Graduation 2014

Okay, the formal attire isn't very sporty but that's me graduating in 2014.

What was sporty about this graduation was the fact I graduated with a Masters degree in Human Movement Science from the College of Human Kinetics in the University of the Philippines Diliman.

I finished my thesis with the title, "Traditional Approach and Games Approach to Teaching Volleyball".

This means I can help once again and give back to volleyball and sport.

But more importantly, I can start updating this blog again with just about any sport thing. Ciao!

I'm Back and With a Recap to Why I Slighlty Disappeared Online

Hello everyone! I'm back. It has been the longest time since I put this blog up that I haven't placed an entry. Well, for those who know me well... I've been busy. Busy jumping from coach to educator to an athlete but all for the love of volleyball and motorsports. So let me tell you now what's placed me out of the picture as I just give you a run down of where I left off.

Skill testing for my thesis on Traditional Approach in Volleyball.

What prompted for the lack of updates was mainly because of my thesis. I did a study on teaching volleyball with a comparison of a games approach method and the traditional approach method.

3 on 3 small court testing for the Game Approach in Volleyball.

It was a requirement for promotion to become an Assistant Professor in the university I work for. But mainly, this was a study to encourage a different and a supposed better approach to teaching basic volleyball. 

The Games Approach method could be further researched from theories coming from Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU), and Federation Internationale de Volleyball's (FIVB) advocacy to promote Mini-Volleyball.

Hopefully, teaching volleyball could become more fun with positive encouragement, feedback, appreciation, and understanding of the game. 

If you wish to further learn about this more, don't hesitate to contact me.

Other duties in volleyball and the university were having to guide some of the University of the Men's Volleyball Team. I was reassigned from the Women's Volleyball Team to the Men's Volleyball Team for this year. It was quite a tough year as to the changes in management and coaching staff. It was a definite on-going learning experience for everyone.

UP Men's Beach Volleyball Team

UP Men's Volleyball Team in Araneta Colliseum

In motorsports, it has been a fruitful time while I haven't been updating much in this blog. It is a bit difficult to be managing two blogs but, I did however continue to update my motorsports blog flatoutivan.wordpress.com. There I mentioned  my participation in the Philippine Autocross, completion of my officiating status in motorsports and having applied it in the Philippine Touring Car races, and also having to compete in an International Rally in Malaysia.

Competing in the Philippine Autocross Championship Series with the reliable stock Honda City.

I was a race steward and safety car driver in the BMW Z4 during the second half of the Philippine Touring Car Championship (PTCC).

I competed in the International Rally of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

Definitely, the events go faster than me before I have a chance to write it all down and document such experiences. There have been a lot more going on also, like having to do statistics for the Philippine Super Liga, and other automotive related stories.  

Hear more from me soon and as sports comes everyday for me.

UP-CHK's 2nd National Conference on Sport Pedagogy. I'll be handling the volleyball workshop on Sunday.

 

 

NCSP 2013 Volleyball Workshop

Gilas Pilipinas into Spain 2014

Wow. What a game. After having to get out of the comfort of my house to stand in a crowd of basketball fanatics, I do not regret watching an international basketball game. This basketball leg is the counter part of an Asian qualifier of the FIVB Asian volleyball games where I am more known to be a fan of. The FIBA was definitely worth watching. Most especially when it was the Philippines in the semi-finals. Our country was doing very well and actually had a shot at the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain. To make things short, they did it! 

Held in the Mall of Asia Arena

Inside the MOA Arena with all the participating countries' colors.

Chinese Taipei and Iran, which emerged victorious, were the first of the semi-final games.

Warm-up time for the main event, semi-final match between the Republic of Korea and Republic of the Philippines

Gilas Pilipinas played with pure heart to get to where they are now. And that's Jimmy who hit crucial three pointers.

The Final score

The Philippines celebrating their right of passage into the FIBA World Cup for 2014 and a place in this FIBA Asia's Championship game against Iran.

Actual proof of wearing white for the home team.

