Articles Index
Six Great Reasons To Swim Today
How to best improve your swim? The answer is simple (and diabolic). Swim more. I have come up with a few simple motivational techniques to get me in the pool that I will be happy to share with you. (Roman Mica/Everyman Triathlon)
The Joy of Swimming
There is a special moment when I first get in the water and push off the wall that I use to get myself to the swimming pool. It feels just like flying. I’m completely submerged, weightless gliding through the silky water. The only sound is that of the bubbles as they rush past my ears. The outside world is completely gone. It is just me, my own thoughts, and the gentle warm water as it slips past my skin. This moment is complete and full of promise. It lacks nothing and wants nothing.
Ten Ways for the Swim Parent to Sabotage Their Child's Swimming Career
After thirty-three full years of observation, it has occurred to me that some parents must internally delight in the idea of sabotaging their child's swim career. They must for some perverse reason WANT to do this, since they work so incredibly hard at it and are so remarkably successful. Hereafter, my top ten list of means and methods - and more seriously, some clear examples on positive alternatives. (John Leonard, ASCA)
A Brief Look at Self-Hypnosis for Swimmers
Through hypnosis we can control a physical pain, perform better in our works, in sport and change our attitudes to exams, tests and job interviews. We can eliminate fears, worries, anxieties, stress, cope better with an illness, setbacks, negative emotions, limiting beliefs, habits, negative memories, experiences, and become a much more confident and successful person.
Coping With A Specific Breathing Problem - Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD)
Whether the cause of VCD condition (vocal cord dysfunction) is physiological or psychosomatic, these techniques can help swimmers overcome this breathing condition. There are at least three ways to look at these methods or techniques.
Swimming in the Zone
Success in any area of performance involves using your mind as well as your body. Your mental approach to what you are doing includes your belief, attitude, confidence in yourself and your team, your ability to concentrate well, cope with mistakes and pressure, and so on. When your body and mind are working together, actions flow with a kind of effortless excellence that is called performing or playing in The Zone.
Aqua-phobia, or Fear of the Water
A fear of water. A non resourceful state, negative feeling, an unwanted reaction, a pattern of behaviour experienced by an individual, which prevents the swimmer from learning a water skill or freely entering a mass-volume water environment such as a swimming pool, sea, lake, ocean, or river.
Tips on Nurturing Your Future Olympic Swimmers
Looking for tips on nurturing your future Olympian? This CD produced by USA Swimming and the US Ski & Snowboard Association, “Successful Sports Parenting,” may be just what you need. It is hosted by Deborah Phelps, a middle school principal and mother of six-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps. “Sports Parenting” is the most comprehensive resource ever created to support the successful development of young athletes – from novice to elite level – of all sports.
Swimming with a Purpose
Most swimmers want something from their efforts. You might want to set a new personal best, or finish an event that you see as a challenge. Or even enter that first swim meet. If you do not want something out of your training, then what are you doing it for?
Strategies to Overcoming Aquatic Phobias
SOAP (Strategies to Overcoming Aquatic Phobias) and Water for those afraid to go near or in water offers dry-land counseling and teaches strategies to overcome aquatic phobias for all ages in a compassionate and friendly atmosphere.
The Swimmer is on the Starting Block
Focus… what is this thing so many swimmers do as they prepare for a swimming race? We have all heard the saying that sport is 80% mental and 20% physical. Olympian Brendon Dedekind shares some of his mental training or sports psycholgy tips from his swimming career.
Olympic Swimmer John Naber on Motivation
Olympic Swimmer, Media Personality, and speaker John Naber talks about swimming motivation for swimmers. At the Montreal Olympics in 1976, the USA men's team had one of the greatest single team performances of all times. One of the noteworthy swimmers on that team was backstroker/freestyler John Naber, with four Gold and one Silver medal. He was the most decorated USA ATHLETE at the games.