PINOY KASI

Sports sciences
Michael L. Tan
@inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer

8:21 PM | Tuesday, September 25th, 2012
Last Friday, two University of the Philippines varsity football players dropped by my office to sell
tickets for a fund-raising event. I asked them what their courses were and both were almost
apologetic with their replies. One said, PE (physical education)lang and the other sports science
in a soft voice.
I reacted quickly in Filipino: Never say lang (only) about your course. PE and sports science are
not lang courses. I then went into a short description of whats been happening around the world
with university degree programs around sports.
I thought I should do an entire column about the sports sciences, and why this field is now one of the
most exciting and will become even more important in the years ahead. But first, let me deal with the
stereotypes that led our football players to lang their courses.
Brain vs brawn
Unfortunately, in the Philippines and in many other countries people still live by brain versus brawn
and jocks versus nerd dichotomies, which divide the world into brainless athletes and brawnless
academics. In many ways society grooms (and dooms) us early: If you seem like a bookworm,
parents ply you with more books and laugh or scoff when you try athletics. Conversely, if youre the
athletic type, parents and teachers presume you will not do too well in academics.
In college, the stereotypes are even worse because schools do give scholarships to varsity players,
even if their grades are not too good. My department, anthropology, often took in varsity players for
anthro subjects and even for our degree program, over the opposition of some older faculty
members (utak raketa, racket brains, protested one). Im glad to say we proved those faculty
members wrong: The varsity players generally did well in our classes and two football players who
took anthropology later became lawyers. (Okay, quit the lawyer jokes now.)

Today theres growing recognition of multiple intelligences. The psychologist Howard Gardner first
proposed his theory of multiple intelligences in 1983, naming eight: spatial, linguistic, logicalmathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic. He later wrote
about two other intelligences: the moral and the existential.
I suspect that back in history, persons who were more inclined to the bodily-kinesthetic were actually
held in high regard, but were devalued as we began to give a premium to those with logicalmathematical intelligence.
Today were seeing more respect for all the intelligences. Im thinking of the so-called back doors to
UP, i.e., colleges that do not require the UP College Admission Test (Upcat), which then makes
people think its easier to get in.
Think again. These backdoor colleges have rigid requirements. To get into the 3-year Certificate of
Fine Arts program you need to go through an interview and the colleges talent determination test.
The College of Music is more of a snob in describing its requirements: Rather than saying Upcat is
not required, it says that those who pass the Upcat will still have to take and pass the theoretical
and talent audition tests. And did you know that our bachelor of music degree in UP takes five
years to complete, and thats for a specific field like composition, dance, piano, string instruments?
Lets get now to the sports sciences, which are taught at UP in the College of Human Kinetics. The
college does require Upcat but will accept a lower rating through a Varsity Athletic Admission System
(VAAS). The college offers a certificate in sports studies, a bachelors degree in physical education
and in sports science, and a post-baccalaureate diploma in exercise and sports science.
The current chancellor of UP Diliman, Dr. Caesar Saloma, is totally committed to developing the
campus sports program, including putting up a sports complex and more support for our varsity
players.
Science and fitness
Im hoping well also see more development of the degree programs in human kinetics. In other
countries there are all kinds of degree programs, undergraduate and graduate, in fields like
kinesiology and human performance. Kinesiology is in fact a premed program in many US
universities.

