GD Swimming Interview: Jonathan Okada

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Written by William Ngo

Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:46

Varsity swimmer Jonathan Okada speaks words of wisdom about his team and their training.

GD: What class are you in and what sport are you doing this fall?

I’m a sophomore in the awesome class of 2011 and I’m participating in Swimming for this season.

GD: Some days, your swimming team doesn't have access to a pool, what do you do then?

Well, on the days we don’t have access to a pool, we practice at Oxford doing a “dry workout” routine. Mostly, we work with stretch bands that we hook around the fence on the field and do exercises that work the muscles that we use in swimming aside from pushups and curl-ups. For example, we usually begin by doing the butterfly with only our arms. While it may seem easy to just do the motions in the air, it gets a little tiring after a while since the stretch bands provide resistance. I remember one time we were really sore from the previous day’s swimming practice and could barely perform the motions. I couldn’t stop wondering when we were going to switch partners so I could take a break.

GD: So what do you prefer, "land training" or "wet training?"

Hmm… I don’t really know. It feels pretty good to dive in the pool when it’s a hot day (which unfortunately doesn’t happen a lot) or the adrenaline rush from one of the sets that Coach Wittman gives us. On the other hand, dry workouts provide a small rest period in the swim week that really help while still giving us exercise on our swimming muscles. So I guess it really depends on how I feel for the day that we have “wet training” or dry workouts.

GD: During a practice, what does the team do and what is the atmosphere like?

Our team is pretty wild and full of energy. During practice, singing and joking around are some of the ways we relax in between sets. We tend to goof around a lot, and the bus rides to the meets are always lively and loud.

GD: What are your goals this season, and as a team do you have a different goal?

Well, my ongoing goal is to try to constantly reduce the times in my events each time I go to a meet. I would also like to improve my strokes, specifically my backstroke. I used to be decent in the stroke, but I lost the speed and technique that I used to have last year. However, my main focus is swimming a faster 50 and 100 yard freestyle time. Swimming the “Crawl” is my strongest stroke, and my time for the 50 yard free is what allowed me to squeeze into the bracket for last year’s League Finals. I’m hoping to get into League Finals again this year (and always wishing to get to CIF), and the 50 yard free is my best bet to getting there. For our team, CIF is always a goal that we try to shoot for. Our swim team has had numerous participants in CIF who have come away with banners that now hang in our gym. As a team, I would definitely like to see the legacy that the swimmers of the past have already left behind continue on while I am still swimming as a Patriot.

GD: You are known to always give 100% in sports; do you have any group breaks or cheers?

We always start out a meet with our team cheer and end meets with a cheer for the other school we are competing against. Our team cheer is pretty unique compared to other teams we’ve went up against. We’d start by saying “louder” really soft and slowly increasing in volume five times. Then, everyone would say “shhh…” with Anne interrupting the silence by shouting “1, 2, 3,” and everyone yelling “OXFORD!” Our cheer wasn’t always like this, however. In the early pre-season meets, we’d say “Hey!” after “Oxford”, which annoyed Coach Wittman. Before one meet, he warned not to say “Hey” and said that we would regret it if we did. Some of the team said it anyway, and the next day at practice, we had to do a set that totaled 500 yards of butterfly for punishment, which convinced all of us not to say “Hey!” at our following meets.

GD: Out of all the sports available, why is swimming the only sport you've consistently chosen?

I guess I’ve stayed with swimming because it’s the sport that I’ve had the most experience with and I enjoy it. I was first hooked to it in 7th grade when they offered swimming for the first time in junior high. I was originally going to join Track and Field, but I figured that since I had taken swim lessons since I was 8 and swam every summer, I’d be able to manage swimming and do better in it than Track and Field. The season was really fun, and I got to hang out with friends and meet new people. I wanted to continue swimming, and here I am today, still swimming. I don’t have that much free time with school work, so swimming is the only sport that I can do besides the fact that I don’t have much experience with other sports offered at Oxford. Plus, I wouldn’t want to leave the pool and the people I swim with since swimming has allowed me to make new friends and offer a little escape from the stress that Oxford brings.

GD: Are you planning to join the swim team as a junior next year and continue on as a senior as well?

As long as I can maintain my grades, I definitely plan to join the swim team as a junior and as a senior.

GD: Do you have any last words you would like to say?

I’d like to thank Coach Wittman and Coach Pantanella both for their guidance and training. While at times the workout was really tough, I’m grateful for the effort that both of you put forth in training all of us. I’d also like to thank the swimmers on the team. Remember, we are the Oxford Academy Swim Team and our Patriot Pride! It’s been fun swimming with all of you and making friends with you, and I’m sorry I can’t name everyone. We’ll never forget the infamous “Deck of Fun” or the #8 (for those on the Water Polo Day). Once again, thanks for all the fun times together, and let’s pull together to keep this season strong! Also, to all Patriots, please come to our meets, all of your support gives us strength.