DO YOU REALLY WANT TO REACH YOUR ATHLETIC DREAMS?

Want to know why your competition may be beating you? Every athlete practices about the same amount of time every day. Learn why a select few athletes consistently excel.

TAKING YOUR TRAINING TO THE NEXT LEVEL!

Want to take your game to the next level? Got a BIG, SCARY sports dream that you'd desperately like to turn into reality? Well, the secret to you doing just this lies in HOW you practice on a daily basis. Most serious, competitive athletes in your sport put about the same amount of time into their training every week. Despite this, only a select few of these athletes REALLY get a lot out of their training and therefore improve a bit faster and slightly more than everyone else! What's their secret?

The vast majority of athletes train PHYSICALLY. That is, they regularly put the time into developing their physical skills, establishing a solid training base and developing the speed and strength necessary to excel. When you train PHYSICALLY you will improve! Then there's a much smaller percentage of athletes who train both PHYSICALLY and MENTALLY. That is, they learn the proper strategies of the game and then spend consistent time working on their MENTAL GAME. They learn how to stay calm under pressure, concentrate and let go of distractions, quickly leave their mistakes and failures behind them and mentally prepare for big performances. When you train PHYSICALLY and MENTALLY you will get a lot out of your training and out-compete those athletes who just train their bodies! Finally, there's an elite, much smaller, third group of athletes who regularly train PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY and EMOTIONALLY! That is, while they train their bodies and minds, THEY HAVE THEIR HEARTS IN WHAT THEY ARE DOING! When you train PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY and EMOTIONALLY, you will get the VERY MOST out of your practicing and go much further in your sport than others who only train the first two ways.

What does it mean to HAVE YOUR HEART IN YOUR TRAINING? It means that when you practice every day, you're doing it because YOU WANT TO! Because YOU LOVE IT!!! You're doing it because you have an EMOTIONALLY COMPELLING reason to train that day. You have something that you desperately want to achieve and this achievement has little to do with pleasing other people and most everything to do with YOU! To train EMOTIONALLY means that, as tough as practice is, and as much as you may be hurting, you want to be there and this desire is fueled by that important goal you're working towards.

Training EMOTIONALLY means that on a daily basis you remind yourself EXACTLY WHY you're doing what you're doing. Athletes who practice this way don't just go through the motions. They don't practice and wish they were elsewhere. They train with an internal sense of purpose that periodically asks them, "HOW IS WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW GOING TO HELP ME GET TO MY GOAL?" In this way, the quality of their training is consistently high because it's always goal directed and fueled by their emotions and desire.

Want to lift the level of your training? Then start adding YOUR PASSION to your training. Know exactly why you're out there today! Be sure you're training for YOU and that your efforts are directed towards something that is EMOTIONALLY IMPORTANT to you. And when you start to waiver, get tired or begin to drift off, ask yourself that question: "HOW IS WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW, GOING TO HELP ME GET TO MY DREAM?"        

Copied from Dr. G’s blog at www.competitivedge.com

Dr. Alan Goldberg, internationally known sports psychology consultant and director of Competitive Advantage specializes in helping athletes across all sports at every level, bust slumps and overcome performance fears and blocks. Dr. G's website,http://www.competitivedge.com offers thousands of pages of FREE resources including mental toughness questionnaires for athletes, parents and coaches, articles on every aspect of coaching and parenting in youth sports, as well as a mental toughness blog.

The Six MYTHS & TRUTHS of Fast Swimming

MYTH #1 - "There is an easy way, I just haven't found it yet."

There is no easy way. All fast swimming for everyone comes as a result of hard work. There is value in always trying to find a better way (the reason for this blog), but there will never be an easy way. Realizing this is key to tapping your motivation to give maximum effort every day.

TRUTH #1 - Swimming is Hard Work

There is no other sport that demands the combination of athleticism, physical fitness, attention to detail, and volume of rigorous training the way swimming does. There is no way of getting around it: if you want to achieve anything in swimming, be prepared to work hard for your goals. Those who begin by accepting this truth and embracing the challenge and the difficulty that it represents have taken a huge step toward their swimming success. A key to this step is understanding that though the effort required will be great, the rewards of achieving your goal will be equally rewarding.

MYTH #2 - "That swimmer is fast because he/she is just talented."

These words are usually spoken by somebody who believes in myth #1. If you find yourself believing or maybe even saying this myth out loud, consider your own talents and find a way to maximize them to better achieve your own goals. This is far more effective than bemoaning your talent deficiency.

TRUTH #2 -You have inside of you right now what it takes to be a champion.

That's right. You already possess the mental and physical abilities to achieve your swimming dreams. These qualities have been present in you since birth and have been molded by your parents, your coaches, and your individual actions and choices. From now forward, it is your future actions and the choices you will make that determine the heights to which you will ascend.

You are talented in a different way than every other swimmer. When you see another swimmer succeed, it is because he or she has figured out how to get the best out of herself, not because he or she is any more talented than you. She has taken her talent and put it to use to the best of her ability. Will you do the same? Will you seek to maximize your talents by making the daily choices of a high achiever?

The second truth should empower and inspire you. Swimming success is yours for the taking.

MYTH #3 - "This is just practice, I will do it correctly/faster at the meet."

This myth is perpetuated by those who have poor practice habits. When it comes to anything technical, only perfect practice makes perfect. The pressure and excitement of a competitive situation tend to exacerbate your bad habits rather than magically improve them. Factor in the fatigue you will feel in a swimming race, and you can see that you are truly only as fast as your habits will let you be. Strive daily to eliminate your bad habits and practice good technique at all times.

TRUTH #3 –You will race how you train. Your preparation will determine your results.

There is a reason why we call it practice. We are rehearsing what we want to do at the race, preparing our skills, and improving our fitness. If we were only doing the last of these, we would merely call it training.

When an actor is preparing for a Broadway musical, he prepares methodically, rehearsing the production in parts. He repeats each line exactly as he hopes to perform it in the show. Not once does he allow himself to make up the lines as he goes or allow himself to perform them incorrectly. Doing so would encourage him to make the same error when he is performing in front of the audience.

We must take the same approach with our swimming technique. We must strictly avoid doing things incorrectly and always be exploring ways to perform better. We must visualize the championship meet performance that we seek and strive to prepare precisely for that. The great performance can only be preceded by careful preparation. Strive to practice correctly and prepare precisely to swim the race you dreamed.

MYTH #4 - "Swimming is an individual sport."

Ironically, this myth is usually believed by someone who has always been in a good team situation. Though it is true that we mostly compete as individuals in a race, the social nature of our sport cannot be totally discounted. If you believe this myth, try training by yourself. Better yet, imagine swimming at a meet where the only people in the building are you and your 7 competitors. Make the most of your teammates by supporting them, and they will support you.

TRUTH #4 – "The fastest swimming is often performed by athletes who surround themselves with excellence."

To realize this truth, you have to look no further than the current state of swimming in the United States. Look at the success of North Baltimore Aquatic Club, which has placed a 15-year old on each of the last four U.S. Olympic teams. They have established a tradition of success that breeds more achievement today.

Look at the results for Olympic Trials - how many of the top swimmers are the lone standout on their teams? Not many. Most are part of programs that routinely develop swimmers to the highest levels, creating a culture of excellence.

Success in our sport occurs in clumps. Talented, hardworking athletes tend to train together and reach new levels together. Train hard to be the best you can be, and encourage your teammates to do the same. Together, you can push each other to new heights!

MYTH #5 - "That little technical thing won't make a difference."

This myth is believed by people with poor attention to detail. This "pennies on the sidewalk" mentality leads them to believe myths #1 and 2, because only big improvements are worth the effort.

TRUTH #5 –"The little things ARE the big things."

First, there is no such thing as a 'little thing.' Drag is a huge factor in determining swimming speed, and each small technical adjustment can have an impact. Not only that, but a bunch of these small technical adjustments can add up to so much more.

Think about the last time you saw a penny on the ground. Was it worth picking up? Would you have been more likely to pick it up if it was a nickel? How about a dollar? What if every time you walked down the street, there was a penny, and every day you picked it up? Eventually, you would begin to accumulate enough money to be able to purchase something of value.

