Coach Roland “Andoy” Remolino (rightmost) poses with his swimmers after their practice last Monday night at the Maroca Swimming Pool in Talisay City.
The sun has took to hiding. Darkness has embraced the surroundings. But a group of at least 20 school children were still practicing in a dimly-lit, aging swimming pool.
It was a typical day for these children who were not there just to take a dip or horse around.
While other children their age are already taking respite from a day’s grind at school, they still toil hard even late in the day, showing the kind of dedication imbibed in them by someone they fondly call Coach Andoy.
The children were members of the Talisay Aqua Blazers who train under Roland “Andoy” Remolino.
Coach Andoy is the man behind the huge success that the Blazers achieved in the recent 19th Milo Little Olympics Visayas Eliminations where they amassed 21 gold medals, 12 silvers and 11 bronzes.
“I am not surprised with the results. The way these children train, I know they are capable of dominating,” said Coach Andoy in an interview during the group’s practice at the Maroca Swimming Pool in barangay Poblacion, Talisay City last Monday night.
The Blazers are mostly grade school pupils.
STAR SWIMMERS
Psalm Deniel Aquino and Raven Faith Alcoseba led the Blazers’ massive medal haul in the latest edition of the Nestle-backed multi-sporting event.
Alcoseba swept her 11 events and broke six meet records to help the First Chinese Royal Academy win the elementary girls swimming event.
Aquino went 10-for-11 in his own competition while shattering six records to buoy the Asian College of Technology to the championship crown in elementary boys.
The biggest winner for this year’s Milo Olympics was the University of San Carlos-Basic Education Department, which ruled the elementary and secondary divisions for the second straight year.
“Talisay schools could not compete for the overall crown because they can’t compete in all of the events. But we make sure to consistently win the elementary swimming event,” Coach Andoy said.
The 48-year-old coach emphasized that the achievement was not just a stroke of luck. It was the product of hard work.
From Monday to Friday, the group trains daily from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Then on Saturday, the young athletes wake up early to jog and do plyometrics and calisthenics. Then they head to the pool in the afternoon to cap a week-long training.
“Sunday is more of a bonding time for us. Sometimes we do light training then we have a simple get-together,” Coach Andoy said.
Coach Andoy, a father of five, started training aspiring swimmers in 2006 though by accident.
One of his sons, Michael Louie, used to be a badminton player who was competing in the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (Cviraa) meet in 2006 in Dumanjug town when his stint was cut short due to an asthma attack.
He was advised by his father to try swimming. It was only then that he was healed.
As a way of showing gratitude to swimming, Coach Andoy, a lifeguard and a scuba diving instructor, recruited students from public schools in Talisay and taught them how to swim.
COACHING TECHNIQUES
Currently, the Blazers are composed of at least 60 swimmers. Coach Andoy’s son Andrew Kim is the oldest at 14 years old old while the youngest is six.
Coaching is not all about teaching the basics in swimming. Coach Andoy said it is important for a coach to be very understanding and patient.
“First, I make an assessment if they are physically, emotionally and psychologically ready. You really have to understand that you are dealing with children,” said Coach Andoy.
Establishing a close relationship with the athletes is also a must. “I treat them like my own children. Ours is like a father and children relationship,” he said.
“He connects easily with the children. He communicates well with his students and he is a good motivator,” said Sigmund Estreba, father of 10-year-old Mariel, who collected three bronzes in the recent meet.
Coach Andoy said the Blazers rely on their tremendous determination to win since they don’t get to enjoy the facility that big school swimmers have.
The age-old Maroca swimming pool where the Blazers train measures just 22 meters by 12 meters, way smaller than the Olympic size pool which is 50×25.
“We make do with what we have. I have to devise training methods to compensate for the lack of facility. Swimmers from big school have so many gadgets that we don’t have,” said Coach Andoy. “I don’t know if other swimmers do 3×1500 drill in their practices. We do that to offset the undersized pool that we have.”
WINNING ATTITUDE
Instilling a winning attitude is also crucial.
“My desire for winning is very high. I told my swimmers that I don’t mind losing but I hate to lose,” said Coach Andoy.
While he expects so much from his swimmers, Coach Andoy makes sure that his students don’t feel the pressure to win.
“I just tell them you don’t have to win always. Losing is part of winning. What I want them to do is to do their best during competitions,” the coach revealed.
Coach Andoy’s job doesn’t end at the pool. When he has free time, he tries to learn new techniques through the Internet.
“For me, learning is a never-ending process. I learned hypoxia and high-altitude training through the Internet. Teaching the swimmers how to have proper nutrition is also a must,” he said.
As a coach, earning the students’ respect is the utmost goal.
“I let them feel that I’m sincere when I tell them I want them to excel. And all I ask from them is to train hard. The approach should be ‘today is today and tomorrow will not come.’ We must do right away the things that we have to do if we want to reach far,” said Coach Andoy.
Part of being a coach is to make sure that the swimmers also do well in their studies.
“I remind them that they only have eight good years of being a swimmer. Use your being an athlete to get scholarships and make good use of it,” he said.
As the interview was about to wrap up, one of the swimmers tapped Coach Andoy’s back, asking if she could excuse herself because her stomach was acting up.
Coach Andoy nodded then directed his attention at the other swimmers who had just completed a drill.
Coach Andoy raised his left hand, palm open. He then flashed his index finger.
The coach didn’t have to say a word and his students plunged back into the pool to complete five sets of 100-meter swim. The scene was a testament that the coach has gotten the respect of his swimmers, respect that will surely result to more success in the coming Milo Little Olympics and other big competitions.
And that will definitely bring joy to Coach Andoy.