FCST Newsletter - Mar. 28

Adrian Gomez

 

 

Mar. 28, 2021

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*Families are responsible for communicating meet entry issues with their athlete’s respective coach, as their primary coach is most responsible for their athlete’s training and competitive plan

**Once the final entry deadline has passed, no changes may be made on FCST’s end. Athletes can deck-enter at the meet (if allowed by meet management) at their own expense and with the coach’s permission. This is not the most ideal way to enter a meet, having schedules planned ahead of time is very beneficial to the athlete.

 

Coaches Corner:​

Mental Toughness by Coach Mandy

As we prepare to dive head first into long course season, I hear a few concerns from parents and swimmers, alike. “Our youngest swimmers can swim long course?!” “Coach Mandy, the pool is so long!”

Our staff recently attended an annual coaches clinic. One of the presenters works with clients such as Ryan Lochte, Katie Meili, and Misty Hyman, as well as collegiate and high school athletes. She asked a large group of her athletes, “What are you thinking behind the blocks?” The overwhelming majority of them answered, “What if I die?”

The fears listed above apply at every level- an Olympic gold medalist, an FCST swimmer in the White group, and everyone in between.  So, how do we approach long course training when these fears are so real to the overwhelming majority of our athletes, and, sometimes, their parents?

1.      Train Your Brain- Henry Ford puts it best, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t- you are right.” As coaches & parents, our job is to give our athletes the tools they need to build their own confidence. When it comes to that long, seemingly impossible long course training set or to that first big race at Junior Nationals, it is won or lost before it ever begins. How? Because our mind is the most powerful part of our body. Train your brain to focus on the things you know and can control. Parents, let the coaches teach our athletes the techniques they need; so they feel confident and prepared on race day. Coaches, don’t underestimate the effort and attention that should be dedicated toward the powerful minds of our athletes.


2.      Celebrate Your Victories- Big and Small- Remember Super Bowl LI in Houston this year? The Patriots won 34-28. If you remembered who won, you may or may not remember that their 25-point comeback was the largest come-from-behind victory in Super Bowl history. Hey, a win is a win whether you come from behind to win by 1 touchdown or blow the competition out of the water. What about this past summer in Rio? Allyson Felix won silver in the 400m by .07 seconds, making her the most decorated US Olympian in track and field history. Seven one-hundredths of a second! These are some examples of small margins that resulted in enormous victories. Isn’t that so true of our athletes every day? One of the highlights of my season was seeing an athlete “get it” at practice shortly before Monster Training. Her freestyle stroke clicked, everything suddenly became fluid and smooth, and her face beamed with excitement. That was a small victory that we both recognized. Her season took off from there, and she reached some goals she thought were too lofty to accomplish. Identify these moments, however small they may seem, and take time to celebrate!

3.      Have Fun!- Encourage your athletes to discover their passion and follow it every day. For some, it is fun to see their friends and move toward achieving their goals together.  For others, it means pushing harder individually than they ever have before. Other athletes find it fun to compete. When they win, they find a new competitor and start the process all over again. Whatever “fun” means to your athlete, help them pursue that daily. It has been proven that athletes will stay in their sport longer when they are passionate about what they are doing.

Our minds are so powerful. They control our innermost thoughts, which, ultimately, control everything we do. It is so true that swimming is 10% physical and 90% mental when you consider everything our athletes must think about throughout a single practice. We must make sure we are teaching our athletes how to control their minds. If we don't, our athletes most certainly will let their minds take the reins.