As swimmers and coaches, we sometimes get stuck in this "penny on the sidewalk" mentality, one that says the changes we can make are so small as to be insignificant. But the truth is that it is the sum of these changes that make a difference. Thus we must strive daily to make small incremental improvements. Some days, we may be able to make a dollar's worth of improvement. Other days, just a penny. But if we strive for improvement each and every day, the sum will be well worth the effort.

MYTH #6 - "I messed up my taper."

Usually stated after the meet or season concludes by someone who is unhappy with his performance. Though it is possible to not hit a taper correctly, the far more likely culprit is poor preparation all season long. Many swimmers and coaches who believe this myth don't honestly evaluate what came before the taper.

TRUTH #6 – You control 80% of your own training.

At this stage it is important for the you to take full responsibility for your sport. Your coach is just reinforcing this concept. Having a good attitude, developing proper time management, and demonstrating a strong work ethic are important both in and out of practice and competition. These are called “hidden training factors.” You are in control of what you eat, how much sleep you get, your practice attendance, and even your effort at practice. This may really add up to even more than 80%. Whatever happens at the end of the season is up to you.

If you find yourself buying into any one of these myths, honestly evaluate where this belief comes from and whether it truly holds any water (pun intended).

Adapted from posts at http://swimtelligence.blogspot.com/

7 THINGS SUCCESSFUL SWIMMERS DO DIFFERENTLY

Guest editorial by Olivier Poirier-Leroy

PHOENIX, Arizona, December 5.

WHY do some swimmers have a hard time achieving success while other swimmers seem to effortlessly enjoy wild and never-ending success?

Generally the first two answers tabled are talent and genetics. However, possessing these two attributes alone will not constitute an elite swimmer. Sure, they will always get by for a few years on these two characteristics, but it isn't long before that isn't enough. And before long, these promising young athletes are reflected upon as "flashes in the pan."

Those at the top of the podium approach their sport different than the rest. Here are 7 ways that successful swimmers are doing it differently:

1. Ownership. I used to compete against a swimmer who loved playing the "blame game." If his results weren't as good as they should or could have been, we would all be barraged upon with a litany of excuses. Whether it was goggles filling up with water, a bad night's rest, or he was racing with a workout suit, he'd pawn off his lousy competition performance on outside influences and bad luck so that he wouldn't have to own up to them. Pawning off failures by making excuses for them removes accountability. Successful swimmers own their awesome performances and their not so good ones too.

2. Use Failure as Fuel. Failure may as well be another 4-letter word. You can see it in the pained faces of swimmers who come up just short at the end of a race. Successful swimmers, once the initial sting of defeat has receded, are able to see past failure. Instead of having it demoralize them, they use it as the catalyst for massive positive change. Those moments of disappointment provide important -- albeit sometimes painful -- lessons that will help pave the way to achievement. Remember, failure only becomes fatal when you give up and do not heed the lessons it provides.

3. Surround Themselves with Like-Minded Athletes. The expression "you are a product of your environment" is just as relevant when applied to the swimmers and people you associate yourself with. As much as we like to believe that other people have no influence on our lives, in the words of esteemed John Donne, "No man is an island entire of itself." The actions and behaviors of the people you surround yourself will rub off on you, whether you immediately realize it or not. Good news, however, is that this goes both ways -- negative people will bring you down just as well as positive people will bring you up.

4. Plan. Successful swimmers know exactly where they are going. They have a concrete, visceral goal in the horizon, and they aren't afraid to put together a plan to make it happen. This means breaking it down step-by-step, and setting out what directly relates to achieving their goal. Faster start? Check. Shave ? second off the turns? Noted. Improving ankle flexibility? Put it on the to-do list. Don't be afraid to take your goal, break it apart to its smallest pieces and then slowly put it back together.

5. Execution. Of course, having a plan and all of the motivation in the world does nothing without the follow-through. Top echelon swimmers don't wait for the perfect moment, they don't wait until they "feel like it" and they don't wait until the beginning of next season to start hauling ass towards their goals. Start today, start now.

6. Cross the Line Between Excellence & Perfection. Whenever a swimmer tells me that they are "perfectionists" my first thought is, "you never complete anything, ever." Perfectionists are great at making plans, of concocting great and earth-shattering goals, but incredibly terrible at completing them. Why? Because they've set impossible standards, they are dooming themselves to failure from the outset. Their high expectations will never be met because "perfect" is an illusion. There will never be a perfect time. You will never feel perfect. The only "perfect" time to act is this one, right now. Success doesn't come to perfectionists -- it comes to the swimmers who show up and get things done.

7. Embrace Hard Work. In an era where instant gratification is expected from everything we do, it can be very easy to dismiss the idea of hard work. Whenever a really tough set gets scrawled up on the chalkboard, the elite swimmer won't groan and moan. Their steely eyes will narrow and they will be the first in the pool to tackle it. Why is that? Are they gluttons for punishment? Not at all. They welcome those hard sets because they know that is what will separate them from the athlete in the lane next to them. While others are bowing out or not giving their best effort, the successful swimmer smiles gleefully as he or she powers through the sets that no one else is willing to do.

Can you think of any other characteristics that a successful swimmer possesses? Leave your answer in the comments below!

Olivier Poirier-Leroy is a former national level swimmer in Canada. He is also the publisher of YourSwimBook. Learn 8 ways that it can help your performance by clicking here today.

Reprinted from www.swimmingworldmagazine.com

Being on the Team vs. Being a Teammate

Compiled by John Leonard from InSideOut Coaching by Joe Ehrmann

Goals & Ambitions

• Being on the team benefits your personal goals and ambitions.
• Being a teammate benefits the goals and ambitions of your team and your teammates.

Bystander or Teammate

• Being on the team can make you a bystander.
• Teammates intervene in the lives and actions of their teammates.

Efforts

• Being on the team involves personal effort.
• Being a teammate involves the efforts of every player.

Amount you give

• Being on the team means doing what is asked of you.
• Being a teammate is doing whatever is needed for the team to succeed.

Blame vs. Accountability

• Being on the team can involve blaming others and making excuses.
• Being a teammate involves accepting responsibility, accountability, and ownership of the team's problems.

Me vs. We

• Being on the team makes you "me-optic," asking what's in it for me?
• Being a teammate makes you "we-optic," asking what's in it for us?

Interest vs. Mission

• Sometimes players on the team are drawn together by common interests;
• Teammates are drawn together by a common mission.

Like vs. Respect

• Sometimes players on a team like one another;
• Teammates respect one another.

Bonding

• Sometimes players on a team bond together because of a shared background or compatible personalities;
• Teammates bond together because they recognize every player is needed to accomplish the goal of the team.

Energy

• Sometimes players on a team are energized by emotions;
• Teammates energize one another out of commitment.

ABCS OF MENTAL TRAINING: W IS FOR WINNING

BY AIMEE C. KIMBALL, PHD, CC-AASP

People often belong to two camps—1) Winning is the source of all things good or 2) Winning is the source of all things evil. Frankly, when it comes to sport, either can be true but the reality is winning is as important as you make it—which is neither good nor bad. This article discusses the concept of winning, from the good, to the bad, to the ugly.

Love to Win
Personally, I love to win, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. One problem I see with the current generation of athletes is they are often too reserved. They won’t admit how much they want to win and how confident they are in their ability to win. I love confident swimmers who come into my office with some well-deserved swagger and talk about winning like it’s a given rather than something in question. Coaches sometimes get criticized for telling swimmers to go out and win it or for pushing them to out-swim everyone else. Somewhere along the lines people decided focusing on winning was a bad thing. I disagree. Focusing on winning is perfectly fine. The problem really occurs when the ONLY focus is on winning. Overall, the athlete who enjoys winning and sets it as one of his/her goals is doing something all athletes should—competing to be the best, which gives them a much better chance of achieving their best.

It’s Not All About Winning
Success isn’t defined by how often you win. Winning is simply one way to assess your abilities. To me, athletes are successful if they do everything they can (physically, mentally, nutritionally, etc…) in pursuit of being their best.

