KEYS TO SUCCESS WITH RICKY BERENS

Speedo Tip of the Week

Set goals. It doesn’t matter what it is, in practice, in school, in X-Box or anything – you have to set goals. If your coach gives me a set in practice of 10x100 all out, my goal is to hold 50 the entire time. That’s a short-term goal. The short-term goals should help you achieve long-term goals.

Don’t be afraid of change. You definitely have to be able to handle change. In the swimming world, that’s big, because change is constant. You have your coach, your training and everything, but sometimes you have to take some chances -- well thought-out chances that make sense. If it’s just a change you have to deal with that maybe you didn’t want, make the best of it. I came from the east coast to Texas, but I knew I was going to get to train with one of the best coaches in the world.

Let go of the bad – quickly. When you are at a big meet, if something bad happens, don’t freak out. Take it slow. Hill Taylor, a teammate of mine, makes me think of this from NCAAs. We had this big relay against Auburn at NCAAs, and his nose clip fell out and landed in the gutter. The week had already been a hard one. But he knew what had to be done, so he finished his race. Be prepared for something to go wrong. That’s an important part of being ready to step up to seize the moment.

Listen to your coaches. Your coach has to be someone who you trust. You are swimming not just for yourself, but for him or her. Eddie Reese has been at Texas for more than 30 years. He knows almost everything about swimming. When you are going to the biggest meets, NCAAs and Nationals, while you are tapering you wonder if you should maybe be doing more or less. That’s when you listen to your coach, and trust they know what you are doing. Remember, you aren’t the first person your coach has coached.

Have fun. This has made “Keys of Success” several times, but it should, because it is the biggest key to success. Swimming takes a big toll on you. Waking up at 5 a.m. and jumping into a cold pool and swimming back and forth isn’t always the most fun thing in the world. But you can make it fun with your friends, coaches, being a good teammate, feeling good about yourself and working toward short-term and long-term goals. Just don’t wear yourself out with mindless yards. You have to keep it fun.