Swimonyms for Success

Swimonyms for Success: Article 16

As we all know, making a resolution for the New Year is an age-old and popular tradition. A resolution can be viewed as a type of goal, and according to sport psychologist Dr. Keith Bell, goals are most effective when constructed according to the guidelines found in his book Coaching Excellence:

1. Goals should be expressed as clearly specified behaviors to be performed.

2. Goals should be expressed positively.

3. Goals should be measurable.

4. Goals should be time-limited. (i.e., have a dead-line.)

5. Goals should specify a standard of performance that provides a reasonable probability of success.

6. Goals should be open-ended. Ex. “I’ll swim faster than (not just equal to) 1:00 in the 100 Free.”

7. Goals should be set for the full range of activity. (i.e., there should also be another goal waiting in line once the current goal is achieved.)

8. Goals rarely should be perfectionistic.

~ PC

Swimonyms for Success: Article 15

The following list contains what Roman orator Cicero claimed over two thousand years ago to be the six most drastic mistakes people make. These ideas may offer insights even today on teamwork, competition, and personal growth:

1. The delusion that individual advancement is made by crushing, subduing, or silencing others.

(Sport Application: Value and appreciate competition as that which brings out one’s best.)

2. The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed.

(Sport Application: One need only be responsible for one’s own performance. The ability of others is no reflection on oneself.)

3. Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot do it ourselves.

(Sport Application: Allow the possibility that although a certain thing has yet to be accomplished, it is still possible to do so in the future.)

4. Refusing to set aside trivial preferences.

(Sport Application: Minor details contrary to one’s liking should be blocked out so as not to distract from essential preparations for training and competition.)

5. Neglecting development and refinement of the mind and of acquiring habits of reading and study. (Sport Application: Become a student of one’s sport and related fields and draw parallels from other fields of endeavor.)

6. Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.

(Sport Application: Respect and consider views and opinions contrary to one’s own. The example one sets may be sufficient to illustrate to others the merits of one’s own ways.) ~ PC

Swimonyms for Success: Article 14

A local newspaper article recently glamorized a statement it attributed to football’s John W. Heisman - of Heisman Trophy fame - in which the coach reportedly held a ball up to his players saying, “. . . better to have died a small boy then to fumble this football.” As many of us will painfully recall, a boy from a nearby high school did in fact die on a football field just this summer, and it is regrettable to think his family and friends may have to suffer the insult of seeing those words lauded as an ideal of sport. It may be impossible to combat the media-perpetuated win-at-all-costs approach that pervades professional and some collegiate levels of sport where the primary objective is to entertain for profit. As parents and coaches, however, I think it imperative that we convey to our age-group and high school athletes that the most important final score is not reflected in numbers but in character, and that winners are simply those who strive to do their best. This may be met with rolling eyes and utterances of “here we go again,” but eventually they will hear our words either now or echoed by an inner voice in years to come. ~ PC

Swimonyms for Success: Article 13

It is widely held in swimming that superior technique is of greater advantage than superior conditioning. Still, one of the greatest challenges in coaching is to get a swimmer to persist with a stroke correction long enough for the change to become automatic in race situations. The late Dr. James E. Counsilman, world renowned swimming coach, advised in his book The Science of Swimming, (1968, Prentice-Hall) that, “ . . . corrections in mechanics, even though they are correct, do not always give better results immediately. . . . the swimmer often regresses in his performance after changing a movement pattern.” Counsilman also therein refers to the observations of others that the performance of athletes who appear to have natural talent often worsens initially when formal training begins. Swimmers, therefore, should be encouraged to relentlessly and optimistically persist in stroke corrections even in the face of initially mixed or negative results. ~ PC

Swimonyms for Success: Article 12

Positive self-talk is known to improve athletic performance. Very simply, tell yourself mentally that you will be successful in what you are about to attempt to do. Use positive, powerful, aggressive statements - ones that are meaningful to you. Positive self-talk is especially important when you catch yourself having a negative thought (i.e., “I can’t do this!”). Remember the phrase: Face It, Erase It, Replace It. Acknowledge that you had a negative thought, banish it from your mind, and in its place put a positive statement (“Yes I Can!”). All of the above can and should be used in practice and meets. You can also use positive self-talk to get mentally pumped up before a practice or meet, or to stop a negative thought about the tough workout or opponent you will face later in the day. It can also be used after practice or a meet to congratulate yourself for a job well done. ~ PC

Swimonyms for Success: Article 11

The following guidelines for developing team excellence have been adapted from or inspired by Dr. Keith Bell's book, Coaching Excellence.