No matter how much you want to win, train to win, and deserve to win, it doesn’t always happen. There will be times when someone is better. There will be times when you’re not at your best. That doesn’t mean you’re a failure. It just means you didn’t win that race. No biggie, you will live to swim another day. Ultimately, you don’t control whether you win or lose. All you control is doing everything you can to put yourself in the best position to swim well.

Remember, winning is a by-product of your hard work. Winning is a reward rather than necessity.

Winning Can Get Ugly
If you, your coaches, or you parents make swimming all about winning, you are in for a lot of headaches. When sport becomes all about winning, enjoyment tends to go out the window. You spend too much time in the pool not to enjoy it. Athletes whose sole focus is on winning: a) are often dissatisfied (because they don’t always win), b) have trouble transitioning to higher levels of competition (especially if they won most of the time at lower levels), c) burnout, d) let one bad race impact their next event, and e) have significantly higher anxiety before races.

Coaches who focus only on winning place a lot of stress on their swimmers. They often make the mistake of pitting teammates against each other, which increases anxiety and decreases confidence, enjoyment and camaraderie. Parents who focus too much on winning make their children feel less important if they lose. These swimmers can feel like their parents’ love is conditional on the outcome of their meet. Swimmers who have parents who emphasize winning above all tend to be more anxious because they focus on not disappointing their parents or what their parents will say if they lose. When you have a combination of athletes-coaches-parents who all emphasize winning, unhealthy behaviors can result (i.e., eating disorders, overtraining, psychological and emotional issues).

Strive to Win
Most people have heard of the concept of “Fear of Failure” but what few people realize is that some athletes do have a “Fear of Success.” While less common, in theory it does exist since some swimmers think about the pressure that results if they constantly win. They think about the expectations others will have for them and wonder how they will be able to live up to those expectations. They recognize how much harder they will have to work to continue to be successful and to drop even more time. My question always is, “why fear success and what comes with it?” Instead of worrying about what comes next, enjoy the fruits of your labor. You’ve won because you’ve earned it. No one handed a victory to you. You logged the miles and put in the time and energy. You developed your talent.

All sport, regardless of whether it’s in a pool, on a track, field, or court is about seeing what your potential is. There will be a day when your competitive opportunities end. Until that time, strive to win. Better yet, strive to be your best—in and out of the pool—and if that results in winning, then congratulations. If it results in improved times, then congratulations. If striving to be your best results in fitness, enjoyment and participation in what can be a lifelong sport, then that is the best reward of all and certainly makes you an all-around winner.

Make it Great!
Dr. Aimee

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://tinyurl.com/UPMCMentalTraining

Reposted from USASwimming.org

Problem-Solving Swimming

Posted by Glenn Mills on Sep 13, 2011 09:53AM
The new season is upon everyone.  How you approach how you're going to reach your goals will be an important aspect of starting your season.

Swimmers will typically start each season either excited for the training, dreading the training, or with goals so lofty that they' maybe a little bit tentative with what's upon them.  Starting the season with a plan is probably the most important thing you can do, or setting training goals that are realistic when thinking of your season goals.  However, don't focus only on "how much" you're going to train, but start the season thinking of "how" you're going to train.

When you think of swimming, are you constantly analyzing how you approach the water?  Do you think about how your hands initiate the catch, how the fingers slide against the water and the exact point in which you make that connection and start to move forward?  Or do you approach the sport with the notion that by just training harder, you'll accomplish what you set out to do.

When you think of swimming as a series of equations, or problems that have to be looked into, or solved, there are a never-ending number of problems, and solutions to help you continue to swim faster.
Identifying wasted motion is actually pretty easy.  Case in point, I went for a jog yesterday.  While not a runner, I understand there is technique in everything we do, so I started to think about why I am so slow.  Taking physiology, age, and being a breaststroker out of the equation, I started to think about littlle details in what I was doing.  How was my posture (leaning back)?   How high was I lifting my feet off the ground (barely, more like shuffling)?   How did my feet connect with the ground... heel-toe, or toe-heel (side first then rolling to flat)?  What were my hands doing (actually relaxed)?  What was the cadence of my breathing (started inhale for 3 strides, exhale for 3 strides... turned into inhale for 1 stride, exhale for 1 stride)?  What I learned from a simple 3-mile jog (other than the fact that I could listen to the entire Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon album), is that there is SO much to think about when I'm trying to do something that we're naturally supposed to do... how much is there really to think about during swimming?

It's easy to get so caught up in making intervals, or hammering sets, that we forget this is a technical sport, and it's the times that we're hammering that give us the best opportunities to solve problems.

My favorite quote over the past year has been one by Albert Einstein -

"Doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results, is the definition of insanity."

If you swim the same way every day, without a doubt, going from out of shape, to IN shape... you're going to get faster, but are you really teaching yourself the skills necessary to reach the next level?  I've written on the site many times about being the hardest worker, and it's great if you are (you strive to be).  However, the people we'll be watching in London next year, are the ones who don't just work hard.  We'll be watching the swimmers who solve problems... problems that come with being human in the water.  Awkward bodies not meant to move through the water quickly, creating tremendous resistance, and lying horizontal in a substance that keeps us from getting what we need to survive... oxygen.
In looking at a very quick list, if you're in the middle of a very difficult set, having a hard time keeping up, or in the zone where you simply can't hurt enough (I remember those days... LONG ago!), then here are some ideas of ways to solve the problem of not going as fast as you want:

• Switch responsibility of the pull from your arms to your lats - all strokes.
• When are you going to air?  Early, or late in the stroke cycle? - freestyle.
• Rotate your shoulders completely out of the water on each recovery - backstroke.
• Use your hips more to help you clear the surface for your breath - butterfly.
• Where are looking? - all strokes.
• Are you pointing your toes off the push off? - all strokes.
• Where are you finishing the stroke? - all strokes.
• How fast are you recovering your hands? - breaststroke.

Rather than me just sitting and thinking of endless possibilities of things to think about, list yours below.  These are not things to think about during drill sets, but rather, when you're in the thick of training, when it's very difficult.

Most athletes, when in pain, focus on the pain.  Great athletes, when in pain, focus on how to keep shifting responsibilities of the body to keep going as fast as they have been.

Don't fall in to the trap of being a regular athlete.  Use the mental capacity you've been given, and use your brain to solve the problems that come with pain, and being tired.

On that note... I'm going for a jog.  Hopefully be back before dinner.
brain training, swim technique, swim training

Posted from GoSwim.com

The Responsibility of Leading the Lane

Posted by Glenn Mills on Sep 21, 2012 www.goswim.tv

You go first!  No way... you're always on my feet.  YOU GO!

Way too often there's an argument about who is going to lead, rather than a fight over who's going to be the leader.  In developing a culture of champions, or people who are striving to elevate themselves as athletes, developing lane leaders is much more than about who's going to go first.

There are many responsibilities when you take charge and go first, and you have to have a few key qualities to manage these responsibilities.  Here's a short list, certainly not all inclusive:

1.  ATTENTION
The lane leader must be able to hear the set as described by the coach.  He/she must listen to the details of the set and the intervals.  If nearby swimmers are talking, it's the lane leader's responsibility to get the others to be quiet so they're able to hear these details.  Since many of the other swimmers will be relegated to "followers" in the lane, the first person MUST get these details correct.

2.  MEMORY
The lane leader must REMEMBER all details of the set.  Is it descend?  Do the strokes switch?  Is the interval the same the whole way through, or does it change?  When is the drill?  What is the drill?  How far apart should we go if the lane is crowded?  This list gets longer with a more complex set, but unless the lane leader understands the MEANING and purpose of the set, the entire lane may as well swim for 30 minutes straight.  Basically that's what ends up happening anyway.

3.   ABILITY TO READ THE CLOCK
The lane leader MUST have an understanding of the 60-based math required to be an athlete.  Years ago, we had clocks with round faces, and hands sweeping around.  In my opinion those analog pace clocks made it MUCH easier to keep track of when you were supposed to go.  Today, in the digital age, you have to understand NUMBERS.  If you've read some of my other articles, I believe in testing swimmers with math, especially as fatigue sets in.  By assigning 50s on the :37 rather than on the :40, you require athletes to think, and to become engaged in the process.  The lane leader must take pride in the responsibility of leaving on time... all the time.

Here's an article about learning how to read the clock.