2 Places at 1 Time

As the title suggests, it could also mean being in one place and having to do two different things for a certain sporting day. A usual everyday sport affair would be partaking in multiple sports in a day. That happens to me almost everyday being a physical educator. But when a supposed normal weekend becomes a choice for sporting organizers to make an ordinary weekend special, they choose the same dates to hold their events.

An example is a typical Sunday marked on July 28. An ordinary Sunday becomes a special day with two sporting events. In actual, I have to be in two places at one time. I have to be in the first round of the 2013 Philippine Autocross Championship Series as a competitor and ambassador of the grass root event, while also having to be in the Mall of Asia Arena for the Philippine Super Liga volleyball finals as an official.

So what happens in such an event? Autocross in the morning and volleyball in the afternoon. Lucky the people I answer to are kind enough to understand my situation. 

At the 1st Round of the Philippine Autocross Championship Series.

I managed to do a run with my stock 1.3L car to win 3rd in the all Honda class. Actually, that was me getting lucky as I just wanted to oil my driving skills to prepare for more serious events. I wanted to do a run to enjoy myself again and I did!

After setting my runs in the Autocross event, off I went around the block the crossing of the Paranque - Pasay border heading to the Mall of Asia Arena for the Super Liga Finals. So, from race car driver to volleyball statistician, check! But then I remembered, I had to do one more thing. I wasn't just balancing that day of having two roles. Nikon lent me one of their latest products that seemed to fit my lifestyle, a Nikon 1 V2 camera. I had to take some pictures. I almost forgot, I was a blogger. More of a self denial blogger actually and I had to task myself with doing volleyball statistics and doing blog related stuff like photography and an amateur camera review.

There were three games that day for the Philippine Super Liga Finals. A ranking game between PLDT and Binggo Bonanza for fifth place which PLDT won. All these photos were taken by my amatuer-ish photography skills but with the power of the Nikon 1 V2.

The second game was for third place between Cagayan Valley and Petron. Team Petron took third place that day.

The championship game had TMS-Army Team prevailing over Cignal for the first ever Philippine Super Liga title.

It wasn't easy sneaking shots of the game while having to continuously perfect the art of encoding statistics.

The Nikon 1 V2 gave excellent shots with minimum adjusting and almost no blur in the action shots captured. Just look at how crisp those photos are during the volleyball matches! So the day done with so many moments. Just another many sports, everyday.

Volleyball Information System Encoding 

The Camera Network: A picture with
pro-camera man, Jude, who
encouraged me
to use the white NIKON 1 V2. 

  

Rescue 5's Basketball Injuries

Basketball is taking over me. While checking my students' attendance for their required cheering classes in preparation for UAAP, our dean found the only available teacher to volunteer for a TV segment. It just so happened, I was around and I can't exactly refuse  the boss' request. He asked if I knew how to play basketball. I obviously answered in my usual uncertain response regarding basketball. I even tried looking for other basketball teachers. We have a lot of them in the college. But, it had to be the volleyball teacher to do it. None of the basketball teachers were around and I thought to myself that this would be really weird. I know my competence in basketball. Despite playing better in the last league I joined, I still couldn't be comfortable with my basketball skills. Nevertheless, the boss said so and I just couldn't say no. So they had me take off my glasses, and requested if I could change my shirt to a sleeveless orange gym shirt. So there I was in front of cameras performing my... er, call it... basketball skills. A lay up here and there, a freethrow shot that I could barely see. A few dribble and crossovers here and there. It was for TV5's Rescue 5 Show hosted by Paolo Bediones. The topic was on basketball sports injuries.

After watching the show, I felt that the show had gone by quickly and was a crash course to preventing injuries. I'd give a tip that I did learn from my professors in my college about one of the most common season ending injuries.

The ACL injury is all too common nowadays. Concentrate on the activation of the hamstrings and strengthening it. This is in contrast to your quadriceps which are more common to muscle activation especially to those who are  unfamiliar to the use of the hamstring muscles and glutes. Also, learn how to move and pivot correctly. Be conscious in learning your movement during training, so that the correct movement will be natural during game time. Remember always be safe... while playing basketball.

