3 Reasons to Embrace the Process of Achieving Your Swimming Goals

By Olivier Leroy of yourswimbook.com

We all have things we want to do with our swimming. They are what we dream about when we should be paying attention in class and what plays in our minds as we lob off to sleep at night. For some these ambitions are to be world-class, for others they can be as modest as making a JV relay team.

The first step lies in having the big, awesome goal. Of putting words to that dream, of making it specific, measurable, and affixed with a deadline. This part is fun, relatively risk-free, and is straightforward. Where most swimmers struggle is with what comes next.

Goals are for planning, the process is for results.

The achievement of said goal, of attaining the success you want from your swimming comes not from an event, or a single swim, or a time, but rather, from the process. It’s the daily grind, the repeated 1% improvements, the habits gleaned from showing up and putting in quality effort on a daily basis.

We tend to categorize how swimmers do by the results they achieve in competition. And fair enough – swimming provides an objective manner with which to rank and sort athletes by time and place. We can look up at the scoreboard and know instantly on any given day who the fastest swimmer is.

In doing so we end up viewing our champions through the lens of their results, and imagining their path to success  was simple, straightforward and without struggle. It wasn’t easy for them, and it won’t be easy for you. It was a struggle and a grind, a path littered with setbacks, happy moments, U-turns, insecurity, successes, confusion, and doubt.

In other words, success isn’t the best time. It’s isn’t the digits on the scoreboard or the medal around their neck. It’s what you did to get there. That’s the hidden legacy that ultimately makes a champion.

1. True satisfaction and success comes in the work; the result is merely a by-product.

In a way, goal setting points to a lack in something. It points out that the you-of-right-now isn’t good enough. That you will be what you want to be, when you achieve what you set out to do. It implies there is a lack in what you are right now.

In a way, deciding on a massive goal also puts an instant  burden on you; the moment you write it down your brain whirs to action for better and for worse, figuring out how to achieve it, while also bombarding you with all the concurrent doubts and insecurities that inevitably come when we try to stretch our talents and abilities.

Instead of investing all your hopes and dreams into your hopes and dreams, devote yourself to the day-to-day. Of engaging in the feedback loop of continually making yourself better, while building better habits and consistently showing up is what will lead to true success. Mastering the process is the real win, and is where ultimate satisfaction comes from.

2. Because we can’t always control the result.

Despite our best intentions things don’t always pan out the way we hope or expect them to. No matter how much we plan and dream there are limitations to what we can control. We have no power over how the swimmer in the lane next to us performs, nor can we do much to control unforeseen events like injury (see: Lochte’s knee) or illness.

If your happiness and measure of success is directly tied to a result, than you are putting yourself in a position where you are likely to end up frustrated and disappointed. By letting go of the outcome, and putting your trust in the process – and putting forth your best effort – you can walk away from that season-ending meet with a clear conscious, no matter what the end result is.

3. Focusing on the process means working on things now.

Depending on the time frame of your goals – swimmers have notoriously long seasons – looking across the horizon at your championship meet, and the goals you have for it, can be a little bit deflating. Similarly, it encourages forms of procrastination – “I have so much time between now and then.” The distance between now and the goal removes any urgency to act on your part.

Devoting yourself to the process requires you to focus daily on your swimming, your technique, your nutrition. Sure, dreaming about that goal will give you the occasional jolt of motivation and inspiration to pound out a massive workout once in a while, but it is falling in love with the process that insures you are showing up every day, regardless of how your fleeting heart feels about your season-ending goal in that particular moment.

Reposted from swimswam.com

Burn Your Goals To Become The Person Of Your Dreams…

A couple months ago one of my golfer’s sent me her goals in a text message, and I responded.

“I want you to burn those.”

I knew my response was harsh, but I had reached a breaking point.

EVERYONE WANTS TO WIN.

No one is sitting around at the beginning of the season saying

“our goal is to finish last place in the conference”
“we want to have the worst shooting percentage in the country”
“we want to have a mediocre season”

You never hear this!

I think goals are like wishes.

The beauty of sports is winning and losing is defined for us, therefore we need to spend ZERO time on it.

I believe 100% of our energy should be on the process, controllables, and more specifically in this case, our commitments.

