Olympian Tells Kids: Listen to Your Coaches

Cary, NC – Three-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming Ryan Lochte visited with young athletes on Friday at Triangle Aquatic Center (TAC). Almost 1000 kids and parents showed up for Lochte’s inspirational chat and to get autographs from one of the hero’s of the ‘08 summer games.

Lochte, who lives and trains in Florida, is sometimes over-shadowed by his USA teammate Michael Phelps. But the swimmer from the Sunshine State is a true champion in his own right. Lochte has 6 Olympic medals (3g, 1s, 2b), winning gold in both ‘04 and ‘08. He holds several world records and swims 5-6 hours a day, 6 days a week, according to USA Swimming.

Over 1,000 people turned out at TAC, filling the spectators gallery. Lochte told the crowd his story about him not taking swimming seriously as a kid and then in High School, deciding to set goals and focus on swimming. That’s when his performance excelled. The Olympian emphasized three points for the crowd:

1. Listen to your coaches
2. Set goals
3. Push yourself beyond what you think you can do and you will

Keys to success with 2008 Olympian Scott Spann

Keys to success with 2008 Olympian Scott Spann

Motivation. This has been my personal key to success the past two years. I have found a variety of ways to motivate myself, and I have made sure to accentuate these. I have favorite songs, movies, posters, quotes, clothes, articles and records that all get my heart pumping fast and make me want to compete at a higher level. Most importantly, I have very specific goals, worded in a very specific way so that when I recite them, I get so excited inside that I cannot help but want to keep going or work harder. Motivation is the key to working hard because it is just as important to be in the game mentally as it is physically.

Determination. Determination and motivation go hand in hand with how they operate, but determination is the action of the two. Motivation makes an athlete mentally strive for improvement, but determination is the physical part that makes the athlete actually do it. I believe that determination is a part of human nature that is almost like a muscle. Determination is not something gained overnight. It has to be worked on. Exercising determination is very hard because it tests you both mentally and physically. The best way to work on improving this “muscle” is to make yourself go that extra stroke, extra lap or extra mile when everyone – including you – does not believe it is possible. When an athlete can master this key to success, there is absolutely nothing that can stop him from succeeding.

Focus. This is a key that ties in with maturity. At a young age, competition was more about friends, food and games between events. All of that is important growing up, but as maturity settles in, focus becomes the X-factor for an athlete. Focus determines how prepared an athlete is when he enters a race. When I am in my most focused states at competitions, I am in my own world, my "zone" as some would call it. When I am in this zone, everything I do is to better my performance in the race. I take the shortest route to the blocks, I keep my body at a very stable temperature, I make sure I am taking in the right amount of nutrients before I compete. This is a key to success that many athletes have trouble handling, and they lose focus when it counts most. Losing focus makes it hard for athletes to believe in themselves and can also lead to changing race strategy and returning to previous bad habits.

Discipline. Discipline is the backbone of any successful athlete. It puts all of the keys together. The advantage of having good discipline is the mental toughness that helps give an athlete a competitive edge. Discipline is also our way of taking control of a stressful situation instead of letting our feelings of pain or resentment take over. Building this skill helps in every aspect in – and especially out – of the pool. This is when we are taught quitting is not the answer.

Confidence. Even when I was much younger, I was not afraid to show people that I had a lot of self-confidence when it came to athletics. I was always the first to accept or create a challenge and never, ever settled for second place. I would always call out a double-or-nothing scenario. Confidence does not mean that you belittle opponents in any way. In fact, the athletes who have the most self-confidence are the ones who can show it with class. Win or lose, I will always congratulate my opponents, but I always keep my chin up and prepare for the next opportunity. It is so important to control emotions because confidence can be a tricky success key to master. It often leads to being overconfident and underestimating the competition.

ABCs of Mental Training: K is for Keeping the Peace

While it would be nice to get along with everyone all of the time, you are eventually going to have differing opinions with teammates, coaches, parents, or other individuals you encounter. Thus, developing the ability to effectively resolve conflict is an important skill to have both for your sport and for your interactions in life beyond athletics. This article will discuss the keys to keeping the peace and managing disagreements with others.

Quick Conflict Resolution Tips

It is important to recognize that conflict isn’t always a bad thing. Conflict can result in new knowledge, new methods of accomplishing goals, and even increased commitment. However, the way the conflict is resolved often dictates whether the conflict has a positive or negative outcome. Thus, being able to handle conflict in a mature and solution-focused way is essential.

Tip 1: Understand the nature of the conflict

Try to figure out where the conflict stems from. Is it a misunderstanding, a difference of opinion, competing goals? Starting with an agreement on what you are arguing about makes the discussion a lot smoother so that at least you are both focused on the same issue.