4.  COMMITTMENT TO THE PRACTICE
This simply means... not getting out.  If you're in practice, you stay in practice until it's over.  No getting out to go to the bathroom.  No stopping in the middle of the set to fix your goggles.  Whatever happens, the lane leader must set the example that nothing will stand in the way of completing the task at hand.  Commitment also means that the lane leader must embrace the set or sets that the coach has given, even if a particular set isn't their favorite thing to do.

5.  PRIDE
Being a leader means taking pride in being a leader.  You don't have to be loud, or yell.  This type of leader is simply organized and committed to being better.  They lead by example and by all of the traits listed above.  They'll bring their lanemates UP to a new level, rather than push that job off to the coaches.  They'll take pride in their team, in their swimming, and in the FACT that when they're in the pool, they are indeed focusing on THEIR career.

Swimmers, and all athletes, must remember that the time they spend in the pool is ALL ABOUT THEM.  When a coach asks or demands that you do something better, it's to make THE SWIMMER better.  When lanes are disorganized, when people don't know when to go, when people don't know what to do... the time spent at the pool is simply unproductive.  Nobody wins.

Also remember:  If the most important job for a coach is to yell "READY HUP" for each group of swimmers, they can't do their real job.  Swimmers / athletes need to take responsibility for what they do in practice, and since not all swimmers will... a lane leader MUST emerge to accept that responsibility.

While I'd love to be able to offer a check list of ideas on how to develop leaders, it's never that easy.  In the immortal words of Forest Gump, "life is like a box of chocolates," which is just like a group of swimmers.  You never know what you're going to get, or what it's going to take to inspire athlete "A" vs. athlete "B."   Each answer will be different, and each hot button to inspire that athlete will also be different.

For coaches, just imagine how productive a season you would have if you could develop lane leaders at the beginning of the season.  Imagine having to explain a set only once... and then telling the group when to leave.  Your job at that point would be to... well... COACH!  Sitting back with watchful eyes seeing who needs technical help, or inspiration.

Finally, from my "back in the old days" perspective on this.  I was SO lucky to be surrounded by people who cared so much about being the best.   My practices were filled with lane leaders.  Our coach would give the set, and then watch as 40-50 swimmers, in unison, progressed through it.  These were brutal sets.  But... as with every school of fish, there would always be one injured fish that stood out like a sore thumb.  Like a SHARK, the coach's eyes would immediately be drawn to the break in the rhythm and know something was wrong.  That's when the real "coaching" began.

Reprinted from www.goswim.tv

The One Extra Degree Makes All The Difference

At 211°, water is hot. At 212°, it boils. That one extra degree makes all the difference. Are you content with just being pretty good? Or are you ready to go the extra degree?

How Bad Do You Want It?

The Swimming Edition

"Life's only limitations are those you set upon yourself, for as long as you strive hard enough anything is achievable". - Chad Williams

Most of your limitations are based on your beliefs about your incapability, of your lack of progress and of what you've heard or seen. When you start focusing on your conditions of lack instead of possibilities, you are telling yourself that you are not going to succeed in your attempts.

If you want to challenge your mental restrictions, you must make a firm decision to win. Even individuals who are physically challenged have proven that they can succeed in whatever they have set out to do.

If you are physically complete and yet are unable to achieve anything worthwhile, you may have to seriously check the way you have been thinking and notice what you have been doing. Unless you have done all that you can and as long as you can, any excuse that you are at a disadvantage is unacceptable.

How do you overcome your limitations?

Change your beliefs.

Ask yourself if it is true that you are limited and what exactly are your stipulations? Drill down inside you to find out why you think that you are not qualified? Keep asking until you find the answers. The reason behind the questioning it is to challenge your limiting beliefs and override them with empowering ones.

Recognize them.

It's useful to know what they are so that you will now what to do. Once you recognize your drawbacks, make a decision to do something about them or ignore those that are not a real hindrance. If you lack the knowledge or skill, you can acquire and hone them or get expert advice.

Become passionate about your goals.

When you are obsessed with your goals, you become courageous and will challenge the limitations that are holding you back. You will dare take more risks and become unafraid of making mistakes. Set them high and know exactly why you want them. Your reasons will inspire and motivate you to go through obstructions along the way.

Directing your focus.

Focus of attention is important in determining where you are heading. If you focus on lack, you will attract more of them. When you focus your mind on the end result, you can't help but move towards it. Plan your path and move ahead.

Set a higher standard.

You need to set a higher standard for yourself. You should have a determination to get over your old patterns of limited thinking and mediocre accomplishments. You don't have to repeat the past and stay the same.

Expect the best.

Have great expectations. It means having an optimistic view about life and your capabilities. When you have a positive outlook and expect good things to happen, they will.

I don’t need easy, I just need possible

Can I do that? Yes, if you dare to DREAM & BELIEVE than PLAN!

I really want to drop five seconds in my 400 and ten seconds in my 800 freestyle. Do you think that is possible?

Absolutely! If you believe it is possible, it is. If you believe it is not possible, it likely isn’t. It is amazing how much our beliefs can alter how our body physically is able to respond.

Often, when I work with clients, in whatever their endeavor, the most common issue is not dreaming big enough, or not believing a lofty idea or dream is really possible. Assuming a person is open to seeing what is possible, it also helps to create a thorough plan (that is reviewed on occasion for adjustments) of what you want to do over the time frame you are looking at.

This summer, we have been blessed to watch the youngest Olympian, Katie Ledecky (age 15) swim the 800 meter freestyle. In two years she has gone “from 8:58.86 in 2010 to 8:19.78 at the 2012 trials…that’s a 39 second drop!!!” per Chris Morgan’s article: http://swimswam.com/2012/07/oh-ye-of-little-faith/

A year ago, she didn’t even have the Olympic trial cut in the 800! Now, she is close to the world record! And I believe that she can continue to drop and potentially get that record here in London!

During my years swimming internationally for Team USA, I roomed a few times with friend, Olympian, and 800 freestyle world record holder, Janet Evans. In 1988, she was one of the few to win against the East Germans.

In my interview with National Team Swimmer, Julie Cooper, Julie shared rooming with Janet in 1989 and how Janet thought before breaking the 800 free world record. http://swimswam.com/2012/07/stories-of-us-national-team-members-and-interview-with-julie-cooper/

From my perspective, a champion creates an amazing life for him/herself. Our minds decide what we want to do and focus on being open to the possibilities (i.e. not just going a certain time, but maybe even faster than what we dared to dream possible).

As the Olympics inspire many people, may Katie and Kate Ziegler (the two American 800 female freestylers) be inspired to bring out their true best as they race in the 800 meter freestyle.

And, may you know that it is okay to dream big, create a plan, and stay committed to the dream.

Copied from swimswam.com

A little bit about the author:

Katrina Radke appeared to be on top of the world. At 14, she was the youngest member of the U.S. National Swim Team, and later she was a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic team, placing fifth in the 200 meter butterfly at the Seoul Olympic Games. She won four gold medals internationally, held American records, U.S Open records, Australian Open records, and Italian Open records. She served as co-captain of the United States National Swimming Team and held Top 10 World Rankings for seven straight years.

But what nobody knew was that she had been battling immune system issues since the age of 15, ultimately finding herself essentially bedridden, relegated to using handicapped parking, while in her final year of college at Cal Berkeley. After years of mystery, she was finally diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS), a debilitating chronic illness. Once she was able to put a name and face to her disability, she called upon her athlete s determination to fight her way back, ultimately even to swim again at the Olympic Trials. In Be Your Best Without the Stress, Katrina uses her inspirational story to guide others through the minefield of health and wellness issues.

From farm town girl to Olympic Swimmer, to bedridden and beyond, therapist Katrina Radke uses her inspirational story, professional experiences, and powerful yet simple tools to help you find what drives you to be your best, while feeling deeply satisfied in all areas of your life. This life-changing book helps you awaken to lost aspects of yourself, become more aware of your impact and importance, and commit to decisive actions that will help you live your best life, one designed and fulfilled by you.

Keep SHINING! And if you want to learn more about ways to think BIG and take ACTION, check out my book, Be Your Best Without the Stress.

