MGCNLCA Swim Team: On Land, Off the Pool

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics wrapped up months ago, but it’s evident that the passion for sports is still alive. Though competitions are not as frequent, the sports varsity training continues regularly online. Swimming is not an exemption to this. Our MGC New Life swim team attests to this through their very arduous training regimen.

It is undeniable that the ideal training environment for swimming is in the pool; however, with the pandemic, Zoom has replaced the swimming pool. Swimming varsity team captain Raine Kho shared her insights on the swimming team’s online training.

What is the best part about online training?

“No travel time. Online training gives us two to three hours of what used to be travel time to do other things. All we have to do is walk a few steps to our training area, open Zoom, and voila! We’re already in training. Instead of spending a fraction of our day in a car, we can use that time to do our schoolwork, relax and play games, watch movies, or talk to our friends.”

What skills can online training develop in an athlete?

I think online training teaches an athlete how to be independent and resourceful. When we used to train together, we’d depend on our coaches to tell us exactly what to do. We expect them to be watching us and making sure what we’re doing is correct. But Zoom can only show one angle of what you’re doing and we can’t check the chat box constantly while doing a set, so we have to pay attention to instructions and spot mistakes on our own. Because we’ve been out of the pool for over a year and a half, we have to figure out ways to bring swimming to land; it can be using stretch cords, modified core exercises, or even water bottles as weights.

What do you do before, during, and after training?

The time in between classes and training is usually spent doing schoolwork or relaxing – it depends on the day. We would usually enter the Zoom meeting 10 to 15 minutes before our training starts so we can prepare and warm up. When it hits 5:05, our coach sends the first workout and starts playing music. We do a core workout, an upper body workout, and a leg workout, in no specific order. After training, we either stretch with our teammates or we stretch offline.

What do you miss most about competitions?

Definitely bonding with teammates. The majority of our time during competitions is spent waiting and playing games. Imagine being in a competition for eight to ten hours but only racing for a few minutes. I do miss racing, but waiting for your event with your teammates just hits differently. The bond and memories you create can’t be replicated, and I’d love to play Jenga with the other swimmers again.

How does athletics make you a better student?

Athletics instills discipline and time management skills. Doing simple things such as showing up to training early or doing a set properly helps you have more discipline both as a student and an athlete. And balancing school and sports is difficult, especially during competition season, so having good time management is important. It allows you to finish all your tasks on time, be present in training and competitions, and give you extra time to relax. Knowing how to multi-task and finish requirements fast is an added bonus too.