useful along those lines. When you are captain, lead your teammates by following your heart, your gut and what you think and feel is right. This is all anyone can ever ask from you, captain.

Take your mark!

Burst My Babble Part 1

A long time ago, probably when I was 12 years old, I came across a mug with a very poignant inscription which is very much related to sports as it is in life. "Champions are made when no one is looking," it said. While the message clearly refers to the intangible aspects which supplement and complement natural (or unnatural) athletic talent, my experiences in both high school and collegiate swimming made me realize that the quote may refer to something else.

I am quite certain that one of the common denominators of all the sporting events known to man is the athletes' desire to be watched by people who are "outsiders" to their sports. I say "outsiders" because these supporters are the ones who simply relish in witnessing the greatness achieved by an athlete regardless if they understood the fundamentals of the said sport. To them, such feats are beyond their comprehension which, in turn, amplifies the greatness of these achievements exponentially. I tell you, to be congratulated after winning a gold medal by someone who has never watched a swimming competition in his life, let alone understand the complexities of competitive swimming was more gratifying to me than the well-wishes of my teammates and coaches.

Last September, the Ateneo High School Swim Team won its seven straight UAAP Juniors Swimming Title. To my knowledge, this is the longest winning streak in the history of UAAP Swimming as well as the longest active winning history in the entire UAAP. It was truly a joyous moment for the Junior Tankers. However, I am thankful that none of them realized that they were celebrating to the same crowd my teammates and I celebrated to when we won the first of those championships back in 2005. This audience consisted of parents, some alumni, a few close friends and their college teammates. Nothing more.

Same thing happened when the Lady Tankers won their first ever UAAP Swimming Championship back in 2008. Everybody was ecstatic. But nobody, other than the usual group was there to witness it.

Even after four years of swimming in the UAAP in high school, I still expected to see the type of crowds present during Ateneo-La Salle basketball games at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum complete with cheerleaders and drums to boot when I swam in college. It was fool's hope, to say the least. Granted, having 18,000 people watch a swimming competition is unrealistic and downright impossible especially in a basketball-crazy nation such as the Philippines. But is it too much to ask to expect anywhere from 50-100 in the swimming pool stands? I would like to think it is not.

It was truly an honor and a wonderful privilege to have swum for my school for as long as I did. Yet, I can only imagine the heights we could have achieved and the prestige we could have won if we really saw the people we were representing other than the usual array of faces we have grown accustomed to.

I will let you in on a little secret. When I mounted the starting blocks during the final heats, I usually gaze upon the crowd for a moment and scan for unfamiliar faces sporting the blue and white. In my seven year UAAP career, I never saw a new face among the Ateneo supporters other than the parents and siblings of our rookies. In moments like those, I have to quickly remind myself that I am still representing my school and every person affiliated with it. Regardless if they are screaming at the Trace College Swimming Pool stands or at the Araneta Coliseum boxes, my swim will still be for them. Is it not ironic that I have to constantly remind myself of this?

In my experience, champions are indeed made when no one is looking. Literally. It is one of the saddest realities I had to face during my swimming years.

Take your mark!

(Part 2 of Burst My Babble will be up soon!)

"Romans, countrymen, lovers!"

I was still a freshman in the Ateneo High School when I first encountered the title of this entry. As most of you may know, this line comes from William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, specifically Brutus' speech after he and his co-conspirators assassinated the titular character for being too ambitious and forsaking the glory of Rome. Unlike Marc Antony's famous "Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears" introduction, Brutus' is somewhat long forgotten. Aside from his purpose of trying to persuade the people of the righteousness of his actions, the opening line was the main reason why I chose to deliver this for my Soliloquy requirement.

But why do I use this title for this so-called swimming blog. It is simple. I wish to begin my blog embodying the confidence of Brutus as he took the pulpit to address the people. While my words are not the consequence of murder or any of the sort, it does come from grievances which I have kept mum about for well over a decade. Now that I am out of the swimming scene, there is no better time to slowly, but surely, unload all of the emotional and psychological baggage I have lugged during my swimming career.

I hold myself accountable to my words. I will offend some people--people who have been my friends for as long as I can remember. Though I cannot promise much, I will promise two other things aside from the accountability I will assume.

First, I will always keep my opinions in line. As McLaughlin eloquently put it in the Tom Cruise movie entitled "Cocktail", "Bury the dead; they stink up the place." I will let the past remain in the past, simply put. I will not allow my words to be driven by emotions which I have buried deep within. Whatever I write will be objective in nature. But from time to time, I will mix these with emotionally-indulgent words which will come off as brash. And I will be accountable for that.

Second, this blog will not be all about unloading these grievances. It is a swimming blog, first and foremost. That said, I will put in some thoughts on training, motivation and leadership techniques which have proven to be both useful and invaluable to me during my amateur swimming career. Also, I will give my opinions about the hottest news in the international swimming scene. And maybe, just maybe, I will feature some swimmers from my alma mater who deserve recognition for their achievements.

This is where my introduction ends. The entries following this one will hopefully shed some light as to what my intentions are. If they do not, I will understand.

Welcome to the my blog, "Songs from the Unsung Swim Star"!

Take your mark!