POSITIVE CHANGES episode 1

With are last post we talked about making some positive changes in our swimming and begin swimming with a renewed spirit.   Well the time to take action is now.

You may be thinking that attending workouts on a consistent basis is the most important thing a swimmer needs to do to become successful and although I would agree with you I would argue that DEVELOPING THE PROPER MINDSET would be just as important if not more so.

During workouts we are trying to do two things; one is building good technique with good habits. The repetitions that you do in practice is your opportunity to start creating and building good habits.  Nothing stands up to pressure and stress in competition than good habits.  These are the same habits that will get your hand to the wall at the finish.

Unfortunately if you are creating bad habits during workouts and you will become inefficient as the pressure and stress increases during your races, hence you begin to struggle, go slower and pretty much collapse before you can get your hand to the wall. 

It’s way too easy to just turn your brain off during workouts and just “GRIND” it out and as the expression goes, “garbage in, garbage out.”  We are better than that, YOU are better than that.

One small drop in your workouts such as a PROPER MINDSET will have ripple effects in your swimming.

 

MEMORIAL DAY THOUGHTS

As we celebrate this weekend with our travels, visits with family, maybe even a trip to the beach 🏖️ or just stopping to check in with our summer clubs and reunite with those summertime friendships let’s take a moment and give thanks to our veterans.

We started this week talking about discipline and how if we’re disciplined in our swimming we tend to be more successful and how the lack of discipline will hinder our success.

This weekend as you travel about take time to notice the flags that are up think about why it flies and what moves it, maybe the wind you might say, but I believe it’s more about the veterans who sacrificed so much that it flies and allow us to sleep under the blanket of freedom that it allows.

“Just as you push through the water with every stroke, you honor those who push through the challenges of a military life of service.  Their courage echos with every stroke you take.”  With every breath you draw, every turn you execute it’s a reminder of their ultimate sacrifice.

With that same spirit that they demonstrated, let us show that same spirit in our swimming in their honor.  Let’s show that same discipline and start making some positive changes in our swimming.🏊 

We remember all our veterans and their families for making sacrifices so that we can participate and enjoy our swimming.

DISCIPLINE

 

The word discipline throughout history has had many meanings to every individual. The meaning that we will be referring to for our swimming is as follows; “ The conscious or unconscious motivation that directs an individual’s actions towards maintaining acceptable behavior during all aspects of their training.”

This behavior takes place during workouts, competitions, and life outside the pool.  A disciplined swimmer has extraordinary self-control, they are focused on achieving their goals, and believe they are responsible for what they can accomplish.

Discipline in swimming is your SUPERPOWER and it all starts with having goals, writing them down and coming up with a plan or road map of how to get there. Otherwise it’s just talk and a lot of noise.  

Discipline is not a mysterious art, it’s not genetic it knows no specific gender, it’s just out there freely available to whoever chooses to wield it in their swimming and life.  It’s not easy, it’s hard especially on those days that you may be down a little.

Discipline is a learned skilled and the more you exercise it, work on it, and live it, the better equipped you will become in applying it to all those little things in swimming.

The little things in swimming are black and white, such as doing your UNDERWATER KICKS OFF EVERY WALL and it’s a yes or no answer as to will and how you do them.  There is no middle ground, no wiggle room, no excuses which are only a reason to give you an out for failing.  This goes with all the “little things” in swimming that require a lot of discipline.

Until you come to the point in your swimming where discipline becomes a part of your armor, you will continue to fight those daily battles that you bring on with procrastination and excuses.  Face your hurdles head on as you continue to become that swimmer that you want to be.

RIPPLES

 

Some of us are at that point where we are starting the transition into long course and summer league  swimming.  Regardless of the transition we all probably want the same thing, and that is to swim fast.

Often through our training we are great while we are doing our surface work, but we tend to overlook some  areas that have a ripple effect on the overall race.

Ask yourself this question, what is more important in a race the start, the breakouts, the underwater’s, the turn or the finish.  The answer friends is that they are all important and the longer the event the more ripple effects it will cause in your race.   The effects that all of these areas have during short course or summer season are enormous during your races and will effect your success.

An example of this would be, how you execute your underwater’s especially during the upcoming summer season.  Your races are all 50 meters.  You dive in and execute 4 fast dolphins underwater’s.  The ripple effect is that now you have about 12.5 meters to that turn and with 3 fast underwater’s off the turn  you have about 20 meters to the finish.  That’s a big ripple as you have now shorten the amount of swimming from 50 to around 35 meters.    

Next time out at practice think about all the small things that you are executing and how they will have a huge ripple effect on RACE DAY.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 25-26

The team recommendations have gone out and if you have questions please contact myself directly.  I have not turned any in as of today.   As for the GOLD GROUP all the swimmers will stay unless they are 13.  I have met with a few parents already.   As for the BLUE GROUP. the swimmers should stay but if anyone has other thoughts or suggestions please contact me.