So, I told my golfer, “Burn your wish list. I want to see your commitment list. I want to know what you are committed to sacrificing and doing with your 24 hours a day to close the gap between where you are at, and where you want to be.”

Remember, one of the greatest coaches ever, John Wooden, won 10 National Championships, and he NEVER talked about winning. He focused on the process. He started with the basics. The first day of practice he showed the freshmen how they should put on their socks, and tie their shoes. It worked out pretty well for him both in terms of results, and more importantly in his relationships with his players long into their lives.

Three weeks later my golfer blew out the field and won the tournament with the person in second finishing 5 strokes behind her. The next tournament she didn’t play as well, but she is starting to understand you cannot control goals, but you can control your commitments, and paradoxically by letting go of the results you can actually play better.

I know that for many of you removing goals is like taking away your training wheels or your ‘blanky’, but it’s long over due. At some point your training wheels are more of a hindrance than a help. You can’t make sharp turns around the bend, you can’t hit the brakes and power-slide, and you cannot fly off of jumps! No one has ever competed in the X-Games with training wheels. Though training wheels may give you balance and security, they strip you of the opportunity to experience the full potential of riding a bike.

Here is what I’ve found. Consistently giving your very best, every single day, is a much higher standard than arbitrary goals.

Some coaches have said, “BUT some of my players need an outcome goal to chase after!” If that is how you feel, I would encourage you to revisit your mission in coaching. Most coaches tell me their mission is something along the lines of “training and equipping their athletes for life.” If that is the case, then it is our job—I would go as far as to say it’s our responsibility—to do what we believe is best long-term for our athletes.

Kids want to have dessert before dinner. It is a parents’ responsibility, however, to make sure that doesn’t happen. Because I think we all can agree that if we equipped our kids with this type of dietary strategy, there would be some detrimental long-term effects.

So, what is a more beneficial strategy? We develop a compelling vision for our life of who we want to become as a person and a player that is 100% controllable and not results based. We then create a commitment list of what we are willing to sacrifice and do with our 86,400 seconds per day to close the gap between where we are at, and where we want to be.

This isn’t semantics.

When we were young, we didn’t know the difference between lust and love. The older we get, we start to realize these two words are worlds apart.

When we were young, we didn’t know the difference between happiness and fulfillment. The older we get, the more we start to realize the two words are leap years apart.

The difference between being goal driven and mission/vision driven is MASSIVE! I think goal driven coaches are much more likely to be transactional and mission/vision driven coaches are much more likely to be transformational.

I encourage you.

Take off the training wheels.

Put your blanky in storage.

You can’t control the results anyway.

Fall in love with the process.

Focus on your commitments.

Focus on giving your very best, treating people really well, having a great attitude, and unconditional gratitude, REGARDLESS of your circumstances. It’s a much higher standard, and much like bicycles with no training wheels, it’s not for the faint of heart.

We can enjoy the security and predictability goals provide, but I would argue you can never achieve your fullest potential with them.

Well, what do you think? Please leave your thoughts, comments and questions below.

This thought provoking  blog post was written by our friend Joshua Medcalf, Founder of Train to be Clutch. Joshua is the Mental Training Coach for renowned programs such as UCLA Women’s Basketball and University of Oregon Women’s Golf, as well as numerous elite high school, collegiate and professional athletes. He is the creator of the first mental training apps in the world for basketball, soccer and golf. You can follow his work on Twitter at @joshuamedcalf, and check out some of his free mental training videos and mp3s at www.traintobeclutch.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