Tip 2: Be willing to accept individual differences

Oftentimes, conflict is caused because two people have differing opinions. There are many reasons why opinions differ, but often it’s because people are looking at the same situation from two varying perspectives. This is the case particularly when people either have different personalities or different goals. So, when you’re in conflict with someone, first ask yourself, “Is there another way to see this situation?” Second, ask yourself, “Can we agree on a common goal?” Third, ask yourself if it is okay to disagree. Agreeing to disagree can be an acceptable solution to some problems and shows an acceptance of each person’s point of view.

Tip 3: Keep an open mind

Don’t start a confrontation with the assumption that you are right and you have to prove it to the other person. This just puts both of you in a defensive position. Instead, go into such interactions with the mindset that you are going to discuss the issue at hand and try to learn what the other person is thinking/feeling about a particular situation. To truly keep an open mind, you must be willing to admit you’re wrong or, in some cases, that you are both right. Either way, conflict resolution isn’t about winning or losing, it’s about reaching a solution to a problem.

Tip 4: Focus on the problem and the solution

When we’re angry or frustrated with a situation, it’s easy to take it out on others. First, never confront someone when you’re angry. Second, realize it’s not the person, it’s their behavior that we don’t like. If you attack someone on a personal level (“You are lazy and uncommitted”) they are going to be immediately defensive and the problem won’t be solved. If, however, you focus on a specific behavior and how you would like that behavior to change, you may be able to reach a solution. Be sure to describe the situation from your point of view so they can understand how this behavior makes you feel. Some people don’t think about how their actions affect others. Offer to help in solving the problem. (“When you come to practice late it makes me feel like you do not care about the success of the swim team. I can pick you up in the morning if you’re having trouble getting a ride.”) Stay focused on the main issue. Don’t bring up minor incidents from the past, focus on recent behaviors.

Tip 5: Don’t gossip

While it is tempting to try to get others “on your side,” this tends to create more drama than necessary and makes it much more difficult to resolve the conflict. Address the person individually with no one else around. Talking about the confrontation with others either before or after can create divisions on the team and can end up becoming a major distraction for everyone.

Tip 6: Know what you’re willing to sacrifice

Often in disagreements, you have to decide if it’s worth it to try to solve the problem. If there is something you want out of the situation but not necessarily something you need, maybe it’s really not worth sacrificing a relationship to get it. If you feel the situation is important and that the issue can be resolved, then you have to decide how important your relationship is with the other person. If it’s an important relationship, you’ll have to be willing to sacrifice some of your needs to reach a solution that works for both of you.

Tip 7: Try to resolve it yourself

For most people, conflict isn’t an enjoyable experience. However, we can’t avoid conflict, and we can’t have others rushing in to save us our entire life. Fox example, if you disagree with the events your coach is having you swim, you cannot rely on parents to fix the situation. The reason being is that later in life you may have issues with a boss and your parents can’t call them up and tell them they need to change the account you were assigned. While conflicts can be a source of anxiety, once you learn how to properly handle them you will find a sense of empowerment that comes from knowing that you can reach a better outcome to a situation you are unsatisfied with. It’s important to learn how to keep the peace while negotiating an acceptable solution for all involved.

Make it Great!

Dr. Aimee

About Aimee C. Kimball, PhD:

Dr. Kimball is the Director of Mental Training for the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine. She is an Association of Applied Sport Psychology Certified Consultant, and is a member of the American Psychological Association, the United States Olympic Committee’s Sport Psychology Registry, the USA Swimming Sports Medicine Network, and the NCAA Speakers Bureau. She works with athletes, coaches, and parents to help them achieve success in sport and life.

For more information contact: kimballac@upmc.edu, 412-432-3777, http://sportsmedicine.upmc.com/MentalTrainingProgram.htm

Behaving Like a Champion

BY JENNY SUSSER, PhD//Sport Psychologist
Dealing with distractions is something we all must do on whatever level we compete, whether it be the Olympics or sectionals. The higher the competitive level, the higher the pressure of the distractions.

Making good decisions when under pressure is a life-long challenge. You will still make mistakes, but that’s part of being human.

An important part of making mistakes is how you deal with them and then trying to learn from them.

Being a competitive athlete offers daily opportunities to “behave like a champion,” not just during a meet, but also in practice and in everyday life.

How about while you’re having a bad set or workout, and you know you need to act one way when you’d much rather throw a tantrum and cry?

What about when you’ve been taken off the relay because someone swam faster than you? Again, is this a perfect time to get angry or feel sorry for yourself, or should you figure out how to swim faster by working harder or smarter in practice and then cheer louder than anyone else for the relay.

How about when you miss that cut by .01 of a second in the mile?! Sure, you will be disappointed. Who wouldn’t? But is it “champion” behavior to throw your cap and goggles and quit swimming?

