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.