KEYS TO SUCCESS WITH OLYMPIAN AND NATIONAL CHAMPION MIKE ALEXANDROV

1. Aim higher than you intuitively think you can go. That’s important because the mind is stronger than the body. If you think you can do something, you can push your body to certain limits beyond what you are capable of doing physically. Your mind can mentally override what the body can do. It’s the same thing with training and with racing.
2. Be able to concentrate. You have to be able to isolate your thoughts and focus on your race. Focus on the moment. Do not worry about the future beyond the absolute immediate future. Concentrate on the here and now. If you make a mistake, worry about it later. You have to be able to concentrate because so many things will go wrong. You will never have a perfect race. You just focus on doing your best in that moment.
3. Effectively prioritize. You have to be able to do this with your life, and your lifestyle. You have to know what you have to do and when to do it, and what is required to do it. You have to be a good planner. Prioritizing the way you eat, the times of day you eat, the diet you have and making sure you have enough time to rest is a big part of how your workout is going to go. Everything you do is centered around pursuing your goal. Ask yourself when you take your next bite of food, “Is this going to help me accomplish my goal?” You have to know your priorities, and then actually do what you need to do.
4. Surround yourself with the right people and the right atmosphere. You have to choose the right kind of friends and have a good set of influences around you. Your friends are going to have a big influence on your life, who you are and what you do. In fact, who your friends are says a lot about who you are as person. Tell me who your friends are, and if I know them, I can l tell you who you are as a person.
5. Take on the biggest challenge. I could swim for Bulgaria. But the pressure is exciting to me. When the stakes are higher, your performance is better. The road to glory, the road to a record, the road to success – and it could be a best time or making a team – is about achieving a goal. Whenever I win a race or a medal, I very rarely remember the race itself or the feeling afterward. It all comes back to the road it took to get there – the journey, and demanding the most from myself. The gold medal is Christmas. The podium finish is really neat. But what got you there is what you remember. And what got you there is what will take you onto greatness in the rest of your life, too.

Reposted from USASwimming.org

KEYS TO SUCCESS WITH CHLOE SUTTON

Speedo Tip of the Week

Olympian and 2010 Pan Pac gold medalist Chloe Sutton’s Keys to Success:

Be there! Don’t miss practice. You have to make it a priority. We all have lots of things going on in our lives. We have school, friends, family and hobbies, on top of trying to become a champion swimmer. Juggling it all can be hard at times, but if you make swimming a top priority, then getting there should never be a problem. For me, going to practice is automatically a set-in-stone appointment in my agenda and everything else works around swimming. There have been a few times where I have been sick or unable to get to practice and I have had to miss. In my mind, on that rare occasion that I cannot make it to workout, all I can think about is how every yard that I am missing my competitor is in the pool making progress and getting faster, while I am doing nothing.

Get comfortable being uncomfortable. This is another way of saying that you need to work hard. If you want to reach your goals, you’re going to be uncomfortable at times, and you have to be comfortable with that. You have to be willing to pay the price if you want to receive results in return. You can’t just float through each practice and expect to break any records at the end of the season. Becoming a champion isn’t going to be easy, but that’s what makes the rewards so satisfying. No pain, no gain.

Be good to your body. Listen to it. When you’re eating, sleeping and swimming are the times when you should be listening the most. You need to put the right fuel in your body so that it functions properly. You need to get enough rest so that your body can recover from your challenging workouts, and you need to communicate how you’re feeling with your coach so that you push yourself, but not so hard that you get injured.

Have short term goals as well as long term goals. Have things that you can accomplish each day in practice and throughout the season so that you always have something to lock your eyes onto. Staying motivated can be hard if you only have one end goal in mind, especially mid-season when your big meet seems so far away. Having a few small goals at each practice can help bridge the gap and make getting to your end-of-season goal a lot easier.

Keep it positive. Stay away from negativity. I am a big believer in positive thinking. If your mind is in the right place then your body will follow. If you’re thinking about how hard a set is or how much you dislike what you’re doing, chances are it is going to get even harder and less fun because that’s what you’re dwelling on. Directing your thoughts so that you are thinking about the benefits that you are getting out of a particular practice or set can help make everything so much easier. At competitions, sometimes people can talk themselves out of swimming fast by making excuses for themselves. When you do this, you are simply setting yourself up for disaster. Prepare for races and step on the blocks knowing for a fact that you are going to swim your very best. Put your heart into each race and go for it.

KEYS TO SUCCESS WITH TYLER CLARY

Speedo Tip of the Week

Tyler Clary won the silver medal in the 400m IM at the 2009 FINA World Championships. Here are the keys to his success:

Perseverance: It’s hard to come into every practice and work yourself to exhaustion day in and day out. The perseverance is what helps get you over the hump to your next goal, especially as far as the day-in and day-out routine is concerned. It’s also something I have faced with a shoulder problem because I have to work to come back from that just like a tough set in the pool.

Hard work: You have to put your nose to the grindstone. If swimming at an elite level was easy, everyone would be doing it. Even being a swimmer at any level, it’s not easy, or everyone would be in the pool. On days when you don’t feel like it, get over it. Like Kevin Perry used to say when I, or someone would be complaining, “Shut-up and swim!”