Katrina Radke is an Olympic Swimmer, and Bestselling Author of Be Your Best Without the Stress, where she shares her own Olympic story, and tools for you to realize your true potential.

Why Swim Culture Matters

BY ALAN ABRAHAMSON | JUN 29, 2012, 10:30 PM ET

Matt Grevers pushes off the starting block in the final of the men's 100m backstroke.

OMAHA -- Matt Grevers had just come off a dominating win in the 100 backstroke here at the U.S. Swim Trials. It was late at night. He was walking across the bridge that connects CenturyLink Arena to the Hilton Omaha and he was walking slowly, very slowly, because about every 10 feet, a gaggle of girls was asking for autographs and photos.

He was signing and posing and he could not have been more gracious, even when the girls gave way to a grown man who asked if he would pose for a photo with a picture glued to a popsicle-stick of his hometown orthodontist, apparently a swim dad. No matter.

Grevers posed for the photo and the guy gushed, "Matt, you just saved me two-thousand bucks!"

"It's a big family," Grevers would say later. "Everyone wants everyone to do well."

Every sport has its own culture. A reason, perhaps the key reason, for USA Swimming's ongoing success at the Summer Olympics -- and why the team that's being put together here at the Trials is expected to continue that run in just a few weeks in London -- is its underlying culture.

It's no accident. It begins early, when kids start at their clubs in their towns, and it carries all the way through and to the national and Olympic teams.

Just one example of swim culture, and how it contrasts with track and field, which of course will be one of the other marquee sports in just a few weeks at the Games:

In the women's 200-meter breaststroke heats here Friday morning, 14-year-old Allie Szekely and 20-year-old Gisselle Kohoyda tied for 17th in 2:30.28.

A marked element of swim culture is that swimmers are expected to be tough. About an hour later, after the heats of the men's 200 individual medley, they held a swim-off to determine who would be the first alternate for Friday night's semifinals in the women's 200 breaststroke. With the crowd roaring, Allie won, in 2:30.03.

To be clear: She went faster in the swim-off than she had in the heat itself.

Afterward, she signed autographs and said it was "awesome."

Compare: In track and field, the dead-heat in the women's 100 meters last Saturday in Eugene, Ore., is still a dead-heat.

The two athletes involved in the 100-meter tie at the track Trials, Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh, are also competing in the 200 meters. After competing through the early rounds of the 200, both have been escorted through what's called the "mixed zone," where athletes meet reporters, with no comment. Both have declined to speak with television crews as well.

The track dead-heat has dissolved into something of a farce. While the protocol that has since been instituted since the tie calls for either a run-off or a coin-flip, the coin-flip rules demand that the 25-cent piece to be used must feature George Washington on one side and an "Eagle" on the other. So the commemorative quarters honoring each of the 50 states, which are of course legal tender and now in wide circulation through a program launched by the U.S. Mint in 1999 -- they're no good.

Chuck Wielgus, executive director of USA Swimming, said he believes it's his No. 1 priority -- more than fund-raising, organizational charts, anything -- to work at culture.

On the blocks, swimming is the most important thing. Off, no. It's understood that there's a distinct difference between who the person is as a swimmer and who he or she is as a person. Moreover, the culture in USA Swimming is to embrace accountability and responsibility and, whether winning or losing, to be humble and gracious.

No one is perfect, of course, and there are obviously exceptions and mistakes. But that's the culture.

"You can't manufacture it," Wielgus said. "It has to be ingrained."

He also said, "At the very end, it can be that extra little shot of energy, that extra hundredth of a second that can make a difference. This -- all of it -- it's more than just about you."

It's all the more remarkable that it is ingrained because, obviously, swimming is an individual thing. But what USA Swimming has done is make it a team thing, too.

Swimming is hard. Not to say other sports aren't. But, as Eddie Reese, the longtime coach at the University of Texas, said, "Nobody in their right mind picks this. How exciting is it to do two to four hours a day following a black line at the bottom of a pool with no outside information or stimulus? Plus, the only way to get better is to work harder."

On top of which, as everyone in the sport's elite echelons understand well, the best way to produce Olympic-caliber stars is to develop an aerobic base in a young athlete before he or she hits puberty -- the best example being Michael Phelps, who was essentially a miler as a youngster in Baltimore before he started sprinting.

The thing is, as young swimmers are growing up in the sport, they are inevitably on clubs or teams. And there's a lot of waiting around together at meets for heats. That builds camaraderie.

That group sense thoroughly informs the national and Olympic teams.

Call it corny, but there are rookie skits and karaoke and team-building exercises that everyone buys into.

At the world championships last year in Shanghai, Frank Busch, the national team director, was a rookie. He had for the prior 22 years been the coach at the University of Arizona. But he was new to the national team post and therefore a rookie.

Culture is culture. At the pre-Shanghai training camp, Busch got up before the team and belted out his version of Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer." At the time, he was 60-years-old and, as he said with a laugh, "They looked at me like I was from outer space."

Missy Franklin, the 17-year-old Colorado sensation who is expected to be a breakout star in London, not only sang, she danced so well that, Busch said, "The kids on the team, they were pulling their jaw off the ground watching her."

Because Franklin will be an Olympic rookie, she will have to do something all over again at the team's training camp before London. Culture is culture.

Besides the fun, there is a serious element to it as well, which everyone involved calls "the code." On international trips, there's a curfew, typically 10 or 11 p.m. No girls in boys' rooms or vice-versa. No tobacco or alcohol, not even for coaches when they are eating out.

"I have never been on a trip where there has been a problem," said Lindsay Mintenko, who swam at the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Games, winning three medals, two gold, and is now the U.S. national team managing director.

The way this also works is that the older athletes not only are expected to give back -- they want to do so.

Ariana Kukors, the 2009 world championship gold medalist in the women's 200 IM who qualified here to swim the event in London, said she vividly remembers Summer Sanders, who won four swimming medals, two gold, at the 1992 Barcelona Games, coming to a pool in the Seattle area -- where Kukors is from -- to sign autographs when Kukors was just 10.

"I never get tired of signing autographs," Kukors said.

Even the biggest names gladly pitch in.

In 2009, Phelps happened to be on vacation in Hawaii. The junior Pan Pacific championships were going on at the same time. Phelps called Jack Roach, the junior team national director, and said, what can I do?

Roach said, please come on over. Phelps did, and talked to the teens at length about the honor of representing team and country.

At those world championships in Rome in 2009, meanwhile, Aaron Peirsol, arguably the finest backstroker of his generation, didn't make the finals of the 100 back. He simply misjudged how fast he would have to go to make the last eight.

He didn't whine. He didn't complain. He said he would put it behind him, cheer for his teammates and get ready for his next race, the 200 back.

A few days later, right before he was getting ready to swim the 200 final, Peirsol turned to Roach, who on that trip was with the senior team.

"Jack, come here," Peirsol said. He urged Roach to take a look around at the magnificent setting that was the Foro Italico -- the olive trees, the red brick buildings, the noise and sound of 16,000 people.

"Let's not forget what we are doing," Peirsol said. "We may never experience this again as long as we live. Look at the sunset. Look at the trees. Look at the American flags. This is what it's all about."

"I knew right then," Roach said, "that Aaron was going to win a gold medal."

Which Peirsol did. In world-record time.

Reposted from www.teamusa.org

GRIT: PERSEVERANCE AND PASSION FOR LONG TERM GOALS

6/19/2012

BY RICK BISHOP//USA SWIMMING NATIONAL TEAM STAFF

Why do some individuals accomplish more than others?

Dr. Angela Duckworth of the University of Pennsylvania Psychology Department and colleagues identified a personality trait found among high achievers across several different domains. The term given to the personality trait – grit.

“We define grit as perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Grit entails working strenuously toward challenges, maintaining effort and interest over years despite failure, adversity, and plateaus in progress. The gritty individual approaches achievement as a marathon; his or her advantage is stamina. Whereas disappointment or boredom signals to others that it is time to change trajectory and cut losses, the gritty individual stays the course.”

Recently, much attention has been given to the concept of the ten year rule for the development of elite performance. Dr. Anders Ericson and Talent Code author Dan Coyle point to ten years of deliberate practice needed for a performer to develop and reach an elite level. With such a great amount of time and effort needed to achieve elite level, grit, perseverance and passion would surely play an integral role in attaining elite performance.