I got extra encouragement to do todays column when an aunt made a surprise visit Monday
morning, flying in from the United States. Originally from Davao City, Margarita Co married one of my
uncles, George Lim, and migrated to America. One of her sons, Allen Lim, has been making waves
training the US Olympic biking team as well as such celebrities as Lance Armstrong. He also trained
US President George W. Bush, which makes me admire Allen even more. To get to where he is
today, Allen took a masters degree in kinesiology and a PhD in integrative physiology.
The demand for sports science graduates will be coming from all kinds of sectors. There will still be
the traditional demand from schools for PE but developing as part of broader health education. In
colleges, the demand for sports scientists will be for campus health programs as well as for the
development of athletes for competition.
Growing health consciousness has led to an explosion of gyms and fitness centersagain, areas
where you need trained kinesiologists (and, I should add, physical therapists), who can evaluate a
clients capabilities and limitations before starting a fitness program. Also, there has been a
proliferation of resorts and recreational areaseven subdivisions have their own clubhouses now
where, again, youre going to need people trained in the sports sciences.
Still undeveloped in the Philippines are corporate wellness programs, where large companies put up
their own health programs for employees, complete with gyms and lifestyle monitoring programs.
And with the worlds elderly population growing, count on the sports scientists to develop appropriate
programs to keep us (yup, Im in that league now) healthy or, after serious debilitating illnesses
strike, to bring us back to health.
Sports science lang? No way. I can predict that in the future, youll have applicants begging to get
into the College of Human Kinetics, just as it is already happening with the College of Fine Arts and
College of Music. And as we develop more sports scientists, I hope we will see the national sports
program developing as well, so we can truly compete internationally.
A final word: look at UPs Pep Squad, which won the UAAP cheerleading competition for the third
year in a row. Talk about rolling in spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic intelligences, with a bit of the
logico-mathematical and the linguistic (okay, okay, so Im stretching the cheering a bit). The squad
has students from different colleges, all of which prove that you can, and should, develop multiple
intelligences.

CONFIDENT ACES READY TO STAY IN

COMMAND
5:57 pm | Tuesday, January 13th, 2015
http://pba.inquirer.net/

One side looks to put further separation in the series while the other again goes for the equalizer in the pivotal Game
Four of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Wednesday night.
Alaska is not about to slow down with coach Alex Compton stressing: a 2-1 lead is nothing except a 2-1 lead.
San Miguel would likely be as determined as the Beermen will try to avoid plunging into a hole that will doom their
aspirations.
Both sides are expected to be well prepared as they slug it out in Game Four coming from a two-day respite.
Game time is at 7 p.m. with the Aces brimming with confidence following their 78-70 win in Game Three that was a
virtual repeat of their 88-82 Game One victory.
Meanwhile, the Beermen are trying to be positive especially after a huddle with the team management where
everyone agreed to put the first three games of the series behind them.
Sabi namin kalimutan na namin iyon and lets start all over agan. Lets just play hard and see what happens. Ang
importante maglaro lang kami ng maayos, said San Miguel coach Leo Austria.
Bakit ba kami lumamang ng malaki bago matalo in Game One and Game Three? Kasi ginawa namin ang dapat
namin gawin. Iyon ang ibabalik namin, Austria also said.
Physically, were in shape. Yung mental, sabi namin huwag na kaming mag-emote-emote at walang mangyayari
don, Austria pointed out. I still believe were capable of winning.
Over at the Alaska camp, the Aces made a commitment to work harder in an attempt to inch closer to achieving their
goal of winning a first Philippine Cup crown for the franchise in 15 years.
Sa lahat ng players namin si Eric Menk lang ang may (Philippine Cup championship) ring. Motivation ng players na
magkaroon non, said Alaska coach Alex Compton.
The Aces would surely not veer away from their ploy to beat the Beermen with their hard-nosed defense.
If theyre to avoid falling into a 1-3 hole, the Beermen have to solve Alaskas suffocating defense, particularly the clog
on June Mar Fajardo in the paint.

Fajardo, the leagues scoring leader with an average of 19.2 points through the semis, has been limited to 14.0 with
his field attempts down to nine a game in the Finals.
Di ko nga malaman bat di makarating ang bola. Pero may adjustment kaming gagawin, said Fajardo.
San Miguel, after a dominant ride from the elimination round, is now on shaky ground following two heartbreaking
meltdowns in the championship series.
The Aces are beating the Beermen on sheer desire and determination, starting everything with tremendous defensive
effort.
Everybody has committed to have that defensive mindset the full 48 minutes, said Alaska center Sonny Thoss. (SB)