Attention to detail: Pay attention to every turn you hit, every breakout, every stroke for that matter – and I could list a ton of things such as catch and release and other technique issues. You have to pay attention to all the details all the time, so that when it comes race time, you are on autopilot.

Intensity: You have to have that willingness to race. I’ve said before that I have a hatred for losing. Having that intense feeling makes it a lot easier to put in the hard work you have to put in. You have to see it not just as hard work, but sometimes literally willing yourself to move forward.

Passion: If you don’t love this sport, why are you doing it? The passion is the only thing that can keep you going at times, and not just for a love of the sport, but for your teammates. Swimming with my team at the University of Michigan is the greatest thing I’ve ever been a part of. That passion is what gets me through every workout.

KEYS TO SUCCESS WITH RICKY BERENS

Speedo Tip of the Week

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

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

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

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

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

KEYS TO SUCCESS WITH TERESA CRIPPEN

Speedo Tip of the Week

National Teamer Teresa Crippen helped the University of Florida to an NCAA Championship title in March of 2010. Later that summer, she earned a silver medal in the 200m butterfly at the Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships. Here are the keys to her success:

Determination. This is one that belongs in “Keys to success” for sure. If you’re not willing to put in extra work when no one else is, it won’t play to your favor in the end. You have to want it. You have to be determined to get it done.

Have fun. There are plenty of times when I am swimming with my head down and yelling at the lane line saying, “I don’t want to be in this pool.” But you have to learn how to have fun with it. That really happened at 2010 NCAAs. I enjoyed racing again and being on those blocks, going against people. You have to enjoy swimming, taking your wins and losses together and learning from both.

Listen to your coaches. Don’t fight with your coaches. You can always think, “That doesn’t work for me,” but you have to believe they know what they are doing. As you grow older, you learn to work with your coaches better. That’s something I’m really learning with coach (Gregg) Troy at the University of Florida, telling him what is working and what I feel needs to be changed. That’s important.

Good people. Have good people around you. Last summer, 2009, when I didn’t swim as well as I wanted at World Team Trials, I called my sister, Maddy. I knew she had such great swims in her career, but she also had some swims she didn’t like, so I knew she would understand what it was like to work hard and not get something you feel you were on track to get. It was so nice to have that. I still call (Germantown) coach (Dick) Shoulberg, too. It’s great to have great people behind you who still love you and remind you, when things are tough, that the sun will still shine the next day.

Be your own person, but learn from everyone. Before I started swimming I thought, “No way am I ever doing the 400 IM or 500 free,” because my brothers and sisters did them and those events are so hard and so long. I had to be me doing whatever worked for me. But there I was in the 400 IM at the NCAA Championships. So some of the events they did work for me as well. Having them as a support system – and learning what they did from those events – helps me a lot.

Keys to Success: Whitney Sprague

Five Keys to Success with 2009 World University Games medalist Whitney Sprague

1. Determination. When you come up against an obstacle, you just have to keep on going, otherwise, you won’t end up achieving anything. I had so many obstacles the past year. It was obvious I would not succeed if I did not push through them.

2. Set really good short-term goals. My entire 2009 was short-term goals, just one foot in front of the other. I had knee surgery in November and had to take a month and a half off from swimming in the middle of the season. But I worked hard each day to get back.

3. Find a good support system. I could not have done it without my trainers, friends and parents, and all the coaches and teammates I have had. They can always help bring you up and help you realize that the goal is only a little bit further in front of you. It’s nice to have that kind word when you are not feeling that hot.

4. Take good care of your body. I did not do this very well for a while, but in the end, I started listening to my coaches, trainers and doctors. You need their help so you can focus on what you need to do. You have to train properly, eat right and take care of your body outside of the pool. You also have to do your physical therapy if you are coming back from an injury. I learned that one the hard way.

5 Have fun. I have to have fun while I am swimming, or I just can’t do it. I always try to keep a good attitude and have a smile on my face while I am training. If you are not happy, it’s just not going to be fun. The people around you get down, too, and it’s a chain reaction. So I learned, through being on a team, the importance of staying positive.