Dr. Duckworth developed a grit scale to measure an individual’s grit. In a study conducted at USMA West Point, the grit scale predicted completion of the rigorous first summer- Beast Barracks - better than the overall West Point Whole Candidate Score.

As we look at the long process of developing an athlete the trait of grit/perseverance should be considered a critical element that contributes to achieving elite performance levels.

For more information on grit or the grit scale contact: Rick Bishop rbishop@usaswimming.org.

For more tips from the National Team High Performance staff, visit the National Team High Performance Tips archive. 

Article from USASwimming.org

GET IN CONTROL: ANXIETY-REDUCING TECHNIQUES

6/12/2012

As mentioned in the previous article discussing what anxiety is and why it’s caused, there are two types of anxiety-somatic (dealing with the physical symptoms of anxiety) and cognitive (dealing with the mental and emotional symptoms). This article will address how to gain control of your anxiety so you can regain control of your performance.

Reducing Somatic Anxiety
Since somatic anxiety has to do with the body, any technique that helps to reduce the physiological response (racing heart, tight muscles, stomach issues) falls into this category. Keep in mind that techniques that decrease physical signs of anxiety will also decrease cognitive anxiety.

Techniques for Reducing Somatic Anxiety:

1. Deep breathing-There are numerous methods for using deep breathing to reduce anxiety. Basically, if you breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth as slowly and deeply as possible you’ll be in good shape. You should never feel like you’re holding your breath or forcing it out. Try to imagine breathing through your heart; it can better help to decrease your heart rate. Focusing on your breathing and counting each breath as you exhale can distract your mind from worried thoughts.
2. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) - Take a few minutes each day to go through all of your muscle groups, tightening a muscle for a few seconds and then relaxing it. By doing this progressive relaxation you can recognize where you are carrying physical tension and learn to physically loosen your muscles so that you can perform your best. Physical tension leads to mental tension and vice versa.
3. Biofeedback-There are several computer programs that can help teach you how to breathe properly and to control your thinking. It can help swimmers to “see” changes related to techniques they are trying.
4. Prerace routines- By doing the same thing before each event, you will focus on what you need to do to swim well rather than the situation. Your pre-race routine should include: a) music that creates your ideal arousal/energy level, b) imagery of how you want to swim or that physically relaxes you, c) positive focus and self-talk, and d) deep breathing and PMR.

Reducing Cognitive Anxiety
Cognitive anxiety typically comes from two places: Fear of Failure or Inappropriate Focus. It’s important to know that you control the way that you think. While your brain might be wired to worry, you still have the ability to logically think through these worries and refocus your mind more appropriately. It’s not always as easy as people make it sound, but with practice you can create more effective mental habits.

Fear of Failure Results From:

1. Lack of confidence
2. Too much emphasis on the outcome
3. Focus on emotions related to failure rather than success
4. High self-expectations and self-imposed pressure
5. Being untapered/physically tired
6. Lack of trust in coach
7. Returning from injury or illness

Techniques for Reducing Failure-Related Anxiety

1. Don’t dwell on potential outcomes prior to or during a race; just focus on racing
2. Focus on success–related emotions (how good will it feel when you win/get a good time/swim the way you trained)
3. Play the odds; you’re more likely to swim well than you are to have an awful race
4. Set realistic expectations, especially when untapered or returning from injury or illness (don’t expect a personal record if it’s been a hard training week)
5. Work on communication with your coach; get him/her to explain their training philosophy and the physiology behind why it works.

Examples of Inappropriate Focus:

1. Uncontrollable/situational factors (competitors, event importance, parents, injury, etc…)
2. Past races/meets
3. Future thinking (What does it mean if I lose?)

Techniques for Reducing Focus-Related Anxiety

1. If you don’t control it, let it go. Make a list of your worries and cross off anything that you can’t directly impact. If you can control it, make a plan.
2. Simplify the race. Focus on what you need to do to swim well (quick start, strong turns, powerful kicks, etc…)
3. Focus on the task (swimming) rather than the situation (championship)
4. Focus on right now, how to make it a great race
5. Trust that if you swim like you’ve trained to, the outcome will take care of itself

Summary
Anxiety does not have to keep you from performing your best. You may have some physical activation (faster heart rate, quicker breathing) but you can control this. Work on reducing both the physiological signs of anxiety as well as the cognitive anxiety. Leave some time for a pre-race routine that allows you to physically and mentally relax. While it requires training, you can regain control of your body by taking control of your mind.

Article from USASwimming.org

FIGHT OR FLIGHT: UNDERSTANDING ANXIETY IN SWIMMING

6/12/2012

  With the Olympic trials around the corner and hundreds of swimmers trying to make qualifying times, sometimes what separates those who make it from those who don’t is their ability to control their nerves. In this first of a three part “swimming anxiety” series, we will address the concept of anxiety and how it manifests itself both physically and psychologically. 

What is anxiety?

Whether you call it anxiety, nerves, or pre-race jitters, it’s all part of the same physiological mechanism. All animals (humans included) have what’s called the “fight-or-flight” response in which our mind and body prepare either to fight a challenge or to run away from it. This response naturally gives us the extra “umph” to battle through competition. Typically, when the mind recognizes an upcoming challenge it causes our heart rate to increase, our muscles to tighten, and our thoughts to narrow. We need a certain amount of physiological and mental energy so we can be ready to compete, but too much can be a problem. Therefore, anxiety can be just as helpful as it is harmful-it all depends on the extent to which you experience it and your ability manage the symptoms of anxiety.

To throw in a little science, there are two types of anxiety:

1. Somatic (the body)- physiological arousal

a. There are varying degrees of somatic anxiety and individuals have an ideal level of physiological activation/somatic anxiety under which they perform their best.

b. Some signs of somatic anxiety:

• Shaking Hands
• Tight muscles
• Difficulty breathing
• Rapid breathing
• Increased heart rate
• Sweating
• Need to urinate
• Sleep disruption

2. Cognitive (the mind)- detrimental changes in thoughts or emotions

a. It’s often an individual’s negative or worried thoughts which lead to performance declines.
b. Signs of cognitive anxiety include:

• Worried thoughts
• Narrowed focus
• Irrational thoughts
• Emotional instability
• Impaired attention and concentration
• Difficulty planning and making decisions

The biochemistry of these anxiety symptoms is quite complex, with adrenalin being a prime chemical involved in these reactions. Serotonin, dopamine, and nor-epinephrine are involved as well. The balance of these chemicals is a determinant of the extent of your symptoms and your control over them. Keep in mind that common behaviors can cause physiological reactions that mimic (or amplify) panic and anxiety, such as:

• Consuming high doses of caffeine
• Consuming high concentrations of sugar
• Taking recreational drugs

What’s the difference between anxiety and a panic attack?
Though they have many of the same somatic and cognitive symptoms listed above, the symptoms of a panic attack are more intense and often disproportionate to the situation. Anxiety symptoms typically are much more controllable and tend to linger longer. A panic attack comes on suddenly and consists of an overwhelming sense of fear. At its extreme, panic can be very disabling and can feel like you are having a heart attack or are unable to breathe. Because the “fight or flight” mechanism is overactive while a panic attack is happening, you can behave and think irrationally (you might suddenly “freeze up” in the water, think you are dying, or grab the person next to you for safety). 

What causes anxiety?
Anxiety can have a number of causes, including both external challenges (the upcoming race) and internal stressors (worries, what-ifs). Reactions to internal stressors can be just as strong as reactions to external challenges. That is, we can feel just as nervous worrying about a race the night before as we do when we are actually standing behind the blocks.

We create our own anxiety when we focus either on the what-ifs (ex: What if I lose? What if I swim poorly? What if I don’t make the qualifying time?) or when we lack confidence in our abilities (often causing these “what-ifs”). Think of a race you had that wasn’t important to you or where you knew you would win it easily. You probably didn’t have the same signs of anxiety because you didn’t see this event as being “pressure packed” or challenging. The perception of a challenge or of pressure can make athletes feel anxious. Therefore, a specific race or situation only produces an anxious response if we choose to interpret that situation as an important challenge.

