“Why Be Unhappy with Your Swim Meet IF You Are Not Unhappy with Your Training?”

By John Leonard

     Every once in awhile, I see an athlete on our team leaning on “somebody” (Mommy, Daddy, teammate) and being unhappy with their results in a swim meet. Laughably, these are ALWAYS (100% of the time) people who have not done the work in practice.

There are multiple ways “not to do the work in practice”.

First, don’t show up as often as you should. Each of your coaches tell you how often you “should” be at practice. When you decide to determine that yourself, you’re not going to be happy with the results.

Second, come to practice and “go through the motions”. Showing up is a START, not the critical ingredient. Swimmers need to actually PUT IN THE EFFORT EVERY Day in order to get better.

Third, come to practice and “don’t pay attention”. Each day the coaches teach life skills, technique lessons, and training and competition lessons. If you’re not paying attention, and using practice as a social outlet, don’t expect to profit from practice.

A Life Lesson prepares you for the real world. (Get a kickboard for your teammate, simple stuff…as well as complex stuff)

A technique lesson teaches you how to swim well when you are tired. (“Fingers DOWN, not across your body”)

A training/competition lesson teaches you how to RACE effectively. (Breath every three when racing 100 and above to maintain balance in your stroke ANY get sufficient oxygen to be successful)

Swimming, Sports and Life are REALLY, REALLY SIMPLE. Put in the work, and you get a satisfying result. Fail to put in the work and you’re another pitiful case crying on someone’s shoulder as if its someone else’s fault you didn’t succeed.

Guess who bears the responsibility of your success or failure?

All the Best, 

Coach John