No. A champion would get upset (for a short time), dust themselves off, get back to training and try again.

Behaving like a champion shouldn’t be reserved for those who are winning and only when you are competing. Sport is about many things, and winning is only one of them, no matter how important it might seem at the time.

Behaving like a champion and being mentally tough is a much greater challenge when you are NOT winning, which might mean more and make you an even greater champion…in and out of the pool.

Setting Controllable Goals

BY CHRISTOPHER CARR, PhD//Sport and Performance Psychologist

As I observed the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, I was reminded that athletes who win medals have, for years, had the goal of winning a medal. Yet, it was the daily work and effort that pays off at the Olympic Games.

In the men’s 4x100 freestyle relay, the USA team trailed France going into the last 100. But Jason Lezak came from behind and by .08 seconds beat the French world champion and set a world record. After the race, Lezak was quoted as saying to himself that he felt the fatigued.

"Then I changed,” he said. “I said, ‘You know what? That's ridiculous. This is the Olympics. I'm here for these guys. I'm here for the United States of America. It's more than me. I don't care how bad it hurts, or whatever, I'm just going to go out there and hit it.’”

The rest is Olympic history. But that history began with the goal of Olympic success. It is important to learn how to set goals in order to achieve your own swimming performance goals. As you prepare for this upcoming competitive season, make sure you have followed some important steps to effective goal setting:

Make daily practice goals. Take a notebook (could be your mental training journal) or some 3x5 cards and write down 1-3 goals for each practice. Not just doing what is on the practice schedule, but make the goal specific to your improvement (e.g. achieving 80% of your fast-paced intervals). Just 1-3 goals a day. Then review after each practice. Did you accomplish your goals? Did you make good progress? Then make revisions and be goal-directed at the next practice – every day.

Review your goals each day. Find time to sit down and review the goals you had for that particular practice/meet. Did you achieve the goal? What did you do (or not do) to help you achieve that goal? How can you make the goal more challenging tomorrow? Make this process your own and don’t wait for a coach to give you goal direction. The results will be more confidence in yourself when you step up on the starting block.

Learn how to refocus your goals during practice. If you made a practice goal that is going to be tough to accomplish (due to a bad start or change in drills), make the adjustment so you can still find success. Even small successes (finishing a tough set, using a positive cue word) can lead to confidence and focus. As soon as you drift from goals, you lose self-direction and focus.

Good luck to you in your pursuit of your swimming goals and successes…have fun and swim fast!

“The fight is won or lost far away from the witnesses…behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” – Muhammad Ali

Pulling Together Increases Your Pain Threshold

ScienceDaily (Sep. 28, 2009) — A study of Oxford rowers has shown that members of a team who exercised together were able to tolerate twice as much pain as when they trained on their own.

In the study, published September 16 in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, researchers from the University of Oxford’s Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology found the pain threshold of 12 rowers from the Oxford Boat Race squad was greater after group training than after individual training.

They conclude that acting as a group and in close synchrony seems to ‘ramp up’ pain thresholds. The underlying endorphin release may be the mechanism that underpins communal-bonding effects that emerge from activities like religious rituals and dancing.

Each of the 12 rowers participated in four separate tests. They were asked to row continuously for 45 minutes in a virtual boat in the gym (as in normal training), in an exercise carried out in two teams of six and then in a separate session as individuals, unobserved by other team members. After each of the sessions, the researchers measured their pain threshold by how long they could stand an inflated blood pressure cuff on the arm.

The study found there was a significant increase in the rowers’ pain threshold following exercise in both individual and group sessions (a well established response to exercise of any kind). However, after the group training there was a significantly larger increase as compared with training carried out individually.

Since close synchrony is the key to successful competition-class racing, these results suggest that doing a synchronised activity as a group increases the endorphin rush that we get from physical exertion. The study says that since endorphins help to create a sense of bonhomie and positive effect, this effect may underlie the experience of warmth and belonging that we have when we do activities like dancing, sports, religious rituals and other forms of communal exercise together.

Professor Robin Dunbar, Head of the Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology at Oxford University, said: ‘Previous research suggests that synchronised physical activity such as laughter, music and many religious activities makes people happier and is part of the bonding process. We also know that physical exercise creates a natural high through the release of endorphins. What this study shows us is that synchrony alone seems to ramp up the production of endorphins so as to heighten the effect when we do these activities in groups.’

Lead author Dr Emma Cohen, from the Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, said: ‘The results suggest that endorphin release is significantly greater in group training than in individual training even when power output, or physical exertion, remains constant. The exact features of group activity that generate this effect are unknown, but this study contributes to a growing body of evidence suggesting that synchronised, coordinated physical activity may be responsible.’

One of the researchers involved in this study was Robin Ejsmond-Frey, a double Blue in rowing and former President of the Oxford University Boat Club.