Kids Summer Volleyball

It has been sometime I've posted in this blog. School now starts again, and what has kept Sport It Everyday busy? Last summer was spent teaching and developing children's volleyball in a different approach. A mix of traditional fundamental skill training, with a mini-games approach to understanding the game of volleyball was a pilot short-term module in summer clinics. Finding new ways to attract and motivate children to play volleyball and be delighted with the game were sought through this special program of summer volleyball that did happen everyday!

Fun Games with the kids.

Kids learning how to dig pass from spikes.

Mini-volleyball games in small courts.

Promoting Philippine Autocross in Rev UP! 18th Diliman Motorshow

Hey guys! I've been doing some promotion events for Philippine Autocross Championship Series. This was my first of many planned talks for this year. Take more of a look in my motorsports blog, Flatoutivan. Hit the link to check it out!

Women in Sports Nationwide 2013 Volleyball Clinic: QC Edition

I have been with the Women in Sports Nationwide Campaign since 2009 and I am happy to still be here teaching one of the many sports I love to the volleyball community of teachers, coaches, students, and players. Through Women in Sports Nationwide Campaign, I have taught in Marinduque, Pagadian, Puerto Princesa, Marikina, Tayabas, Cebu, and finally for the opening of 2013, my home city, Quezon City.

A project of commissioner Hon. Akiko Thomson-Guevara of the Philippine Sports Commission, the Women in Sports Nationwide Campaign is aimed at promoting women awareness and participation in physical fitness and sport activities. The volleyball clinic is a 3-day course aimed at teaching the latest trends in volleyball for the Filipina women.

Explaining movement systems to both teams for better team cohesiveness.

Coach Jarod giving instructions before the drills

Me, Coach Jarod Hubalde, Vice-Mayor Joy Belmonte (forth from left), Atty. Jay Alano (fouth from right), and other coaches.

Click here for my experience teaching at Women in Sports Nationwide 2011 in Puerto Princesa : 
http://flatoutivan.wordpress.com/2011/11/01/volleyball-clinic-in-puerto-princesa-palawan/

Click here for my experience teaching at Women in Sports Nationwide 2011 in Pagadian :
http://flatoutivan.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/teaching-volleyball-in-pagadian/

Finswimming Inter-class Competition in UP Diliman 2nd Semester SY 2012-2013

This second semester's 2012-2013 school year finswimming inter-class was sanctioned by the Philippine Finswimming Federation, Inc. Truly supported by the county's national sport association of finswimming, all fins and snorkels were lent to the students for the whole semester and during competition day. Secretary General of PFFI, Mary Ann Reyes conducted the inter-class together with finswimming coaching instructors, Ivan Isada and Thor Manlangit. A total of four classes of service PE for finswimming joined the sanctioned event. 

The University of the Philippines Finswimming Competition is a program to develop, find more potential finswimmers and of course, to help propagate the sport of finswimming for entry level to the sport. As of now, finswimming is already recognized in the SEA Games and has now paved a future for new and experienced finswimmers.

To check more pictures of this event you can check: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.164798823673445.1073741825.100004299851142&type=1

For more information about Finswimming in the country you click this link to go to 
PFFI's website: http://philippinefinswimming.com/
PFFI's facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/philippine.finswimming

March 2013 Lumpoton

My transition area!

I'm not sure why it was named Lumpoton, but in Filipino, lumpo means cripple or paralyze. With the "-thon" added to lumpo, it isn't necessarily a marathon of crippled or paralyzed people, but more of what may happen as a result of participating in the Lumpothon. In any case, the event is a brainchild of UP Varsity Swimming Coach Noel Rivera's activities for his aquatics' elective class in the College of Human Kinetics, University of the Philippines Diliman. The course was a comprised of a continuous 600 meter swim, 4.4. km bike, 400m swim, 4.4km bike, 200m swim, 2.2km bike, than a 200m swim again.