Summary
Anxiety can be normal and, in many cases, necessary to prime your body to perform. The swimmers who consistently perform well do so by practicing controlling their physiological arousal and their thoughts so their anxiety does not become overwhelming and detrimental to performance.

Part II in this series of articles will focus on how to create the mind of a champion by alleviating the cognitive and physiological signs of anxiety.

Article from USASwimming.org

Changing the Way Your Brain Functions – It CAN Happen

I thought this YouTube link was well worth putting up. Dr Joe Dispenza has spent the last 10 years researching "spontaneous remission" in diseases. What do people who have had spontaneous remission have in common? We are always talking about changing the way you think well here is some interesting information to back it up. It's a fairly long video, but even watching the first 12 minutes can make a difference in the way you think!

Another Level

By Head Coach Paul Yetter of T2 Aquatics from his blog, Developing the Champion Within.

What must an athlete do to “Take it to Another Level” ?

I often find myself in conversation discussing this subject. It’s discussed in the office, on the pool deck, over the phone with friends, coaches, parents – and on the deck with swimmers. It’s occurred to me that different people have their own ideas of what “Another Level” actually is, and differing opinions regarding how we go about getting there.

I have a problem accepting the idea that “Another Level” is an actual place or circumstance. To me, “Another Level” can happen anywhere, based on an individual’s mind-state – particularly in regards to swimming training and performance.

I’ve heard collegiate swimming referred to as “The Next Level”, in comparison to USS club swimming. Also, I’ve heard club swimming referred to as “The Next Level” when compared to High School swimming. I understand the idea behind these statements, but consider them to be large generalizations – generalizations which are believed by athletes, and in my opinion do them an injustice. “The Next Level” is not a fixed state, circumstance, or place – is a readily accessible mind-state, to which we have constant and ever-expanding access.

The “Next Level” is whatever we make it. The “Next Level” is OUR CREATION. Without interaction with the “Next Level” – and I mean exciting, personal interaction – the “Next Level” only exists as a fictional place in a fictional time.

We are at the Next Level as soon as we wake up and create it in the pool, on the track, on the deck, or in the office each day. As soon as we raise our standards, we are THERE – looking the next level directly in the eye. Once we are seeing that next level in daily training, we must begin to search for the next NEXT LEVEL. There is always another level! The next level is not found as you move from High School swimming to Club swimming, although the amount of practice time may increase and your coaching may change. Similarly, the next level is not reached because you take yourself from a Club swimming situation (as a High School Student) to a Collegiate swimming situation (as a College Student). The next level is reached by changing your mind – changing the way you think, changing your standards of what it means to be successful, changing your ability to think bigger than your currently are, changing your sense of creativity and what you consider possible, changing your resolve to experience physical discomfort, changing your determination to put off overloading social ‘responsibilities’, changing your ability to not only ignore – but dismiss detractors of your goal from your mind.

It takes practice and confidence to feel this way, and create your next level. You have to think about it a little bit, and decide that you are the creator of your life.

Out-training and out-working your “Old Self” is one way to create your “New Self” – and once you do it, THAT’S the next level.

Yes You Can!

The Importance of "Self Confidence" in Achieving Your Swimming Goals

Belief is the knowledge that we can do something. It’s the inner feeling that what we undertake, we can accomplish. For the most part, all of us have the ability to look at something and know whether or not we can do it. So, in belief there is power: our eyes are opened; our opportunities become plain; our visions become realities. (Unknown)

By Wayne Goldsmith
Have you said (or thought) any of the following in the past few months??? "I can’t do it," "They are much faster than me. I’ll come last," "I’m hopeless," "I’ve never been able to do that, so I know I can’t do it now," "It’s just too hard. It’s impossible."

You are not alone. Many swimmers have these thoughts and say these words from time to time. Most swimmers (and people generally) have times when they get a little negative and lack faith in their abilities.

When swimmers say "I can’t" or "it’s too hard," what are they really saying?

Swimmer says: "I can’t do it." Swimmer means: "I am not prepared to try because if people might think less of me."

Swimmer says: "They are faster than me. I’ll come last." Swimmer means: "If I can’t win there’s no point trying."

Swimmer says: "I’m hopeless." Swimmer means: "I have no faith in myself or my ability to succeed. I have no confidence."

Swimmer says: "I’ve never been able to do that, so I know I can’t do it now ." Swimmer means: "I’ve never really prepared for this or learnt how to do it correctly so the chances of me doing it now are not very good" or "I tried once and failed, so I am not going to try again."

Swimmer says: "It’s just too hard. It’s impossible." Swimmer means: "I’m not prepared to try.”

Confidence is believing in yourself to do what has to be done. To do what needs to be done, with faith in your ability to achieve it. To meet new challenges with an expectation that anything is possible. To accept failure as an opportunity to learn from the experience and try again. And try again. And try again if necessary.

Confidence is trying to achieve and if you fail knowing that it was the nature of the task or the circumstances or just plain bad luck, not your lack of character that is to blame. Confidence is learning from that failure and trying again with more energy, more commitment and greater determination than before.

What do some of Australia’s most successful people say about CONFIDENCE??

"Confidence comes from accepting a challenge and achieving it using the best of your ability. Confidence builds through training to meet your challenge". Phil Rogers (Commonwealth Games and Olympic Medalist).

"Confidence is about believing in yourself and your ability to do something -- not necessarily believing in your ability to do it perfectly or better than other people, but believing that you have as good a chance as anyone to achieve something. Confidence is having the courage to get up and try and face whatever the outcome is -- good, bad or something in between." Chloe Flutter (Australian Representative Swimmer -- now Rhodes scholar).

"In my experience, confidence is best achieved through controlled independence. If a young athlete is constantly challenged to be independent (within reasonable bounds), they will learn to rely on themselves and know how to thrive without the assistance of others in moments of greatest need. The ability to follow good decision making processes is a crucial part of this. For young athletes, teach them to take personal responsibility ( control the controllable and develop a chameleon-like ability to deal with the rest). Confidence is the ability to believe you can do something and the courage to do it - if others have made the hard decisions for you and you have never had to live with the results of your own actions, you can never be expected to know full confidence and the power of the self". Marty Roberts. (Dual Olympian, Commonwealth Games Gold medalist, University Graduate, father of two).

“Attitudes such as belief, optimism, high aspirations, and anticipation of the best possible result—all these positive states of mind add up to confidence, the keystone for success. But of course it pays for all of these to be built on the firm rock of a sound preparation". Forbes Carlile (Legendary Coach, successful business man, author, leading anti-drugs in sport campaigner).

Confidence it seems, is a skill -- a skill that can be learnt. You learnt to swim. You learnt to tumble turn. You learnt how to do butterfly. You can learn to be confident.

Leading Melbourne based Sports Psychologist, Dr Mark Andersen agrees: "Many people believe that confidence is something that comes from the inside, but we probably develop confidence from the models we have around us, that confidence really comes from the outside. If we have coaches, parents, teachers and instructors that model confidence in our abilities and let us know that they think we can do good things, slowly their confidence in us becomes internalized".

A few tips to develop confidence:
accept who you are and learn to like and respect yourself.

Nothing helps build confidence like learning the 3 P’s. Practice to the best of your ability. Develop a Positive Attitude to trying new tasks. Persevere, Persevere, Persevere.

Understand what motivates you to do well then you can harness your energy in the right directions.

Failure is a race or a meet or a task -it is not a person. Failure is not the person: it’s not you- it’s the performance. Learn to separate who you are from what you do.

Learn to talk to yourself positively. When the negative thoughts come, learn to replace them with positive ones. I can’t = I can, I won’t = I will, I will try = I did. Remember the old saying, "If you think you can or think you can’t, you’re probably right".

"The greatest achievement is not in never failing but in getting up every time you fall". Keep trying and it will happen.

What you believe, you can, with effort and persistence, achieve. Dream a dream, believe in that dream, work towards achieving it and live the dream.

Anything worth having is worth working to achieve. Talent is important, but there are many talented swimmers who don’t make it to the top. TOUGH, TENACIOUS TRAINING makes up for most talent limitations.

Successful people are not afraid to fail. They have the ability to accept their failures and continue on, knowing that failure is a natural consequence of trying. The law of failure is one of the most powerful of all the success laws because you only really fail when you quit trying.

