The SPARC for better sports performance

The SPARC for better sports performance
by rick olivares

Far Eastern University volleybelle Rachel Daquis swears that the new Sports Performance Center (SPARC) has benefited the team’s performance in the current UAAP tournament. “It’s an advantage for us because it adds to our training and conditioning. Then after a game we can use for it for recovery and rehabilitation.”

“This will not only benefit FEU athletes and our community but also our performance in national sports,” added a beaming Anton Montinola, the school’s representative to the UAAP Board.

On 20 January 2009, Dr. Alran Bengzon, Chief Executive of The Medical City and Dr. Lydia Echauz, President of Far Eastern University (FEU), led the ribbon-cutting ceremony that marked the official launch of the SPARC Sports Performance Center. Located on the Ground Floor of the Technology Building of FEU along Nicanor Reyes Street, Sampaloc, Manila, SPARC 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.

SPARC is a collaboration between medical and sports science specialists. The facility houses orthopedists who treat a variety of conditions and rehabilitation medicine consultants who complement them.

Dr. Mikey Bengzon, President of SPARC and son of Dr. Alfredo Bengzon, explained that "While skill has an impact on athletic talent, it does not equate to overall fitness. Skill alone does not guarantee an athlete a great career in sports”. At SPARC, an athlete’s performance can be quantified, measured, and monitored with the help of state-of-the-art technology and equipment. Sports science consultants at SPARC train the athletes to regain their previous athletic performance levels (when they are injured) or improve such levels through strength and conditioning, fitness and physiological screening, and body fat screening among others.

Dr. Bengzon added that since the risk of getting injured in sports is extremely high, a good rehabilitation center is imperative to help athletes recover quickly. SPARC’s clinical services include orthopedic rehabilitation and occupational and functional rehabilitation.

"We wanted a venue where we can treat sports-related injuries using superior equipment and professionally-trained rehabilitation therapists," elaborated Montinola who explained that this was the vision for the facility from its inception.

“Malaking tulong ‘to sa amin,” smiled Tamaraws Coach Glenn Capacio. “Kung meron lang kaming ganito nung araw eh baka mas matagal pa tayo naglaro.”



This appears in the Wednesday January 21 2009 edition of Business Mirror.
http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4874:curtain-rises-on-feus-sparc&catid=31:sports&Itemid=65