As a resident faculty who hangs out by the pool to swim after classes, Coach Noel invited me to join his event. I wouldn't really say "no" to such an exciting and conveniently hard core activity. So I made time and joined in. Coach Noel offered to lend me one of his bikes for the race and I just had to come in prepared. Prepared I was! Except my hesitation was recalling if I still knew how to bike as I have not done so for a very long time. I was comfortable with the swim as I practiced at a regular basis. The bike part however was something I could have under estimated. I always remember biking as easy and fun. I biked all the time when I was 7. Being older, unidentified body pains and increase of lactic acid could spring a surprise if I wasn't careful, more so after the swim event. Luckily, before the day of the event, I was able to borrow another bike of a fellow junior faculty to practice on. Balancing, cramping, unknown leg pains, tackling uneven courses were a few things I had to re-learn. The pre-event practice did serve its purpose of helping me gain confidence in the bike event.

The day came for what I call "recreational competition". Resident varsity swimmers, serious and recreational multi-sport athletes, the aquatics class of Coach Noel, set-up their transition areas and readied themselves for the start. I took off with the group of swimmers in front so that I wouldn't be one of those getting kicked during the washing machine start of a multi-sport swim event. I paced myself good but as expected, all the swimmers would have finally overtaken me by the first 150th meter mark. All good though, as I had to prepare myself for the bike event. After the first 600m swim,  the bike event went rather good, we had to pass by a transition road which had a lot of potholes on broken asphalt. The mountain bike I had lent took it smoothly and this was my first experience of riding a bike with front suspension. A good thing was that I knew how to adapt to such suspension and disc brake set-up that the bike because of the experience of having to drive rally cars. During the first segment of the bike event I had to cope with a bunch of student activists blocking the road, for two rounds around UP's academic oval. I had difficulty also with gear selection of the bike and just so that I was sure with the equipment I was using, I opted not to change gears fearing I might have technical problems and ruin a race I would really want to finish. It was all good until the end of the race. I paced myself well and finished the event first in my age group (haha, that was a cheat to be the only one there), but happy to have finished third in the swim-bike category. I was pleased with my performance for someone doing it for fun and for fitness. I officially clocked in 1hr21mins35secs. Quite a long event I would say but really pleasing a the end. I'd do it again that's for sure!

A lot of thanks to Coach Noel and a speedy recovery because he had an accident at the start and couldn't continue on with the race. Thanks for the helmet, bike, and invitation. This kind of events make me feel truly alive!

Review: Played in the Ateneo Basketball League 2013

The pictures do better justice than the videos. Cross over? What?!

I have this love-hate relationship with basketball. I think Michael Jordan is awesome. On the other hand, I don't really fancy watching NBA these days. I like playing and being in a game, but its style of contact leads me to think of the high risk injuries that could set me back in other sports and daily activities. I've never also been as satisfied playing in a serious game. That is up until now.

A jump shot? Every game.

My high school classmates yearly join in a basketball league, the ABL also known as Ateneo Basketball League. Every year our high school batch still comes together to play a game of hoops. It is nice seeing old friends during the league but playing in a rather serious league wasn't exactly what I thought would be fun and satisfying. I remember joining and having a measly 1 point for the whole league two years ago. My playing time was almost just a minute of two quarters. I'd find myself spending money and time not being truly satisfied compared to other many sports I do participate in. So I haven't really played since then, plus the fact that my weekends were occupied by work with other sporting activities that also fall on a weekend.

Things changed however early this year. I found it funny finding myself on the court again after my classmates asked if I could join. The fact that my class/team could barely make a proper starting line-up with extra guys to fill in, I said I'll be there to help out for those literally running out of breath. Lucky the schedule for work and play had allowed me to give it another go. I had not expected to have an awesome season of just playing three games out of the seven. I was scoring an average on 7.3 points per game. If it was the official stats, it was 9.3 per game (wherein I am sure the statistician had me mistaken for someone else). Definitely, all of this was far off from the previous seasons and other games. I still do have trouble finding good judgement and proper footwork on the court but I managed to get things done. I found myself also being the highest percentage scorer in the team. I scratch my head how this could have happened. Has a personal Ivan-sanity just happened? Every game, I managed to have a shot from under the ring, a fast break lay-up, and a perimeter shot! Awesome, but how?

