Goal Setting at the Beginning of a New Season

Goal Setting Process

This is not the only way to work when setting your goals. It is, however, a proved process and we suggest you consider the steps before moving forward. You will need a paper and pencil and a little time. You can begin whenever you want, take a pause in the steps, and then return as time allows. We do know this for certain, no one in history has ever made a significant improvement – and retained it – without writing a goal down. Please, at the very least do that much.

Step One: Take Responsibility.

If you are not responsible for something you cannot change it so this is the first and most important step. For instance, if you want to break 2:00 in the 200 and to do so you will need to get into really good shape and have excellent technique, then you need to be responsible for that part of the process. No one is keeping you from doing that.

Step Two: Investigate and Eliminate.

You are going to ask yourself a few questions so here is where the paper and pencil come in handy.

1. Ask yourself what it is you want. Write it down…sub 2 minutes for the 200.
2. Ask, why I want this. Write it down…I want this because it will qualify me for the next big meet; it will improve my chances for being on the A relay; it will help my college prospects.
3. This one may seem counterintuitive but it is very important. Ask yourself why you do NOT want this to happen. Now you may wonder about this one…but of course I want this, why wouldn’t I? Well, let’s consider this for a minute…Now the coaches will expect more from me; to really get this I will have to miss some social functions and those may actually be more fun; I’m not sure I want the pressure of competing at this faster level…

The point here is that there are going to be ramifications in your current life if you actually dig in and make a change – said another way, if you set a goal, work toward it and then achieve it your life will be different and you need to be ready for that difference.

The main purpose of this second step is to find what you want and to eliminate those things that will stand in your way.

Keep in mind that the number one thing people resist is change; even if it is for the better! This is not rocket science.The way to change anything in your life: 1 – eliminate what isn’t working for you and 2 – replace it with what you want.

If you know your stroke needs tuning up then simply do it…that is, work on the things you know need fixing. Ask one of us to help you. And then do it. Stop “trying” and start “doing”. Even if you are only able to do it correctly for a lap or two before you get tired. Start now and work forward from this point. Think about this sentence: It takes preparation and work to make a change, large or small, but it does not take time. It may take time for anyone to notice the change but it doesn’t take time to make the change.

So, get your pencil and paper out and start the process. Think about what you would like to have happen – short, mid and long term, as we.

Sooner than later we need you to turn in your goal sheets so we can look them over and share our feedback with you. This doesn’t need to happen today but it does need to happen. Spend some time thinking about why you want what you want and then some time why you may not want it. In the end, we need you to come up with a few goals that you are willing to work toward.

This season is going to be a very special one for our team, and that means for you. To capture the full opportunity we all need focus. Goals give us that focus; goals give each day meaning and purpose. Very few things match the satisfaction of a person who knows what she/he wants and is “willing and able” to execute the plan. We will help provide the “able”; you let us know about the “willing”.

ABCs OF MENTAL TRAINING: U IS FOR UNDERPERFORMING

BY DR. AIMEE KIMBALL//SPORT PSYCHOLOGIST

I had a coach one time who told me, “Potential means you haven’t done it yet.” I’m not sure if he stole the line from someone else, but for whatever reason this always stuck in my head. I never wanted to be someone who had a lot of potential. I wanted to be a person who consistently performed at her peak.

However, it’s hard to be that type of athlete all the time and there are going to be days when you underperform. This article focuses on why athletes underperform and how to get out of a performance slump.

It’s not always mental
First, recognize that underperforming isn’t always a mental thing. Especially with a sport like swimming, you have to take into consideration nutrition, tapering, conditioning, as well as physical development. The key to performing to your potential is to make sure you are committed to total training in all areas, including having positive habits in and out of the pool. You also have to be realistic about your talent level. Some swimmers think they are better than they actually are, and others might be better than they give themselves credit for. To find out where you stand, ask coaches to be brutally honest with you as to what times they think you should swim and at what point in the season you should be swimming those times. You don’t need to panic if it’s several weeks before a big race and you aren’t dropping time. It might just be a function of your training schedule. If you were a standout earlier in your teen years and it seems that others are catching up, don’t panic. That’s likely more due to them than you, especially if you were an early bloomer.

Thus, it’s important to pinpoint WHY you’re underperforming. If you swim certain times in practice but it’s not translating to meets, then there is likely a psychological component, which is what I’ll be assuming for the rest of the article.

Pride vs. Ego
I have worked with a lot of talented athletes who underperform because they get in their own way. For many, it’s an unconscious process where they “self-handicap” before the race even begins. In essence, they try to protect their ego rather than summon their pride. An athlete who protects his/her ego often finishes a race thinking, “I’m not that tired. I could have gone faster.” Within a race they often, a) think they are going as fast as they can, b) overfocus on what their competitors are doing and worry about losing, or c) don’t feel like they are going fast at all and write off the race before it’s even finished. While during a race they tend to have different thoughts, the “ego protectors” often focus on the same thing before a race—the fear of underperforming (either in the time or place they may finish).

To help them perform to their potential, they need to swim for pride instead of protecting their egos. Essentially, before a race they should focus on putting it all out there so when they touch the wall they can say, “I couldn’t have given anything more.” The problem for ego protectors is that they fear their best won’t be good enough, and it’s easier/less psychologically stressful to say, “I could’ve done better if I tried” than “I did everything I could, and I still lost.” Remember, competition isn’t about winning so you don’t feel bad (ego) it’s about swimming your hardest so you will feel satisfied (pride). The negative emotions resulting from “I coulda, shoulda, woulda” last a lot longer than the disappointment of “I did, I just fell short.”