Keys to Success: Margaret Hoelzer

Keys to Success, with 2008 Olympic medalist Margaret Hoelzer

1. Have fun. I think people start doing a sport because they love it. Keeping it fun and keeping that love alive is extremely important because otherwise, you will ultimately hate it and you will quit. There’s a mistaken idea out there that if you are successful at something you will enjoy it. I think it’s the other way around – if you enjoy it, you will be successful.

2. Keep perspective. Swimming is not who we are. Rather, it is what we do. It’s a part of us, but it doesn’t define us completely. Fear and pressure – all of that is derived from perspective being lost or things getting blown out of proportion. There are a lot of worse things in life than not winning a race or not making the Olympic Team. Get rid of these external negative things that eat away at your confidence.

3. Be open to change. This means knowing yourself and being able to accept that life is about change. You have to know your priorities and what is best for you. That constitutes knowing when you need to make a change and when something is not working. You can’t be afraid to try something different, like when your coach suggests trying something a new way. It might also mean keeping something the same regardless of what people around you are telling you – not making a change when a change isn’t warranted.

4. Take ownership. Life is a continuous learning process. You never completely know everything, not even about yourself. But as you get older, you should be getting more in tune with yourself. You are a work in progress. You have to take ownership of what you do know. Swimmers get lost out there sometimes. They’ll say things like, “I don’t know that much.” If you know how to swim at all, you know something. Take ownership of the things you know, but also take ownership of the fact that you don’t know everything, and keep learning from informed sources.

5. Be open to evolving. The sport is continuing to evolve, and we have to, as people and as swimmers, evolve. Some of that is technique changes. Even Michael Phelps is changing his stroke. If you want to get better, sometimes you have to evolve and develop new strengths or new techniques. Michael Phelps can get better, and not just in freestyle. If he wants to beat his best times in his other events, he’ll have to get better in those events, too. In my event, some of the best backstrokers in the world had a shallow catch, then they all had a deep catch. You have to keep an open mind toward change. Even the best in the world are constantly trying to get better.

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.

Keys to Success with 2008 Olympian Caroline Burckle

Five Keys to Success with 2008 Olympian Caroline Burckle

BELIEVE: I know this sounds cliché, but if you do not believe in yourself and what your mind and body are capable of, then there is no chance you will be successful. You have to buy into what you are doing and believe that the instruments you are given to work with – in this case, your body and mind – are exceptional and will be trained in a positive way, to believe. Believing in myself really and truly turned my swimming around a few years ago, and ever since, I don't doubt my capabilities, or think that I am not good enough.

DON'T OVERTHINK IT: So often, swimmers think their races through so much that they do more thinking than they do swimming. What will the outcome be? Will it hurt? What if I let myself and others down, or if I don’t do well? You can play the "what if" game forever, but it is not going to get you anywhere. Before I race, the last thing I do is think. Thinking is for practice. The best swims come when you have nothing going on in your head at all. You are in autopilot mode. It should come naturally at this point, and over-thinking shouldn't even be an option.

LOVE WHAT YOU DO: It is easy to get into a rut with swimming, especially when you train a lot for a long period of time and get broken down. But you have to remember why you are doing it in the first place – because you love it. You love the competition, the feeling you get when you win that race, or make that time. You will be successful in anything you do in life if you love it. Passion is a huge aspect of my swimming, and I make sure that I don't let swimming define who I am as a person. Rather, I define swimming by how much passion I have for it and how much I give back to it.

FAILURE: You are probably asking me why I chose failure as a key to success. Without failure, you cannot succeed. I have failed more times than I can count, and after each and every time, I have picked myself up and realized how much better I want to do and how I cannot take failure as an answer. Some times are going to be harder than others to pick yourself back up, but it is all a learning experience. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes easier to fix your mistakes and move on in a positive manner.

SET GOALS, quietly: Obviously, setting goals is a key to success. But how often have you heard everyone's goals over and over again, and verbalized so much and then maybe the outcome isn't as planned? I strongly believe in setting goals, but knowing them for you, not telling everyone else about them. I do not think I have told a single soul any of my goals. Maybe my coach once or twice. But I set them for me, and I do them for me, not for anyone else. It helps keep me motivated to do what I want for myself, and not worry about everyone else’s expectations because that can be stressful.