Goofy foot fast break lay-ups.

It would find difficult to assess and to considered truth on how I managed to surprise myself. Maybe all this time as a coach and athlete, psychologically, what I have always been telling, teaching, reminding my players and students has actually been a part of how I go through any activity. I could now relate such thought to any sport I could involve myself in. A deep assessment made could only still make me ponder if it is really true, or a thought I'd like to believe in. Other factors are the maturity of the people I was playing with in the team, my classmates have really grown over time. There seems to be this unspoken agreement of how we play. I find it funny we still talk about the same things but, as my classmate, Joboy Quintos would say, "the ABL effect". I think the next step for us is to actually agree on set plays but I see that most are already happy with a system that works inside the court without having to consider the result. Only now is there a matter if we want to be more serious and how we balance having fun and being competitive. A challenge any recreational team would have. But as of now I still think its all about enjoying good competition with good old friends inside the court that makes things worth it. Winning would be a bonus as I always say. We did not manage to get that this year, but I can't say I wasn't happy with how I managed to play this season with the D-boys. I wouldn't mind doing it again.

Thanks guys (D-boys)! I still find it a good run on a personal level. This season just might have been a sacrificial year for the next seasons.

Maroon Pride Magazine

Get a free copy of Maroon Pride, the official magazine of the UP Fighting Maroons from the UPAA Office, Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman, Quezon City. The magazine features the UP Lady Maroon teams, mainly volleyball, swimming, table tennis, and badminton. 

You can read the magazine online: http://issuu.com/maroonpride/docs/maroonpridev1n2?mode=window

UP Women's Volleyball Team Season 75 Opening

UAAP Season 75 UP Women's Volleyball Team celebrating their first win.

It's been busy times for my team and I recently. Obviously, opening weekend of the UAAP Volleyball Tournament Season 75 has offered so much. No doubt that we have been preparing ever more so especially with last year's unfortunate campaign. This year it hasn't gone as smoothly as we expected it to be either during the off season. Despite this, our hard work did pay off with a good first win after so long in the UAAP. The team can only expect better and more things to come. We really our positive now and we plan to continue this way. It isn't going to become any easier for us however. We all do have to remember that it is a long season. As for now, we will be playing and keep on fighting for success. We will do our best as a team and enjoy every moment of what volleyball has to offer. 

Support our team this season! #UPfight

Volleyball Workshop at the National Conference on Sport Pedagogy 2012

Basic concepts for better coaching analysis.

So, I've been a bit busy recently. As a physical educator in the University of the Philippines, the first semester is ending (as of the time I typed this entry). For teachers like us, it is time to check papers. But in our college, the College of Human Kinetics, the faculty have decided to share their knowledge through the National Conference on Sport Pedagogy. That adds a bit more to the semestral ender work. Of course, in a good way, since other teachers will gain more knowledge from the seminars and workshops to be presented. It is in fact our duty as teachers to do such services to our fellow country and its countrymen. This leads to one of the reasons to why I was hired in my college, and that is to teach volleyball. 

I decided to lead the volleyball workshop for the conference as I already have been previously teaching this sport in other regions of the country as well. What I offered to teach however for this conference was something new. Aside from the usual seminars I give, what I took notice was the knowledge the teachers already had for the basics of volleyball. I had to give "new thinking" to a sport of more than a hundred years old. Simple, basic, but very much effective is how I wanted share my knowledge with my fellow professionals. What I taught were details seen in volleyball that are not particularly noticed all the time or given thought of. The understanding of it, and transfer of this understanding from player to coach, could be possible for further improvement of their students, players, or athletes. It is an understanding I apply in any sport I play or encounter. It has guided me through learning volleyball the quickest possible way. Let's just leave it with that for now (I might have to do a whole workshop in my blog).