Stress Less, Enjoy More
Most of the underperformers I see have found a way to stop enjoying something they once loved. Often, the better they were the more stress they have to get back to that level. More stress equals less fun. Less fun equals worse performance. In other sports it’s called a slump. As any slumping athlete knows, it’s a lot easier to get into a slump than out of a slump. As the wise Dr. Seuss wrote, “When you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.” My advice for “un-slumping” is focus less on what you’re not doing and more on what you are. If you swim four events and three of them are fine, stop putting so much emphasis on the one in which you’re underperforming. Even if it’s every race you don’t reach your potential but in practice you are excellent, focus on your practices more than your races. By focusing on the good, the bad doesn’t seem so awful. Essentially, you need to recognize your talent, regardless of when it decides to show up. Remind yourself, “I am a good swimmer,” and physically keep track of the good swims (you swim a lot more in practice than you do in meets). You’ll quickly see the good swims outweigh the bad.

Let Go
I once took a windsurfing lesson and the only thing I remember is asking the instructor what to do if the wind picked up and I couldn’t control the sail. His response? “Let go with your back hand.” My advice to you if the stress, the anxiety, and the negative thoughts related to underperforming get to be too much for you to handle is, “Let go.” Just because you haven’t succeeded recently doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Starting today, just tell yourself, “I’m letting go of what has happened. It’s a new day and it’s going to be a good one.” No one says you have to hang on to the past, sometimes it’s just as easy to let go, mentally drop what’s uncontrollable, and start over.

Make it great!
Dr. Aimee

ABCs OF MENTAL TRAINING: T IS FOR TEAM BUILDING

BY AIMEE KIMBALL, PHD//MENTAL TRAINING CONSULTANT

You may think it’s odd to find an article about team building for swimming, a supposedly "individual" sport. However, many swimmers perform better when they feel a sense of team and believe that the individuals with whom they train are there to support them and wish them well. As such, team building is a very important topic for swimmers and their coaches to understand.

What’s a team?
At its core, a team is a group of individuals who work together to accomplish a shared goal. Sharing a goal creates a sense of mutual respect since teammates know everyone in the pool is working their hardest to do exactly the same thing. For some teams, the goal might be to win a national or state title, for others it may be to have everyone drop their time by 5% from the year before. As long as they work with each other and assist each other in accomplishing this goal, then they are a team.

Why a swim "team"?
Because the result of a team swimming competition is really determined by individual performances rather than an interaction between team members, many people overlook the importance the concept of “team” has in this setting. What also complicates matters is the idea that you are often competing against rather than with team members, as is customary in many other sports. So, other than needing a team winner in meets, what is the purpose of a sense of team in swimming?

First, teams are important because athletes do their best when they are comfortable, when they feel supported, and when they are confident. Having teammates who will continue to like you as a person regardless of your performance and who you know are rooting for you can help you to have this sense of comfort and confidence. Members of a "team" should cultivate these feelings in their teammates and feel this security in return.

Second, a team is important because it creates a culture when athletes both learn how to excel and are pushed by others to do their best every day. When team members have a shared identity (this is who we are, how we train, and what we are known for) swimmers buy into this culture, embrace it, and become it. Thus, the culture of team (assuming it's a good one) can help athletes to excel.

There are many other reasons why teams are important, but when the culture of the group fosters encouragement, a desire for teammates to succeed, and everyone feels responsible for and accountable to others, then a “team” truly exists.

How to create a positive team culture
There are many ways to foster a positive team culture. First, team building activities should be done regularly and can include pasta dinners, laser tag, or games at the end of practice.

Other than “fun” activities, the following suggestions can help to develop a foundation where a supportive and encouraging team atmosphere can thrive:

1) Captains/team leaders can have an open team discussion without coaches present about the goals for the team and expectations of team members.
    a) What are 3 characteristics every member of this team will have?
    b) How do we define success?
    c) How do we encourage each other?

2) Have a “compete but cooperate” motto. A good team member wants others to do their best, they just want to be better.
    a) A true team member pushes you and competes with you to see who can swim their best time. It's not about beating a specific individual, it's about every member of the team swimming their best.
    b) It can backfire when coaches constantly pit team members against each other in a negative way. Teammates can (and should) race, but constant comparisons and punishing the "loser" can have negative side effects:

• creates anxiety
• friends become enemies
• swimmers may hold back because they don't want to hurt their teammates' feelings

3) Remove classifications based on ability, age, year in school, etc. Often the "good" swimmers stick together and the rest become outsiders.
    a) Do what you can to make sure all team members interact regardless of their demographics

• Create families (group of about 4 swimmers from different grades/events/ability levels)
• Secret supports
• Goal buddies/big brother-big sister

There's an M and an E
You’ve all heard the saying, “There is no ‘I’ in team”, but there is an M and an E (me!). To be a team, every team member needs to look at themselves and ask what they contribute to the team and what they can do to make their teammates better. A team is created when individuals who train together know they are accountable to others and work to be a positive influence on those around them.

Make it great!