1) Accept and respect others: Accept every individual and show respect for team members, opponents, parents, officials.

2) Demonstrate excellence: Demonstrate excellence in training, competition, and life-style habits that affect our ability to train and compete.

3) Support and encourage others: Support and encourage others in their pursuit of excellence.

4) Show that you welcome challenges: Welcome and show enjoyment of goal oriented challenges.

5) Talk about the fun: Talk about the enjoyment and fun involved in swimming.

6) Give thanks for support and encouragement: Show appreciation for others who support your pursuit of excellence.

7) Stop complaints and rumors about people: Stop others from complaining, gossiping, spreading rumors, or making negative comments about others. Remind them to take problems to those who can correct the situation.

8) Give reminders to stay on track: Call it to their attention when others are behaving in a way that goes against individual and team excellence. Remind them to get back on track.

9) Give thanks for reminders: When someone reminds us to get back on track, we thank them sincerely and correct the problem quickly to show that we appreciate and value reminders.

10) Excuses - Make none for yourself; take none from others: Point out to others when they have made an excuse and remind them that excuses are unnecessary. There is no need to protect ourselves against the opinions of others if we know that we are doing our best. If we are not doing our best, then an excuse is just an attempt to hide the truth. ~ PC

Swimonyms for Success: Article 10

Achievement goal theory in sport predicts that how athletes decide whether they have been “able or not” is an important determinant of future motivation. The two primary goal orientations described by the achievement goal theory are task orientation and ego orientation. The athlete’s goal orientation influences the way achievement is viewed and affects decisions made regarding direction, intensity, and duration of effort. In task orientation the main purpose is to learn new skills, perform at one’s best, and to improve. The athlete is focused on what is being done and how to accomplish a given task, fostering a belief that it is possible to improve through effort. This is important because full potential is often reached only after years of training. Ego orientation produces anxiety, a preoccupation with comparisons to others, and a belief that ability is something “you either have or you don’t.” This perspective leads to questioning of one’s ability, loss of motivation and lowering of commitment. While athletes may have natural predispositions for a particular goal orientation, their perceptions of the orientations of coaches and parents have a strong influence. Task orientation should be modeled by coaches and parents by demonstrating appreciation for effort, a spirit of cooperation, an emphasis on learning and improvement, and an appreciation for the contributions of each individual toward the overall team effort.

~ PC

Swimonyms for Success: Article 9

How athletes interpret outcomes of competitive performances affects future motivation. Athletes interpreting poor performance as caused by factors that are external (“Why is everybody else better than me?”), stable (“I messed up as usual!”), and uncontrollable (“There’s nothing I can do about it!”), are more likely to lose motivation and interest in a given activity. Athletes who interpret setbacks as internal (“My technique isn’t just right yet.”), temporary (“That’s O.K., I’ll do better next time.”), and controllable (“I’ll work harder on it in practice this week.”), will remain motivated to persist in a given sport. Athletes maintain or increase motivation by viewing success as internal (“I did well because my stroke was so good!”), controllable (“That’s because I’ve been working on it!”), and stable (“I’m good!”). ~ PC

Swimonyms for Success: Article 8

In the vernacular of sport psychology, the term activation is used to describe the level of what is commonly known as psyching-up for a sporting event. Research in sport psychology has shown that increases in activation with regard to an upcoming sporting event increases the likelihood of what is referred to as the “dominant response”. In the early stages of skill development in a sport, the dominant response will very naturally include incompletely learned and inaccurate behaviors. Attempts by coaches and parents to “psych up” these youngsters will only increase the chances of mistakes or less than ideal levels of performance. A better approach to prepare novice level swimmers for competition would be for coaches and parents to use a calming and reassuring approach to help the athlete stay relaxed. A focus on performance and process goals as opposed to outcome goals is also helpful. As an athlete advances in skill acquisition and proficiency, the dominant response is more likely to be manifested as a positive outcome in the sporting event at hand. In this case, the advanced athlete may benefit from self-directed activation techniques such as listening to upbeat music, using imagery such as mental race rehearsal, and engaging in positive self-talk. A word of caution is in order, however, as some highly proficient athletes by virtue of personality will not perform well with high levels of activation, needing instead to engage in self-directed relaxation techniques such as listening to soothing music, visualizing peaceful surroundings, and various progressions for muscle relaxation. ~ PC

Swimonyms for Success: Article 7

Goals in sport take various forms. Achievement of outcome goals, such as winning, depends on the performance level of one’s opponents and is beyond the athlete’s definite control. Performance goals specify improvement relative to one’s previous level of performance. Process goals constitute a sub-category of performance goals: If a performance goal is to swim a best time in the 100 Yard Freestyle, the process goal of executing tighter streamlines out of every turn, or coming to practice one extra night per week, contributes to achieving the performance goal. Process goals have been shown to increase behaviors needed for good performance while outcome goals decrease performance by causing anxiety. Families are encouraged to help swimmers shift the focus away from outcome goals and toward performance/process goals as contributing to optimum achievement and enjoyment in swimming. ~ PC

Swimonyms for Success: Article 6

I recently came across something in a book for coaches that named coaches and parents as the likely cause of fear of failure and resulting poor performance in young athletes. The author cited punishment, criticism, and the withholding of approval as deliberately or inadvertently used by adults bent on a certain standard of athletic performance. This harsh accusation is a gross oversimplification of the problem. Most of us simply want our young swimmers to be happy and to reap the benefits of competitive swimming. And, of course, our swimmers want us to be happy as well. More specifically, they want us to be happy with them. Here lies a potential misunderstanding that can lead to negative pressure. Johnny’s race falls short of his expectation, whether that be achieving a best time, earning a certain place, making a district qualifying time, etc. Johnny’s initial reaction is one of disappointment. If we respond with concern and sympathy, Johnny may take our reaction as confirmation that he has indeed been guilty of a disappointing performance and that perhaps we are disappointed with him. Now Johnny is truly unhappy, and we can’t help but notice this. As a result, at the next meet we are anxious about what will happen when Johnny competes because we do not want him to be unhappy. This apprehension shows in our body language and facial expression. Perhaps we noticeably increase the incidence of last minute pointers and reminders. Johnny interprets all these signs as further evidence that we will be disappointed if he swims poorly, which he now becomes more likely to do. With each meet we become increasingly tense, worrying that the outcome of Johnny’s races will make him unhappy. He in turn feels increasing pressure not to disappoint us. As parents, if we are dealing with a young swimmer early in his career, the solution is to present a happy-go-lucky attitude before the race, and to afterwards indicate simply that we are pleased that he has participated (assuming Johnny has demonstrated good sportsmanship!). A coach’s comments should begin and end with observations concerning things done well, in between which constructive comments are sandwiched about what can be improved in the next race. When faced with an older athlete in whom the cycle has become more firmly entrenched, an ongoing dialogue may be required to reestablish the supportive and reassuring understandings necessary to free the athlete from performance-inhibiting fear of failure. ~ PC

Swimonyms for Success: Article 5

Disqualifications in swimming result from rule violations in one of two categories. Some rules are in place to prevent a competitor from gaining an unfair advantage; other rules are designed to maintain the unique features of a stroke. While it is understandable that a disqualification is initially disappointing to the swimmer, in the long term it serves as a valuable learning experience for both swimmer and coach. When a disqualification occurs, it is important for all concerned to make note of what needs to corrected, and then to move on as quickly as possible. Sustained or overly negative feelings after a disqualification can lead to a preoccupation that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy - an increased chance of disqualification or poor performance in future races. ~ PC

Swimonyms for Success: Article 4

“You’ve got to play to win!” We hear this in advertising campaigns for state lotteries, and the slogan applies in swimming as well. When someone buys a lottery ticket, there is a deep-down belief in the chance of hitting it big, but no real fear or dread of losing. In addition, this same inner belief in the possibility of winning continues no matter what the outcome of previous experiences. It is simply understood that one must play to win. The implication for swimming is that a deep-down inner belief in the possibility of success, combined with the absence of fear of failure can create a powerful attitude to bring out the best race in a competitor. ~ PC

Swimonyms for Success: Article 3

Thoughts about an upcoming race make the difference between an average performance and an excellent one. To perform at one’s best, a confident and aggressive approach gets the job done. Self-doubt and fear of failure can be driven from the swimmer’s mind. Toward this end, it is helpful to view a race as capable of producing only three possible results, all of which are good: 1) The swimmer will do some things well. 2) The swimmer will learn what needs to be improved. 3) The swimmer will experience enjoyment, satisfaction, and fun.

The first two results are obvious, so let’s focus on the third. With our basic survival needs having been met, we have time for recreation such as competing in swimming races. Ideally, the degree of enjoyment, satisfaction, and fun we gain is the only thing influenced by the results of a race, and in that regard it’s all a matter of how you look at it. First and foremost a swimmer can finish a race satisfied that a best effort was made. Second, the swimmer may achieve a best time. Third, the swimmer might out-place a competitor or two, or even win overall. The only result of swimming less than your best is that some of the fun will have to wait until another race.

Parents and coaches can help the preceding ring true to our young athletes by reinforcing the message with our words, and more importantly by the subtle and far more convincing cues given by our facial expression, tone of voice, body language and behavior. We can divest ourselves of any personal stake in the results of our children’s races, and make it clear that there is no outcome that can diminish our love and support (nor would we love them more for swimming faster!). I find it helpful as a parent and coach to remind myself to convey what I will want to have remembered years from now, since it probably will be! ~ PC

Swimonyms for Success: Article 2

The following discussion pertains especially to athletes of adolescent age and older and may not apply to younger less physically mature individuals.

If a swimmer’s ultimate goal is to achieve peak performance during the upcoming championship season, the physical and mental improvements that take place as a result of training in the next few weeks are very important. I have explained the process to swimmers by saying that we spend most of the season making a sword, and now the time has come to sharpen the sword. During this sharpening period, it is essential that all of the body’s resources be directed only toward producing faster racing times. Training items providing general fitness in the early to mid-season are being gradually reduced in swim practice, and no new outside-of-practice physical demands should be introduced. Swimmers are cautioned not to begin participation in other sports at this time if swimming well this season is their number-one priority. The importance of this advice stems from the exercise science Principle of Specificity which states that beneficial changes as a result of training relate directly to the exact demands placed on the body. The sudden introduction of new demands for which the body has not recently undergone specific preparation will produce a harmful effect including the physical symptoms experienced as muscle soreness and fatigue. These symptoms directly result in worsened swimming performances in training and in competition. What makes the situation even more difficult, is that the swimmer experiences a loss of confidence at a time when it is important to build an increasingly positive mental outlook: one that allows the swimmer to step up on the championship starting block predicting and convinced that an outstanding performance is about to take place.

A word about gym class: the sudden introduction of new gym activities at this time can result in all of the same undesirable effects described above. When it is possible to select from a variety of gym options, an activity should be selected that is as similar as possible in nature to those in which the swimmer has already been regularly involved. Almost all physical education teachers are very supportive of the athletic interests of their students, and so a parent conference with the gym teacher may be helpful in situations where a variety of gym activities is not yet offered. ~ PC

Swimonyms for Success: Article 1

In MASH’s recent home rematch between the Lady Bulldogs and Oil City, our girls converted an early season 87-95 loss to a 100-85 win. The meet had been hard fought right up to the last event. After the meet I discovered that the process of striving for the win had meant more to me than the resulting win. I felt a little guilty about this until later that night when I came across the following quote in “Gold In The Water”, a book chronicling the Olympic quest of members of the Santa Clara Swim Club:

”The important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.” ~ Baron Pierre de Coubertin (founder of the modern Olympic movement). ~ PC