SPARC making a difference

Since starting operations last year, the SPARC (Sport Performance Assessment and Rehabilitation Center) strength and conditioning unit headed by coach Eski Ripoll has attended to over 3,000 varsity athletes in basketball, volleyball, football, athletics, taekwondo, fencing, table tennis and beach volleyball with significant success.

Among the cagers who have used the facilities of the Center on the ground floor of the FEU Technology Building are Tamaraws Andy Barroca, R. R. Garcia, Aldrech Ramos, J. R. Cawaling and Pipo Noundou and San Sebastian’s Jimbo Aquino, Calvin Abuenva, Raffy Gusi and Jonathan Semira.

PBA players Mark Isip and Denok Miranda occasionally work out at the facility.

FEU volleyball players Rachel Daquis and Shaira Gonzales have also benefited from the Center’s services. Gonzales injured her ankle in the opener of the championship series against La Salle and came back strong in Games 2 and 3 after receiving treatment at the Center. Last year, another FEU player Nestor Molate was involved in a freak accident where his finger was nearly cut off after getting caught in a doorway while retrieving a ball. Prompt medical response at SPARC facilitated treatment at the Medical City and the finger was saved.

Molate’s case resembled the care and recovery that former FEU star Mac Baracael received after a gunshot wound resulted in a punctured lung. In less than six weeks, Baracael was back on his feet, thanks to cardiopulmonary rehabilitation at the Medical City and training at SPARC.

Members of SPARC’s clinical team are internationally-trained and work at the Medical City’s department of rehabilitation medicine and sports and arthroscopy unit of the department of orthopaedics.

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Last January, the Medical City’s chief executive Dr. Alfredo Bengzon and FEU president Dr. Lydia Echauz led the ribbon-cutting rites that marked the official launch of SPARC, which was established “to assist athletes, non-athletes and weekend warriors to enhance and strengthen their performance and to provide remedies for their recovery from injuries.”

FEU’s Anton Montinola said the vision for SPARC was inspired by the goal of putting up a venue where sports-related injuries may be treated using superior equipment and professionally-trained rehabilitation therapists.

At the forefront of SPARC’s success is Ripoll, a sports science UP graduate in 2000 and a Master’s degree holder of health science from the University of Sydney in 2004.

“SPARC is a model for what schools can do if they are serious in their sports program,” said Ripoll. “SPARC is more than just a facility – it’s a center with a program, like a software is to a computer.” Aside from working as SPARC’s head strength and conditioning coach, Ripoll is in charge of the training programs of the FEU varsity teams and other SPARC programs related to sports and fitness such as wellness programs for FEU and research projects in collaboration with the Medical City.

Ripoll admitted that as an athlete, he never excelled but now in his chosen profession, he has found his passion in a mission that holds a deeper meaning for him.

“In my little way, I can help athletes achieve their full potential in sports,” he said. “Help them to work hard in order to reach their dreams. Make them better individuals on and off the court by teaching them the discipline. I really believe that sports develops character which can be carried over to life beyond sports.”

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Ripoll was recently chosen by Shell as one of its ambassadors because of his far-reaching influence in sports. He isn’t just a football, badminton and beach soccer player but he’s also a coach who shares his sports knowledge with athletes through SPARC.

What makes Ripoll a perfect fit as a Shell ambassador is his daily routine that requires driving from Sta. Rosa to Manila. “I drive from Sta. Rosa to Manila almost everyday, leaving around 5 to 5:30 a.m. to avoid traffic on the South Expressway,” he said. “I get to SPARC between 45 minutes to an hour then go home usually between 3 to 5 p.m. On most days, it takes an hour to an hour and 30 minutes, depending on traffic. Even on weekends, I usually go to Manila for UAAP games, family malling and other activities.”

Aside from SPARC, Ripoll also works for Alay Sa Bansa Center for Formation, Research and Development where he develops models for the improvement of the sports and physical education programs of public schools.

“I think 85 percent of Filipinos believe Shell fuels give better mileage and I’m one of them,” said Ripoll. “Shell’s fuels are very efficient and that’s why driving daily from Sta. Rosa to Manila and back doesn’t worry me. What I get out of Shell is peace of mind.”

Ripoll has three children, all boys, and they’re all hooked into sports. Diego Marcelo, 12, and Roberto Carlos, 10, study at La Salle Canlubang and play with the football varsity. They came from Ateneo where they were on the taekwondo and football teams. Youngest son Sebastian, 3, is just an active kid who never stops playing.

“I started the kids by enrolling them in swimming during summers before entering Grade 1,” said Ripoll. “When they got into Ateneo, I made them try taekwondo and football but never really forced them to stay. They would get in and out of sports. Only now did they really choose the sport they want to get into.”

Ripoll said his dream is for the strength and conditioning profession to be widely recognized as a major contributor to sports development. “For everybody to see the importance of sports and the importance to do things scientifically, especially in sports,” he added. “I want people to realize the importance of a trainer in sports just as a doctor is to medicine.”