8 July 2022
Life hadn’t been the same since the beginning of the pandemic. We spent two summers locked away in our rooms, just longing for the slight burn of the sun on our skins and the joy of keeping ourselves active outdoors. We no longer had access to the facilities that would support our daily sports activities, nor did we have a chance to engage in friendly competition. However, we see light at the end of the tunnel here at MPC. As COVID-19 restrictions slowly alleviated, we saw our Members shuffle back into the Club and perform their regimens once again. Now that the new normal has proven to be much safer for group gatherings, we are taking the next steps to rebuild our legacies, including the Summer Sports Clinic.
Anyone who has ever stepped foot into the Manila Polo Club knows how the world of sports and competition plays a vital role in keeping Members engaged. Besides the daily active routines of athletes and aspirants alike, the Summer Sports Clinic is an annual event that remains to be a pillar in all things athletic here at the Club. Every year, the Sports and Athletics Office, together with the different Sports Committees host the clinic with the goal to introduce new sports to our Members. This year, the Summer Sports Clinic kicked off last May 1st, and ended on June 12th.
To get to know more about the program, we took some time to ask Director John de Jesus, Sports and Athletics Chairperson and Board Member to get his thoughts and insights on the program.
We understand that the annual Summer Multisports Clinic was put on hold since the pandemic hit. As the chairperson for the Sports Committee, how important was it for you to revive this event this year?
“Physical activity is one of the most important parts of a child’s health, learning and well-being. Perseverance, sportsmanship, kindness, tolerance, winning with humility and losing with grace are just among the many essential life skills and lessons learned by children from sports experiences. After a long hiatus from physical activities brought about by the restrictions during the pandemic, the annual Summer Multisports Clinic at the Manila Polo Club, gives children the much needed time and safe space to actively participate in individual or group sporting and physical activities outside their homes.“
Were there any challenges that you had to overcome to move forward with the event?
“Compliance and adherence with COVID-19 restrictions and guidance, though a crucial part of the continuing response to suppressing the virus, has been quite a challenge in creating sports programs for children, but, with the help of our various sports subcommittees and the support and cooperation of our valued members, spouses and dependents, we are able to define safety procedures and sports activity protocols that still make it engaging and fun for children to safely participate actively in their chosen sports program.“
What inspired you to introduce other disciplines this year?
“Sports is a powerful means to foster physical fitness, mental health and emotional well-being. By cultivating a positive relationship with physical activities through both our existing and new sport offerings, we are able to keep children interested and engaged. It is encouraging to witness most enrollees in our sports camps begin with joining just the fun factor, to willingly progress to intermediate training, and with determination, continue on to training on the advanced level.”
What can we expect for next year’s run of the Summer Multi-sports Clinic?
“Continued efforts in making certain we succeed in getting maximum participation in every sport offerings curated for our children.”
Our Sports and Athletics Division Head, Mr. Gido Diestro had also shared some insight with us regarding the return of the summer sports clinic. “The COVID-19 pandemic has upended all areas of life – and sports is no exception,” he said. “Although Members and Dependents find new ways of sports engagements via online access, nothing beats face to face training and practices.” Indeed, we have faced two whole years of managing to meet our sports routines alone with limited resources. It was only about time that we give our Members the things they missed the most: activity and social interaction. With the return of the Summer Sports Clinic at MPC, we were happy to see significant enrollment in different areas, especiallyAquatics and Tennis, that were comparable to pre-pandemic numbers.
With our new partnerships with sports coalitions such as, Learn and Train Sports Academy (LTSA) for artistic gymnastics, Danspace Ballet School and G8 Academy for Football, we look forward to building meaningful relationships with them, and growing our roster as the months go by. Ultimately, we would like to see a more holistic program – interconnected with established names recognized by sports and performing arts governing bodies locally and internationally, and perfectly curated for every type of athlete.
