Facing Disappointment
Every athlete faces failure. Whether it's a missed shot, a bad pitch, or a wild throw, we have all fallen short and missed the mark. As athletes we are constantly striving for perfection in our craft, each day working to become the best we can be. We spend hours and hours honing skills, and pushing our bodies to the limits. So yes, it can be heartbreaking when things don't turn out the way we hope.
I flew out to Santa Clara California for the Arena Pro Swim Series in June, hoping to finally get my Olympic Trial qualifying time. Years of training had finally brought me to this moment in time. With Trials only weeks away, it was my last shot. It was now or never. My first day there I swam a best time in my 100 butterfly. Not my best event, so I was not expecting to qualify in it. I was very excited to swim a best time. The next day, was the 100 backstroke. My 'best' stroke. I had only to drop one second, and I would qualify for the Trials. One second. Well, just one second can weigh on a swimmers mind like a fifty pound medicine ball.
As a coach, I have talked to several swimmers about their 'best' stroke. It is that one stroke we specialize in. The event that we succeed in. The event we can always count on to be our best, to get us the highest place. We have had many victories surrounding that event. And so, years of building that event up, has placed it on a very high mountain, where the pressure is just as high. Too many times, I have swum a backstroke race that I have gotten out of the pool and thought: "That was terrible. It should have been better." In my head, I proclaim myself to be the king of backstroke. So the pressure to succeed is there, eating away at my mind. And with it, the deep fear that something could go wrong. Butterfly on the other hand, is fun. I enjoy it, because I don't care quite as much about the success of the race. I just like to swim it. And that makes all the difference. It should not be about the time, or the need to succeed, but just to enjoy the process of training, and embrace the race!
After that 100 backstroke in Santa Clara, it was very hard to find anything that I liked about it. I did not have a great mindset going into the race, I nearly missed the wall on my turn, and I hit the lane rope twice during the race. And just like that, one bad swim pulled me down into a funk like I have never experienced. All the build up of self-pressure, and self-doubt pulled me down and drowned me. I had failed. I called my wife, tears welling up, not sure if I could go on. Almost all my worse fears about racing came true. Looking back, months down the road, I can definitely see where I let those fears of failure get to me right before the race. I was too focused on what I didn't want to do. It's easy now to look back and say 'should have done this...' but what good will that do?
There was a moment on the phone with my wife, when I was feeling all the weight of years of swimming hitting me hard in the chest, telling me it was all for nothing, that I was finally able to face myself and be honest with myself. Maybe I wasn't going to be the next great Olympian of swimming, but does that really matter? I was at one of the fastest meets in the country, swimming with some of the greatest athletes. One bad race does not define me as a swimmer. It is the dedication that I have lived by. It is my persistence in following a dream. It is my belief in myself as a person. And it is my unwavering love of the sport that truly matters.
I shook off the fears, and held my head up. Tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow is another race. I swam the 200 IM and the 200 backstroke the next day. The 200 IM was my first event of the morning, and all I had to do was drop 2 seconds to make it to Olympic Trials.
Getting ready for the race that day, I remember facing those same fears: What if it all goes wrong? What if you're not ready? What if you don't get the cut? What if you fail? I told myself what I needed to hear: I don't care about those fears. I want to race.
I swam a best time that day. No, I didn't drop 2 seconds. I did not qualify for the Olympic Trials. And you know what? The world didn't end. I made finals in all my events that weekend. I got to swim in the top heat of the 200 IM at finals, against someone who went on to final in the Olympics. I warmed down, and I held my head up.
Disappointment hurts. It hurts really bad. You want to wallow in all the wishes, and 'should have done this better,' or 'if only I had prepared better,' and you want to crawl into a hole where no one will find you. But that is not what a great athlete does. A great athlete is one who takes disappointment, turns it on its head, and rides on to the next victory. I am sad I didn't qualify for the greatest swim meet our country hosts. I am sad that I will not compete against the greatest athletes in the world at that meet. But you know, one day I will be there. I will stand on deck, and I will be with other coaches who also have swimmers there. While one dream ends, another one begins. Just because we fall short, and we don't reach the goals we set for ourselves, does not mean that we are any less of a person. It means the plan must change. It means the goal must change. It means that there is something bigger, and better out there for you to go after.
