Changing: For the Better, or For the Best?

Ace Aquatics Weekly Newsletter

Changing: For the Better, or For the Best?

By: Jackson Buyers

As an Ace Aquatics swimmer, I will display coachability, & humility. I will always be open and willing to learn because I understand that even the fastest of swimmers and the best of humanity still require work to continue down the path of success.

With our first meet just around the corner I wanted to discuss my expectations for our team and how to approach in season meets for long term success in swimming.

Coach Expectations

Many parents and swimmers, new and experienced, have high expectations for meets. Winning and time drops are typically at the forefront of most people’s minds. These are two easily accessible and easily understandable measurements. Unfortunately, they are also poor measures of progress. Athletes, parents, and coaches tend to focus on short term success, rather than long term success.

You would never expect to ace your final exam in your first month of class, so why do so many of us expect perfection at every meet of the season? There are so many reasons for small time drops. Changes in muscle mass, warmups, air temperature, diet, and sleep can all play a huge part in a swimmer’s short-term performances. And just like guessing on a test, sometimes kids just get lucky. But these small changes are not enough to lead to large end-of-season time drops. Big time drops come from big changes. If athletes are too focused on times and places, they will never slow down enough to make true changes in their technique and race strategy.

Goals Setting

Understanding how to properly set short-term process-oriented goals is a necessity for success long-term. Ask yourself what has been focused on in practice, what your coach has been correcting you on, and what your sets have looked like. Take that feedback and use it to develop goals. Understand that accomplishing that goal and swimming “slow” will benefit you athlete far more than repeating the same mistakes that you have made time and time again.

With over two thirds of my group wishing to swim in college and/or beyond, it is important to realize that while no two swimmers swim in the exact same way, there is still a right and wrong way to swim. Watch the NCAA Championship and it won’t take long to realize that underwaters are king. There are many of you who wished to qualify for NCAAs or even the Olympics in our goal meetings, but still refuse to kick off your wall. Do not expect to be a national level swimmer with amateur level skills. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Work those skills now and work them consistently, even if they are slow at first. Understand that our season is long, and your career in swimming is even longer. Even if you have big dreams for the sport of swimming, understand that you have plenty of time to reach those goals. I am not worried about who you are as a 12 or 13 or 14-year-old. I’m worried about teaching you skills to help you accomplish your career goals in this sport, and to teach you habits and skills to help you be successful in your life.

“NO MORE. No more excuses. No more: “I’ll start tomorrow.” No more: “Just this once.” No more accepting the shortfalls of my own will. No more taking the easy road. No more bowing down to whatever unhealthy or unproductive thoughts float through my mind.”

– Jocko Willink, Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual