The table of contents for sports psychology tips for swimmers and parents of swimmers from Craig Townsend.
Alex Popov and Kieren Perkins have several things in common; both are trying to win the Olympics for the 3rd time in a row, and both a true champions who have earned the title of being 'mentally tough'. Only a month ago I was reading how Popov was meant to be going through huge motivation problems trying to get himself up for a 3rd Olympic Games, and yet a few days ago he set a new world record to put the world on notice that he is not a spent force.
The mind is so incredibly powerful it can actually 'bend reality' so that you will no longer experience a problem you may have been battling to overcome. We've already discussed how the mind can overcome pain, nerves, intimidation, negative thoughts and a whole host of other problems.
Do you feel under pressure when you move up into a new age-group of swimming competitors? It seems that many swimmers do. Many seem to feel that any reputation they may have earned in the past age group no longer means anything now that they're swimming against older swimmers, and this really isn't true.
I am sure you, like most swimmers, have experienced a time when you felt like you were 'in the zone', where every action flowed absolutely perfectly and effortlessly. These are times when you feel, even just for a few minutes, like you are the world champion. Well, those times when you felt invincible can propel you towards even greater success in the future!
There are champion swimmers who occasionally use unusual approaches to achieve their goals. Some of these unusual methods may not be great for all swimmers to copy, yet some may find these alternative methods very helpful. Here is an example of an unusual approach, which may (or may not) be useful to you. You be the judge.
How important is a swimmer's reputation? Does it have an effect on other swimmers? Sure it does, overall a swimmer's reputation has a huge effect on most competitors - but here is a piece of information about reputations which you may never, ever want to forget. A swimmer's reputation is ONLY powerful if you ALLOW it to be!
What do you do when you are approaching a meet, but suddenly find that you cannot think one positive thought by you will do well? Plus, what do you do if you don't BELIEVE that you can swim a particular time, or beat a certain competitor? The answer lies in your thoughts, and surprisingly, your 'reasons'.
How can a swimmer possibly remain focused over a 5-6 day meet? How can you be positive about swimming a final tonight if you've only qualified in the heat in 4th place this morning? The answer to these questions is this: Switch on, then switch off.
Does your confidence desert you when you need it most? Do you worry about competitors who should be worried about YOU? Do doubt and fear plague you before big races? Well, I'm going to divulge a little secret to you today, no - actually a huge secret, that most of the great swimmers and champions would definitely NOT like their competitors to know about. You are not alone.
An email I received during the week mentioned that Gary Hall Jr. was quoted as saying that his coach told him to 'try to reproduce or re-enact the same winning mood he felt when he won a major event' rather than worrying about the specifics of his next swim. How could this possibly work?
