Participating in sports can be one of the greatest experiences in your life. Sports not only provide a healthy way to stay active and in shape they also help shape you as a individual. Sometimes with all the distractions and stress that come along with the competition we lose sight of the true meaning of being an athlete. This year each of you have been faced with many challenges not only in swimming but also at school and at home. So as we go through this holiday season here are some things that you the athlete can reflect on as we enter the new year.
First off , Do you have to be the best? No one said that you had to be, except maybe the person in the mirror, and that’s okay to strive for, but let’s face it there is only one person in the entire world that is the best. As long as you always focus on being the best version of you, and are doing the best that you can do, you’re always be a winner. Always focus on improving and at the end of the day be satisfied with being a better person and a swimmer than you were when the day began.
Second thing to remember is never let a negative comment or a bad swim define you as a person. There is no way that you as a swimmer can go race after race without stumbling and having that off day. Acknowledge that bad swims will happen and learn from mistakes that might have happened, take the positives from the swim ( surprise yes there can be positives in a bad swim) shake it off and move on to the next thing.
Third thing is to give it your all. Whether it’s practice or a meet always “go hard and leave it in the pool” . You don’t want to wake up one day with the age old question; “What if?” Whatever you’re doing own i and and take pride in doing it to the best of your ability and you will never have to look in the rear view mirror. There are no do overs in life.
Fourth thing is to treat your teammates like family. They are like a second family after all. As we have said before they are with you through thick and thin. Pick each other up after a bad practice or race and you may be surprised by the results. When all the medals and ribbons are forgotten these will be the memories that you will have for a lifetime. These are the people who will have your back day in and day out.
Fifth thing is to stop and thank the important ones, your parents. They are the ones who are making the big sacrifices to be there with support and encouragement through he both the goo and the bad times. Don’t forget them.
Above all never forget what it is all about and cherish every moment because if anything else we learned this year is what it’s like when it’s taken away. Enjoy every moment in the pool, at the meets, the day will come when you will have to hang the goggles up and move on. Hopefully you’ll be able to continue in one form or another, but it’s these friendships and memories that you will forever have to cherish throughout life.
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