Mind Training Tips for Swimmers
by Craig Townsend
| #52 - Dealing With Blatant Intimidation How do you respond if a swimmer tells you just before a race that "you're going down!"? This seems to be quite a common occurrence from what I hear! Well, how you respond verbally to them is really up to you, but the most important thing is not to let comments from other swimmers stop you from swimming a brilliant race. In fact, some swimmers manage to swim an even BETTER race because of negative comments such as these! So let me explain the two ways you can respond in a race to intimidation tactics such as these. First of all, when this happens it's essential to remind yourself that this particular swimmer is WORRIED about you being in their race! If they weren't, they wouldn't have wasted the energy to say this to you. They are trying to blatantly plant a negative thought in your mind, which they hope you will 'fuel' with negative thoughts and emotions, and hopefully turn it into a 'mental monster' that will destroy your race. But you are too clever for this! You know that they are worried about you, and this should make you feel stronger and more confident, because it is a great compliment about your swimming! So make sure you turn these situations around immediately, and know that YOU are the one in control, not them. Secondly, their comments only mean something if you choose to believe them. Let me say this again - their comments only mean something if you choose to believe them. So do not take them to heart or believe them - let these remarks bounce harmlessly off you like a light beach ball hitting you on the head! Know that they are simply "full of hot air" - and that because of their comments, all the pressure is now firmly on THEIR shoulders! Now, you must focus your mind upon the race, and here is where you have 2 choices (which are totally up to you) depending on what personality-type you are. The first choice is to totally ignore what they said, and focus all your mental energy 100% upon your race. This is probably my preferred choice (but which may not necessarily be the right one for you). This is where you simply go out there and swim your race as if nothing had been said, totally refusing to allow yourself to get emotional about the negative comments directed at you from this nasty (and secretly scared!) individual. The second choice (if you find that you feel bothered or emotional by what they have said) is to channel this emotion into your swim, and make sure you blow them out of the water! This is a positive way of using this negative energy. but remember that the key is to find which of these choices brings you your best results, and only you can possibly know which one is best. So if someone openly tries to intimidate you, remind yourself that they are scared of you, choose NOT to believe them or their comments, and then decide on whether to focus 100% upon the race, or whether you want to show them "who's boss" in the pool. Don't let these cheap tactics throw you off your goals or dreams - move through them like a professional. |
The Mind controls the body, and the mind is unlimited. |
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