So if I could say anything to my swimmers when they miss their goal, it would be this: I still believe you are a great athlete. I believe you can still do whatever you set your mind to. What can we learn from this experience, and how can we grow from it? I am excited to help you pursue the next step, and I'm excited to see what you can achieve.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Friday, February 13, 2015
Swimming is Life
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.
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.
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!
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Passion and Performance
To succeed in the sport of swimming you need to have passion. There is an inner drive which becomes hardwired into the swimmer at a young age. It is this passion for being one's best, and competing against others to see who is the best that keeps that passion going. The need to see oneself improve. That is why as a coach, I am strive to constantly give praise to any form of improvement I see in my swimmers. Now, if something needs to be fixed, then the swimmer needs to know, and I will work with them. But to keep the experience of being at swim practice and the environment of the pool fun and enjoyable, there must be an element of fun to keep things positive. Younger swimmers are excited: they love getting in the pool and just swimming. How do we keep hold of that child-like enjoyment when the swimmers get older, and the sets become long, and the training becomes more grueling? We must constantly remind the swimmers why they are there at the pool. As they get older, their goals become more advanced and detailed, so coaches use the goals of the swimmer to keep them motivated. Also, the coaches create an environment that will supply the swimmer with the passion they need to come back the next day.
As coaches, we can't manufacture the passion within a swimmer. We instill it when they are young, then we create an environment where (hopefully) that passion and drive to become faster becomes instilled in the swimmer naturally. We remind them of their goals, but don't beat them into their head. When swimmers are with their friends and teammates, having a good time working through a set, or just goofing around, the experience and environment are ideal for personal growth. When a coach tries to hard to control the swimmers by force feeding them goals they think they should have, and unattainable expectations, the swimmers become discouraged and frustrated. Just as the swimmers adapt to the sets and the practices, the coach must adapt to the swimmers. Often I find myself going into a practice with a set in my head, a goal or two for practice in mind, and have to change that set because the swimmers are not in a coachable mood, and not responding to my efforts. I will still find way to accomplish my own goal for them, but in a way where the swimmers are being more successful, and understanding the goal better. I can't tell my swimmers to stop feeling like crud and expect them to magically go from a negative attitude to a positive attitude. The best I can do is alter my approach, and invite them see beyond the negatives.
When a swimmer becomes frustrated with practice, how do we help bring them back in, and see the big picture? We remind them that they are special. They have worked hard, and pushed themselves to a point where turning back and giving up would be detrimental to their development. We find ways of helping them find that passion they need to perform well, even when they're frustrated with themselves.
To succeed as a swimmer, and as a coach, there must be an element of passion for the sport. That deep longing for success, to achieve goals, to set new standards, to accomplish some feat, all that desire is built from an early age, and developed by swimmers, coaches, teammates, and family working together for the overall success of the swimmer. So coaches: Keep up the energy! Keep it fun! Be honest and sincere with your swimmers! Swimmers: Be open and engaged! Don't let yourselves get dragged down by frustration! Remember why you are there in the water! That passion will lead to great performances.
As coaches, we can't manufacture the passion within a swimmer. We instill it when they are young, then we create an environment where (hopefully) that passion and drive to become faster becomes instilled in the swimmer naturally. We remind them of their goals, but don't beat them into their head. When swimmers are with their friends and teammates, having a good time working through a set, or just goofing around, the experience and environment are ideal for personal growth. When a coach tries to hard to control the swimmers by force feeding them goals they think they should have, and unattainable expectations, the swimmers become discouraged and frustrated. Just as the swimmers adapt to the sets and the practices, the coach must adapt to the swimmers. Often I find myself going into a practice with a set in my head, a goal or two for practice in mind, and have to change that set because the swimmers are not in a coachable mood, and not responding to my efforts. I will still find way to accomplish my own goal for them, but in a way where the swimmers are being more successful, and understanding the goal better. I can't tell my swimmers to stop feeling like crud and expect them to magically go from a negative attitude to a positive attitude. The best I can do is alter my approach, and invite them see beyond the negatives.
When a swimmer becomes frustrated with practice, how do we help bring them back in, and see the big picture? We remind them that they are special. They have worked hard, and pushed themselves to a point where turning back and giving up would be detrimental to their development. We find ways of helping them find that passion they need to perform well, even when they're frustrated with themselves.