Keys to Success: Nathan Adrian

Nathan Adrian won gold this summer in the 400m free relay at the 2009 FINA World Championships in Rome. Here are the keys to his success:

1. Do your best to stay focused in practice. Many times practices turn into two or three hours of swimming back and forth with your favorite song stuck in your head. While this is a great way to pass the time, it may not be the most conducive to swimming your best. Instead, try focusing on one thing per practice that you want to improve. Mondays could be a day to focus on turns while Tuesday could be used to work on head position.

2. Don’t underestimate the importance of persistence. Everybody has a bad race or season. The best way to approach these disappointments is to learn from them and move on. A bad season could be used as motivation to work harder next season.

3. Communicate with your coach. Your coach is doing his or her best to make you the best swimmer possible. There is a reason you are doing what you are doing in and out of the pool. It is important to talk to your coach, and if you don’t understand why you are doing something, just ask.

4. Don’t be afraid of being great. Never become intimidated by anything when you swim. Most great swimmers all have one thing in common: they were never afraid to go out and race their heart out to try and do something special. Most recently, we all saw Jason Lezak prove that he knew he was great. Setting limitations on yourself is the worst thing you could do as a swimmer.

5. Enjoy the process. Most importantly, swimming should be fun. Although I have had to wake up at 5:20 a.m., five days a week for the last two months, I still look forward to the next time I get to hang out with my teammates at practice. Find something that makes swimming enjoyable for you and cherish the time that you get to spend doing it.

Peter Vanderkaay’s Keys to Success

Set Goals: Know what you want to do before you start doing it. Set goals at the beginning of each season so you have something to work toward.

Work hard: Commit yourself to working hard each day. To beat the competition, you must work harder than them.

Focus: Remember to look at the big picture and don't be distracted by the little things. Also, continue to learn new techniques for success.

Confidence: Know that you are sticking to the plan and that it’s going to work. Be confident and have faith in yourself.

Have fun: Enjoy the journey and don't get too caught up in it. Make sure you have a balance in your life and people you care about.

Nick Brunelli's Keys to Success

This week’s Speedo Tip of the week comes from National Teamer Nick Brunelli. Brunelli offers his five keys to success.

Focus on now, but remember the future. You know that workout that slammed you yesterday? It's not only going to help you at your next meet, but also in 15 years when you have a big business meeting your boss puts you in charge of, and you have to work 20 hours in a day to get things going. You'll know what it means to work when you are tired. You won't be fazed by what others would consider an unreachable summit.

Assemble the moments. Every moment during the day there are choices to be made and throughout the day, they add up to create a feeling of how the day went. It’s up to you to choose correctly and match the goals you set in life with the choices you make in a day. Day after day, these choices add up to make that goal more attainable. If you want to go to the Olympics, it’s going to take many right choices throughout the day, every day, leading to that final moment at Olympic Trials. In the weight room doing that extra set, or during the last round of a set, force yourself to do everything right from your stroke to what you say to encourage others.

Be passionate and proud. Many people don't realize how much time and energy swimming takes up when done all-out. Be proud of the work you do in practice, and take that pride to become the best you can in anything you do. The best moments in many swimmers lives are right after the hardest sets or practices. Those moments are filled with feelings of achievement, success and absolute exhaustion.
Swim with meaning. Swim every stroke like you would want to swim when you achieve your goal time. The more times you swim with that perfect stroke, the sooner you will be swimming faster. When you decide to do something, fully commit to it. Commit mind, body and soul to your dreams and desires. This means on a daily basis making sacrifices that in the moment may not seem appealing but in the long run will matter the most.

When you fall, get back up. My favorite saying in recent years is, "Adversity causes some men to break; but others to break records." When you fall and get back up, use that as motivation to never fall again. Challenges that set you back and are later conquered can be some of the strongest motivation out there.

Keys to Success: Whitney Myers

This week’s Speedo Tip of the Week comes from 2005 and 2007 U.S. World Championships Team member Whitney Myers. Myers was also the 2007 NCAA champion in the 200 IM and NCAA Woman of the Year. Here are the keys to her success.

 

Have fun. Everybody says this, but it’s true. If you are not having fun, choose a different sport or hobby, or find a way to make it fun. When people are growing up, there are so many sacrifices you have to make to be an elite athlete.”