Ladder of Achievement 100% I Did 90% I Will 80% I Can 70% I Think I Can 60% I Might 50% I Think I Might 40 % What is It? 30% I Wish I Could 20% I Don’t Know How 10% I Can’t 0% I Won’t This is called the Ladder of Achievement. It shows how your attitude towards a goal or task can impact your ability to achieve it. The ladder of achievement suggests that an attitude of "I can’t" has almost no chance of success whilst "I won’t" is no chance at all. Change "I can’t" and "I won’t" to I CAN - I WILL - I DID !

Swim Coaching Brain

ABCs OF MENTAL TRAINING: V IS FOR VISUALIZATION

BY AIMEE C. KIMBALL, PHD, CC-AASP

You’ve all been told to imagine yourself swimming your best race. You’ve undoubtedly sat up before a big meet and thought about how you were going to do and tried to “see” yourself winning. This article will discuss how to make the most of your imagination and how to visualize correctly so that you’ll reap the performance benefits.

It Really Works
Without going into the science or citing a bunch of research, there is a lot of evidence on the power of visualization in sport as well as many other domains. Basically, there are various theories as to why it works, some claim it strengthens neuropathways while others think it is effective because it bolsters psychological skills. Regardless of WHY it works, the majority of the research does show performance is enhanced through visualization, provided the athlete does it correctly.

The Keys
I should really stop calling it visualization because technically the correct term is “imagery.” The reason it’s not “visualization” is because when doing it correctly, you are using more than just your visual sense. The first key to proper imagery is to incorporate all of your senses. Not only should you see yourself swimming well, but you should feel your hands pulling through the water, smell the chlorine, hear the crowd, and maybe even taste the Gatorade you drank as you were preparing for your race. Vivid details are essential for imagery to be effective.

Another important aspect is to try to imagine your race in real time. I know a few coaches who give out stopwatches to their swimmers and have them imagine their race as close to their goal time as possible. Along with this is the need for controllability and positivity-you must dictate where your imagination takes you and you should ensure you are always imagining a desired outcome and correct technique.

For added benefit, include mental cues and positive self-talk. You can create a CD/Mp3 that you listen to that will guide you through the race. Such guided imagery should include positive statements to program your race-day thoughts (ex: “As I pull through the water I feel how strong and powerful I am” or “As you stand on the blocks you focus on only your lane and feel confident in your preparation and are ready to race your best”).

Do it often, don’t wait until right before your meet to imagine the race you want. When you wake up every morning you can imagine performing well in your upcoming events. Before practice you can visualize your goals for the day. Before each set you can quickly imagine how this will help you in a race. It can even be helpful to picture something not going as planned (ex: goggles snap, a bad race, etc.), but imaging an appropriate and effective reaction (though I suggest keeping everything positive the night before/day of a race).

Déjà Vu
The purpose of imagery is to mentally prepare you for various situations. You want to have vividly imagined every aspect of race day so that when you arrive at the pool, your mind thinks it has already been there, done that. Your mind can’t always tell the difference between what’s real and what it’s created, so by convincing it that you’ve already successfully swam this race you’ll be calmer, more confident, and appropriately focused—a state of mind that in and of itself will help you to perform your best. Also, the more you feel yourself swimming (rather than imagining your race like you’re watching a video of yourself), the easier it will be to create this Déjà vu experience. So go start mentally rehearsing your future success now!

Make it Great!

Dr. Aimee

Dr. Aimee C. Kimball is the Director of Mental Training at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Center for Sports Medicine. She received a PhD from the University of Tennessee where she specialized in sport psychology.

She is an Association for the Advancement 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.

As a Mental Training Consultant, Dr. Kimball has worked with professional, collegiate, high school, recreational, and youth athletes in a variety of sports, and assists the Pittsburgh Steelers in analyzing potential draft picks.

She has been a featured speaker at conferences across the nation and has appeared in Men’s Health Magazine, Runner’s World, Athletic Management Magazine, various local and national newspapers, and has appeared on ESPN, NPR, and news broadcasts across the country.

She is a Clinical Faculty member in the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Orthopaedics and an adjunct faulty member in the Sports Marketing Department at Duquesne University. Currently, Dr. Kimball works with athletes and other performers to assist them in achieving success in sport and life. For more information contact: 412-432-3777; kimballac@upmc.edu

Reposted from USASwimming.org

The Question/Answer Cycle Problem

By Head Coach Paul Yetter of T2 Aquatics from his blog, Developing the Champion Within.

In the lead-up to competition, athletes who picture a positive result in performance are more likely to reach peak performance, as compared to athletes who picture a poor result. This reality of competitive sports is well-known among sport psychologists, coaches, and athletes – and must be accounted for when considering an athlete’s race preparation.

It is the athlete’s mindset that determines the deftness with which we walk a path of readiness – and make no mistake about it: readiness to succeed is essential to peak performance. The mindset of an athlete who is ready to achieve peak performance can be defined as an “answer—based” mindset. It is proper training, skill, talent, and physical gifts that separate one athlete from another in competition, but it is mindset that separates our “best selves” from the side of ourselves that is too riddled with anxiety and negative thought to perform at the peak level. There is an important distinction to be made here, because it is obvious and simple to understand that an athlete who does not train hard, often, and well, will not think her way into a win when competing against a trained, ready competitor. But to compete against yourself – “your own best self” – is really the task for all athletes because, simply put, competing against your own “best self” is the task any athlete can learn to control. You cannot control your competitors, but you can control yourself.
An athlete’s ability to control her mind and thus her environment allows her to unlock the free-flow of energy available to her at the time of peak performance!

It is near impossible for most athletes to prepare for competition without asking oneself questions like: “Am I ready?”, or “Is my training plan going to work?”, or “What is my competitor going to do”? It is this type of inner-questioning that makes an athlete, to differing degrees, anxious and insecure about their upcoming performance. To their detriment, athletes tend to dwell in this sort of “question-based” mindset more often as the competition draws closer on the calendar. This type of questioning, posed to one’s self in a habitual way, leads to the athlete’s less-than-ideal picture of what may happen in competition – a picture that readily creates its own reality through performance.

An athlete in the “question-based” mindset may think:

“What if I am unsuccessful like I was last year?”
“What will my parents think if I don’t achieve my best time?”
“Am I ready for this meet?”
“Will my taper plan work out?”

These questions have no definitive answer. One can speculate an answer, but to actually find an answer to these questions is impossible. The answers are impossible because the answers can only be found in the future. The future is uncontrollable. The only thing we can control is the present!

A positive athlete will learn to give proper weight to the answers, and give less power to the actual questions. In doing so, an athlete can learn to control their self-talk, and bring their thought process into the controllable present. It’s ok to field the questions, because let’s face it: no matter how hard we try, questions regarding one’s own personal readiness for competition will always make themselves heard. But with a proper “answer-based” mindset we can either turn a question into a positive answer, or dismiss it from our mind.

The basic question “Am I ready?”, in an “answer – based” mindset, is followed with the inner-statement: “Yes, I am ready. Today, I am stronger and faster than I’ve ever been in my life“. You can stop the cycle of questions by answering definitively.

Stopping the ‘Question/Answer” cycle at one question and one answer is essential! Concisely answered questions tend to create an optimistic picture in an athlete’s mind. The question, “What is my competitor going to do?”, in an “answer – based” mindset, is dismissed because as an athlete you are incapable of discerning what anyone else may or may not be capable of and so logically there is no way to field the question. The question, “What if I am not on my pace halfway through my 800?” can be answered definitively with the answer: “I know I can do an 8:40 in my 800, so if I’m off my pace at the 400 I probably have enough in reserve to make it up on the second 400”. By answering definitively and positively, the focus of an athlete’s internal conversation becomes the answer instead of the question. It is much easier to control the answers you give than it is to control what questions may pop up in your head!

Hard, consistent, skill-oriented training is a key ingredient to achieving peak performance, and certainly there is no substitute. We cannot “will” ourselves to a different level of performance with our minds alone! But it is the “answer-based” mindset that separates us from our previous best selves, stops an otherwise habitual cycle of questions/answers, and allows us to transcend our own peak performances.