To succeed as a swimmer, and as a coach, there must be an element of passion for the sport. That deep longing for success, to achieve goals, to set new standards, to accomplish some feat, all that desire is built from an early age, and developed by swimmers, coaches, teammates, and family working together for the overall success of the swimmer. So coaches: Keep up the energy! Keep it fun! Be honest and sincere with your swimmers! Swimmers: Be open and engaged! Don't let yourselves get dragged down by frustration! Remember why you are there in the water! That passion will lead to great performances.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Two Sides of the Coin: Negative & Positive
You had a bad day. Take a deep breath. Open your mind, and flip the coin. To each down side, there is an upside. Monday morning, I had one of the worst practices I have ever experienced. The night before should have been full of excitement, as it was the first night in the new house, but instead if was filled with queasiness and nausea from food poisoning (take note: measure your intake of movie theater popcorn!).
So I wake up and jump out of bed at 4:28am, later than I had hoped, and rushed around, still feeling half sick, looking for my swim bag. I rush out the door, and get there just in time before Coach closes the pool doors. I get to the locker room, and with horror I realize that I forgot to grab a swim suit. With a heavy heart, I walk out on deck where everyone else is getting their dynamic warm up started, and ask if anyone has a spare suit. The results are mixed. I end up wearing two very old suits which are slightly stretched out, and end up feeling like someone has attached dumbbells to my hips.
And then I remember it's butterfly day. My heart sinks to the soles of my feet.
Very soon after we get in the water, my body makes me very aware that I have not fully recovered from my 11,000 meter open water race less than two days ago. My shoulders feel like they are made of lead. I am dragging behind in the lane. I still feel nauseous. I swim eight seconds slower than my best when we get up and race. And to make matters get even worse, an enormous wolf-spider decides to hop into the gutter of our lane to make friends with my lane mates and I. My arachnophobia immediately kicks in. One of my lane-mates is gracious enough to remove the spider from the lane, and dump it outside.
It is then that I think, 'I've had it. I just can't go on anymore. This is a terrible day, and I just should have slept in!'
And then I look up and see that day's quote on the wall. It is all about positivity, and not letting negative thoughts infect our minds. "Don't water the weeds."
I stopped to think. Sure, I didn't like spiders. Not one bit. But a teammate saw my distress, and was kind enough to take care of it for me. My coach had held the door for me, and didn't lock me out. I accomplished great things at my open water swim by swimming more than I had ever done in my life. Of course I was going to be tired! And while awful, food poisoning only lasts for a short time. And, my teammates were nice enough to lend me their suits.
While I was down, my teammates and coach picked me up. They helped me to keep going. I finished the practice, and I didn't give up when everything in me wanted to. When you're having a bad day, and everything around you seems to be crumbling down, remember that there is always something good happening too. The negatives may seem to add up, but for every negative there is a positive. You just have to find it, and focus on it. Instead of letting negative thoughts cloud your vision, focus on the positives, and what you can do to make the day go your way. Everyone has a bad day. Everyone has moments where they want to quit and leave it all behind. It would make things so much easier wouldn't it? But did taking the easy way out ever make you stronger? Did it help you later on when you faced another problem, or another bad day? No. Face the problems, the negative thoughts, the seemingly bad circumstances head on. Be courageous and resilient. Counter the negatives with positives, and you will become stronger mentally and physically. Don't water the weeds.
So I wake up and jump out of bed at 4:28am, later than I had hoped, and rushed around, still feeling half sick, looking for my swim bag. I rush out the door, and get there just in time before Coach closes the pool doors. I get to the locker room, and with horror I realize that I forgot to grab a swim suit. With a heavy heart, I walk out on deck where everyone else is getting their dynamic warm up started, and ask if anyone has a spare suit. The results are mixed. I end up wearing two very old suits which are slightly stretched out, and end up feeling like someone has attached dumbbells to my hips.
And then I remember it's butterfly day. My heart sinks to the soles of my feet.
Very soon after we get in the water, my body makes me very aware that I have not fully recovered from my 11,000 meter open water race less than two days ago. My shoulders feel like they are made of lead. I am dragging behind in the lane. I still feel nauseous. I swim eight seconds slower than my best when we get up and race. And to make matters get even worse, an enormous wolf-spider decides to hop into the gutter of our lane to make friends with my lane mates and I. My arachnophobia immediately kicks in. One of my lane-mates is gracious enough to remove the spider from the lane, and dump it outside.
It is then that I think, 'I've had it. I just can't go on anymore. This is a terrible day, and I just should have slept in!'
And then I look up and see that day's quote on the wall. It is all about positivity, and not letting negative thoughts infect our minds. "Don't water the weeds."