 

Set little goals for yourself along the way. This point relates to my first one, because it keeps it fun for me. Accomplishing goals helps you enjoy what you are doing. Goals go from times in practice to how many pull-ups in dryland, or having positive self talks, making social goals like, ‘I’m going to make at least one new friend at this meet.’”

 

Have a life outside your sport. That could mean applying yourself in school or having a hobby on the side, maybe arts and crafts, singing or riding a bike. It’s important to experience the world around you. There are days when swimming isn’t going so well, so if you don’t have other things going on, it can bring you down.

 

Be involved in whatever you are doing. Really immerse yourself. Get to know the people in your circle, and outside of it. Get involved with your team, your school, your family and your friends. Don’t just sit and let things happen to you. Go out and make things happen. Swimming takes up a lot of my time, but I still have a lot of balance. I love going to a meet and making new friends.

 

Make good decisions for yourself. That might be about food, about your sleep, about what you do on Friday and Saturday nights, or in school. Making the right decision time after time ends up giving you reward after reward, which add up and make you feel good. Plus, making smart decisions gets you respect. You want to earn respect for all you accomplish, not be one of those people who just wins all the time and isn’t respected.

Keys to Success: David Walters

In this week’s Speedo Tip of the Week, Olympian David Walters offers some advice on what you need to do to become the best swimmer you can be.

Practice: We do it all the time without thinking, but we should always think about it. You have to do the work in the pool, and do the work in the weight room. You can cut corners, but it comes back to you, and maybe you’ll get away with it in practice or a small meet, but when you get up on the blocks for that big race, you won’t stick the last turn. You won’t have that last burst of energy. You won’t have the technique you should’ve been honing. You have to make practice count. I lost a relay for our team against Cal, so I can tell you first-hand that if you cut corners, it will nip you down the road.

Maintain a positive attitude: You have to keep your head up. You can’t take things in this world personally and be in a constant state of stress, or compete with a bad attitude. Not having a positive attitude does not help. It makes things harder on yourself. I’ve learned that from Aaron Peirsol, seeing how great his attitude is even when times are harsh, like when it’s Thursday and we’re ready for the weekend. Aaron will say, “Let’s go, two more days of practice, and we’re to the weekend. Get it done!”

Understand how everything fits together: I feel like everything is a building block that needs to fit with the others. It can be overwhelming at times trying to focus on so many little things. So the best way to play the game is to take one thing at a time, get it right, move on to the next time and learn how it all fits together. If you do make a mistake, that’s okay. Learn from it, and don’t do it again.

Adversity: You might not realize it, but this is a building block unto itself, too, and how we deal with it defines us as people and can boost us as competitors. Dealing improperly with adversity is probably the No. 1 career destroyer – letting something bad get to you and not getting over it. You can’t be afraid to try again. You have to jump back in and nail that relay start, or make up that extra tenth of a second on that competitor you are chasing down. Don’t let mistakes slow you. Use them to propel you to be better.

Kate Dwelley: Keys to Success

Kate Dwelley was named to the 2007-08 U.S. National Team after winning a bronze medal in the 200m free at the 2007 World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand. Here are the keys to her success:

Be happy. You have to be happy. When I’m happy, I use nervousness as excitement, which puts me in a better place. I have fun with swimming. I just swim better when I am happy. I took a class on sports psychology, and they said people who are happy are more likely to go out of their comfort zone and reach new goals.

Trust your coaches. Sometimes, you think, “I know everything about swimming,” but the truth is, your coaches know a lot more than you do. You have to trust that they know what is best for you. So give them your feedback, but know they have been working hard on a plan and have been putting a lot of thought into your program, so follow that.

Challenge yourself. Each time you try, even if you fail, you will learn a lot about yourself. Because the next time you come up against that barrier, you will know how to deal with it, how to move beyond it, and be ready for the next challenge.

Don’t rest on your laurels. You have to be looking for what that next step will be after you reach your goal. You have to achieve your accomplishment and then work toward the next step. That next step will be harder, but you want it to be so you can continue to gain new experiences.

Let the people who care about you help move you forward. You can’t do everything on your own, so make the most of your resources. But remember it’s a give and take, so don’t forget to give back to the people who are giving so much to you. Take time to help them with their own goals.