Just one of the many reasons I love coaching

A couple of weeks ago, just after the start of our high school season, one of my high school varsity girl swimmers was teary eyed and on the wall during a set.  I asked what was the matter and she told me she was having mixed feelings about being selected to the varsity team; she felt she did not belong; that she could not keep up; that she was not good enough.  I tried to boost her confidence by pointing out she was one of our faster 100 freestylers from the intersquad meet we just held.  Would she prefer to have it easy in JV or have to work to become a top varsity swimmer?  I told her to hang in there and she would adjust to the practices.  The enjoyment of the effort put in to succeed is what makes succeeding so glorious.

Within just two weeks from the start of our season we had our first dual meet.  This swimmer placed 3rd in the 200 and 2nd in the 100 Freestyle events and easily swam to what I KNEW she could achieve.

The Thursday following our Monday meet, I gave my swimmers a challenge set about two thirds into our practice session; 8 x 100's @ 2 at all out race pace with fins; goal is to try to hit your PR on EVERY SWIM.  On number eight I turned to this swimmer and asked her to remind me what she went in the 100 Freestyle at the meet we just had; she went a 1:07.  I told her and the team, if she makes her best time right here, right now, we end practice; she goes a 1:03 and becomes the hero for the day.

Thank you for making my day Kaylee!

Opportunity

I find it necessary and appropriate entering a new season to remind my swimmers that each and every one of them has the opportunity to do something special this season; how special is up to them.

Over my many years of coaching, I have found the swimmers with the most success at the end of the season are those who can focus and stay on task the most consistently the entire season.  They know what they must improve on, and they focus on improving and honing these skills each and every practice.  They WORK!  They work to improve; constantly!  They THINK and pay attention to not only their coach, but to their own selves and how they are practicing; continuously paying attention to the details of their stoke and swimming technique.  They know their goal times and shoot for these times during swim sets and/or kick sets.  They are typically known as the "hardest workers" in the group by their peirs.

So try the following this season:

Become known as one of the "Hardest Workers" in your group
Think; don't swim aimlessly
Pay attention to your times in practice
Aim for best practice times or goal race pace splits
Learn to kick WELL; become a GREAT kicker!
Keep pushing yourself beyond your perceived limits of failure
Become great at underwater's

Seize the opportunity to become great!