Swimming is Life: a saying that people take way too literally. An athlete is too often defined by what they do. "That's Johnny, he's my swimmer." The more this is repeated, the more the child believes that what they do in the water defines them. This is a dangerous road to travel down, because as we know, not every practice, nor every meet is going to be an earth-shattering success. There will be hard practices, there will be difficult meets, and there will be times when the swimmer does not do their best. It happens to everyone. Swimmers who have a firm grasp on who they are, they are the ones who will recover from disappointment, and learn from it, faster and better than the swimmers who wrap everything about who they are into the sport.
Me, I am a swimmer. I am also a coach. I am also a husband. I am also a writer, reader, coffee-lover, Christ-loving, guinea-pig loving, individual man who happens to really, really like the color yellow. I am Stephen. I do lots of things, I love lots of things, and I have many individual thoughts and opinions. I place a lot of value on my actions, deeds, and words. I believe that what I do is important, because whatever I do, I should put my heart into it. I have been given a divine opportunity every morning when I wake up. So I want to make the most of it.
'Swimming is Life' is a metaphor for what life is. It is a long journey that we must be passionate about. It is a process of training, taking care of yourself, looking out for your teammates, doing your best, and taking action on what you believe is important. To be part of a sport is to be part of something greater than yourself. The structure of sport gives young athletes a place of structure, physical challenges, mental challenges, and a place where personal values are developed.
I swim because I love it. I coach because I love it. I have embraced this sport and my profession because it is what I am called to do. It makes me come alive, and gets me excited. Does it define who I am? No. It gives me an opportunity to show others who I am, and brings out the best in me.
Swimmers: know that you are much more than your sport.
Parents: your child is your child. Not your swimmer, your child.
Coaches: It is all about the kids. They look up to you, make sure you remind them how important they are.
Swimming is just one of many metaphors for life. It has many parallels to the ups and downs, the triumphs and challenges that everyone faces. So don't be afraid to face it head on.
Friday, February 13, 2015
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Motivation
Motivation. Where does it come from? It comes from years of goal setting, and a personal desire to be the best you can be. Our coach told us this morning: "We set goals not with the intent to achieve them, but with the desire to BECOME the people who achieve those goals." Sure, it is great to get a personal best time. It is great to be the top swimmer in the lane. But the important part is the person you are. Who are you now that you have achieved this? What did you do to get there? You made choices. You were motivated enough to change yourself, change the way you think, and change the way you act, in order to reach the goal you had set for yourself.
When we swim, it is not always about beating your time. It is about how you beat it. What are you doing in the water? What is going on in your head? Ask yourself how good is 'good enough.' Ask yourself: what are you willing to do to achieve this goal?
They say each day is a new day, and it's true. You are never the same person day in and day out. Every day we learn something different, and we grow a little bit. We are in essence still the same person, but like mighty trees we grow tall, strong, and reach for the skies.
So where does motivation come in? It comes from within us. We find something we like, something we enjoy, and something we experience success in. We latch on to that feeling of success. We want so much to feel it again, we go looking for it. And so begins a great adventure. A swimmer will always remember their first ribbon. Their first trophy. The first time they win a race. They will remember the rush of excitement, and the pride they felt in that accomplishment. And they will spend the rest of their swimming career looking for that same feeling.
It is important to remember where we come from. A lot of days, we older swimmers get lost in the massive amount of yardage we do each day. We get bogged down in the pressures, and we lose sight of that end goal. It is in those times that we must pull ourselves out of the mire. Take a deep breath. Remember how it all started. Remember that first race you won. Let it remind you of why you started swimming in the first place.
So each day, ask yourself: why are you chasing these goals? What kind of a person do you want to be? Once you have those answers, start being that person. Start chasing those goals. We all lose hope at some point. Sometimes it takes a small step back to help you jump three steps forward.
So as you go about your day today, remember this: Motivation comes from within. Envision the person you once were when you started. Envision the person you want to become. See how much you've grown! See how far you've come! Could an ordinary person do that? No. It takes a special person to do what you did. It takes you. Don't stop being the person you set out to be just because it seems hard. The work you have put in has prepared you to take on whatever challenge is ahead. So stay motivated! Stay happy! And do your best!
When we swim, it is not always about beating your time. It is about how you beat it. What are you doing in the water? What is going on in your head? Ask yourself how good is 'good enough.' Ask yourself: what are you willing to do to achieve this goal?
They say each day is a new day, and it's true. You are never the same person day in and day out. Every day we learn something different, and we grow a little bit. We are in essence still the same person, but like mighty trees we grow tall, strong, and reach for the skies.
So where does motivation come in? It comes from within us. We find something we like, something we enjoy, and something we experience success in. We latch on to that feeling of success. We want so much to feel it again, we go looking for it. And so begins a great adventure. A swimmer will always remember their first ribbon. Their first trophy. The first time they win a race. They will remember the rush of excitement, and the pride they felt in that accomplishment. And they will spend the rest of their swimming career looking for that same feeling.
It is important to remember where we come from. A lot of days, we older swimmers get lost in the massive amount of yardage we do each day. We get bogged down in the pressures, and we lose sight of that end goal. It is in those times that we must pull ourselves out of the mire. Take a deep breath. Remember how it all started. Remember that first race you won. Let it remind you of why you started swimming in the first place.
So each day, ask yourself: why are you chasing these goals? What kind of a person do you want to be? Once you have those answers, start being that person. Start chasing those goals. We all lose hope at some point. Sometimes it takes a small step back to help you jump three steps forward.
So as you go about your day today, remember this: Motivation comes from within. Envision the person you once were when you started. Envision the person you want to become. See how much you've grown! See how far you've come! Could an ordinary person do that? No. It takes a special person to do what you did. It takes you. Don't stop being the person you set out to be just because it seems hard. The work you have put in has prepared you to take on whatever challenge is ahead. So stay motivated! Stay happy! And do your best!
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