Participants ready to serve and apply the basic concepts.

The experience was good. The challenge to teach something else aside from my usual routine and help other teachers understand these concepts were new lessons which the participating teachers and I learned together. I'd like to believe that the concepts were accepted well. To notice such ideas also made the participants think while using their bodies during movement. As the saying goes, mind and body should work together.

Finswimming in the UP Pool

Today marks the day I will be teaching my first finswimming class in UP. I think it would be rather cool to start teaching another water sport other than my basic swimming classes. 

Finswimming is swimming with an aid of a bi-fin or monofin powered by a swimmer's own muscles. Finswimming is known to have both recreational and fitness benefits including muscular fitness especially for the abdominals, back and leg muscles, improved swimming mechanics and rehabilitation purposes.

Finswimming in the University of the Philippines Diliman is offered as a service PE to its students.

Trellis Volleyball Team Claims 3rd in the 2012 PVC Men's Open

Battle for 3rd. Trellis won in 4 sets over Haikurasu.

Our team, Trellis A, finished third in this tournament. We could have battled it out in the championship game but we were unfortunate to be the number three team in a triple-tie against the TVM team and Rockwell team. The point quotient system had left us out and the team felt gutted. We knew we could have had the biggest chance of winning our first over-all victory. A victory that would have been very fulfilling as we played a gentleman's game within the team and knew each strength and weakness of our members. Unspokenly, we agreed to use them to the best of our abilities. Thus, finishing the league with a good result.

Team huddle. Trellis Sisig!

We had placed well in numerous games, often landing somewhere in the runner-up positions. We all were previous varsity volleyball players from the University of the Philippines from different times. We knew our system. We knew our goals. And, we did it right, having respect for everyone inside. Everyone was able to show his best qualities within the team, and we now all have a little more respect for each other. And though we may sound serious, we actually had a lot of fun inside and outside the court. We enjoyed our game and we played it well! 

Thank you Trellis Restaurant for another successful tournament. Good games for the guys, Dino, Jarod, Eric, Ronald, Gerald, Paolo, Juno, Luis, Nicolo, Justin, Choq, and Tep.

Semi-final game against Rockwell in Club650.

Video of our intense game! How we won in our battle for 3rd! (Don't kill me!)

Walking in Singapore

Walking in the Singapore Grand Prix Track at Marina Bay

During the time I spent going around Singapore, I decided on one of those days to actually get an estimate of how many steps I did in a day. I don't usually do long walks. In fact, I believe that I was given feet by God to actually use it to operate the pedals of a car. Kidding aside, I do know the importance of exercising and I do like walking at times. 

Pedometer is all set at 0

So I borrowed a purchased pedometer in one of those everything $2 shops in Singapore and started my day with walking. It  is said that 10,000 steps were the recommended steps per day for a person to achieve good fitness. Personally, I think I am fit enough. But, to walk for 10,000 steps for a day and without any regular load of walking that much, I estimate to walk around just 3,000 steps per day, maybe even less. Well, I couldn't be too sure but, I recorded two days of my travel weekend with a 13,000+ steps on a Saturday and 14,000+ steps on a Sunday. That's a lot for someone like me who doesn't walk as much on any regular day.

They say 10,000 steps are said to be around 5 miles. For a more Asian conversion, that would be 8 kilometers. 

The estimated number of steps I made on Sunday's Race Day

At the end of the day, it felt good that I was going well over 10,000 steps. Thinking of how much carbohydrates I had to consume wasn't a problem, and feeling fit was always something good for the psyche. Plus, I was sure to have a good night's sleep. The aching however was terrible but tolerable at the feet. Funny how my calves, hamstrings, and glutes, hip muscles and back had a bit of aching through all the mobility and stability. But hey, mixing a daily chore and not noticing it as exercise, fitness could be easier like this.