MENTAL TOUGHNESS TOOLBOX

MENTAL TOUGHNESS TOOLBOX: RESPONDING TO PROBLEMS

 

 

Michael Phelps after winning the 200 fly at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. (Small)BY ALAN GOLDBERG//COMPETITIVEDGE.COM

There are a lot of things that can happen to you as a swimmer, both in practice and at meets that can potentially knock you off balance emotionally, undermine your self-confidence and sabotage your race performance: 

  • You can have a teammate who picks on you or who constantly beats you and then rubs it in your face. 
  • You can have a bad day or two where you're unable to make the intervals at practice and can't seem to get yourself to go fast. 
  • You can develop a nagging injury that limits your training and sets you back in relation to the competition. 
  • You can come down with a sickness that keeps you out of the pool for 3 months. 
  • You can get DQ'ed or lose an important race that you were supposed to win. 
  • You can fail to qualify for that really important meet while most of your friends are already going.
  • Your goggles can leak during your best event and leave you nearly blind. 
  • Your coach can get angry with you. The list goes on and on.

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