I stopped to think. Sure, I didn't like spiders. Not one bit. But a teammate saw my distress, and was kind enough to take care of it for me. My coach had held the door for me, and didn't lock me out. I accomplished great things at my open water swim by swimming more than I had ever done in my life. Of course I was going to be tired! And while awful, food poisoning only lasts for a short time. And, my teammates were nice enough to lend me their suits.
While I was down, my teammates and coach picked me up. They helped me to keep going. I finished the practice, and I didn't give up when everything in me wanted to. When you're having a bad day, and everything around you seems to be crumbling down, remember that there is always something good happening too. The negatives may seem to add up, but for every negative there is a positive. You just have to find it, and focus on it. Instead of letting negative thoughts cloud your vision, focus on the positives, and what you can do to make the day go your way. Everyone has a bad day. Everyone has moments where they want to quit and leave it all behind. It would make things so much easier wouldn't it? But did taking the easy way out ever make you stronger? Did it help you later on when you faced another problem, or another bad day? No. Face the problems, the negative thoughts, the seemingly bad circumstances head on. Be courageous and resilient. Counter the negatives with positives, and you will become stronger mentally and physically. Don't water the weeds.
Monday, May 5, 2014
Automatic
We wake up in the morning. We roll out of bed. We fumble for the alarm. We ignore the intense, gut-wrenching urge to crawl back into bed. We stay focused. One thing at a time. Bathing suit. Towel. Goggles. Check. Grab a bite to eat, and we are out the door. Sooner than we think, Coach is yelling at us to jump in the pool. As the icy water shocks our bodies, making that first breath catch in our throat, we start getting into a rhythm, letting our arms and legs carry us back and forth across the pool.
At least, that is how good swimmers function. Great swimmers do things a little differently.
All too often swimmers find themselves simply going through the motions. Going to practice is just what they do. They swim through warm up without thinking. They swim their sets with one goal in mind: get it done. They do it because that is what they are: they are swimmers. They swim. Swimmers go to practice, and work hard. Great swimmers break the mold. Every day is a new day. Every stroke an opportunity to push further, faster, better. Our coach constantly tells us to "Stay in the NOW." This means that we need to focus on what we are doing right now, and put our greatest effort into whatever it is we are doing. Many, many swimmers go to practice. Only a few go to practice with the right mindset. Some say the daily grind can get boring. It becomes automatic. It is just something we do because we've done it for so long, and there is no other way of doing it. Oh, but there is. Life is an journey, full of hills, mountains, valleys, exciting times, and times where that black line at the bottom of the pool just never seems to end. When we jump in a pool we have made a choice to be better. We have made a choice to chase our dreams, and fight for our goals. By making good choices every day, our positive habits become automatic. They become ingrained into our minds and bodies. But to be excellent, we must constantly be pushing and looking past those automatic motions. Instead of just going through the motions, think about them: How can we make them better? Sooner or later, excellence, that drive to become greater than what we are, becomes automatic.
At least, that is how good swimmers function. Great swimmers do things a little differently.
All too often swimmers find themselves simply going through the motions. Going to practice is just what they do. They swim through warm up without thinking. They swim their sets with one goal in mind: get it done. They do it because that is what they are: they are swimmers. They swim. Swimmers go to practice, and work hard. Great swimmers break the mold. Every day is a new day. Every stroke an opportunity to push further, faster, better. Our coach constantly tells us to "Stay in the NOW." This means that we need to focus on what we are doing right now, and put our greatest effort into whatever it is we are doing. Many, many swimmers go to practice. Only a few go to practice with the right mindset. Some say the daily grind can get boring. It becomes automatic. It is just something we do because we've done it for so long, and there is no other way of doing it. Oh, but there is. Life is an journey, full of hills, mountains, valleys, exciting times, and times where that black line at the bottom of the pool just never seems to end. When we jump in a pool we have made a choice to be better. We have made a choice to chase our dreams, and fight for our goals. By making good choices every day, our positive habits become automatic. They become ingrained into our minds and bodies. But to be excellent, we must constantly be pushing and looking past those automatic motions. Instead of just going through the motions, think about them: How can we make them better? Sooner or later, excellence, that drive to become greater than what we are, becomes automatic.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Life Coach
It's the beginning of the week, and I am pumped. We had a couple of great meets this weekend, and I am so proud of all my swimmers! As a swim coach, it is my job to see that my athletes are performing at their best, practicing at their best, and being the best that they can be in all that they do. I am an encourager. I am (or try to be) a solid rock of common sense and moral values. I am a life coach.
Blue Waves is more than just about swimming. Every day we teach the kids not only lessons on how to swim more efficiently, we teach them a small lesson about themselves. Today's quote for the team is: "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't...You're right." -Henry Ford. Instead of giving yourself reasons why you can't, give yourself reasons why you can. As a coach, I can't count the number of times a swimmer has told me they "can't" do something. Whether it's a pushup, or it's butterfly, it is my job to help them understand the word "can't" should not be in their vocabulary. Oftentimes when a swimmer is faced with something challenging, or something they feel they are not good at, instead of taking the risk, and taking a leap of faith, they cower behind the excuse "I can't."
I believe that I can do anything I set my mind to. Nothing is impossible unless I make it impossible. So how to make the kids understand that? By believing in them, and helping them to take that risk. For the little eight year old girl who did her first fifty butterfly in a race this weekend: Yes, she was nervous, but she still stepped up on the blocks and did it. For the young swimmer learning how to do a flip turn for the first time: You may not get it perfectly the first time, but your coach believes that if you keep trying, and do your best each time you try, you will eventually succeed. And when you do, your coach will be right there to say, "I knew you could do it. Great job! Keep on doing it."
Too often in today's society kids are given the chance to take the easy way out. The sport of swimming is not for those that wish to take that easy road. When an athlete comes to the pool they should not expect their coach to be soft on them. The coach is there to push the athlete physically, and mentally. Each day we strive to keep the kids focused not only on what we do in the water, but how we think, and how we decide on the choices we make. If we believe that we can't do something, then we won't. We have put in place a mental wall that the athlete must climb, and we as their coach must help them to overcome. It slows the progress of the swimmer. The athletes that believe the can do something, they strike out with confidence, and hopefully determination that today they can and will be their best. They see a challenge not as a road block, but as a spring board to something greater that they cannot yet see. As a coach, I enjoy setting up spring boards for my kids, and then teaching them how to take that leap of faith.
Whether you are an athlete or not, it is what you believe, and what you do with that belief that will define you. So today I challenge you: Take action. Don't let the word "can't" be a roadblock. Be your own life coach today.
Blue Waves is more than just about swimming. Every day we teach the kids not only lessons on how to swim more efficiently, we teach them a small lesson about themselves. Today's quote for the team is: "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't...You're right." -Henry Ford. Instead of giving yourself reasons why you can't, give yourself reasons why you can. As a coach, I can't count the number of times a swimmer has told me they "can't" do something. Whether it's a pushup, or it's butterfly, it is my job to help them understand the word "can't" should not be in their vocabulary. Oftentimes when a swimmer is faced with something challenging, or something they feel they are not good at, instead of taking the risk, and taking a leap of faith, they cower behind the excuse "I can't."
I believe that I can do anything I set my mind to. Nothing is impossible unless I make it impossible. So how to make the kids understand that? By believing in them, and helping them to take that risk. For the little eight year old girl who did her first fifty butterfly in a race this weekend: Yes, she was nervous, but she still stepped up on the blocks and did it. For the young swimmer learning how to do a flip turn for the first time: You may not get it perfectly the first time, but your coach believes that if you keep trying, and do your best each time you try, you will eventually succeed. And when you do, your coach will be right there to say, "I knew you could do it. Great job! Keep on doing it."
Too often in today's society kids are given the chance to take the easy way out. The sport of swimming is not for those that wish to take that easy road. When an athlete comes to the pool they should not expect their coach to be soft on them. The coach is there to push the athlete physically, and mentally. Each day we strive to keep the kids focused not only on what we do in the water, but how we think, and how we decide on the choices we make. If we believe that we can't do something, then we won't. We have put in place a mental wall that the athlete must climb, and we as their coach must help them to overcome. It slows the progress of the swimmer. The athletes that believe the can do something, they strike out with confidence, and hopefully determination that today they can and will be their best. They see a challenge not as a road block, but as a spring board to something greater that they cannot yet see. As a coach, I enjoy setting up spring boards for my kids, and then teaching them how to take that leap of faith.
Whether you are an athlete or not, it is what you believe, and what you do with that belief that will define you. So today I challenge you: Take action. Don't let the word "can't" be a roadblock. Be your own life coach today.
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