Psychology of Masters Swimming - Your Input Please
Former Member
I trained and worked as a sport psychologist before I took up masters swimming (and about the same time stopped private practice due to my boring corporate job), and for the first time really I'm looking to put both together with some articles for the web.
There's no lack of material on swimming performance but there's not much out there, for physical or mental aspects of swimming, that really acknowledges the specific challenges that masters swimmers face.
I'd really like to hear your own views on what you have to manage as a masters swimmer. This doesn't have to relate to racing specifically.
For example, I have to plan around my family, never manage to do as much training as I'd like, so I have to manage my own expectations, yet bring what I have in my locker on race day and make the most of it. I also have my 'former' life as a swimmer and the negative experiences that led to me quitting at 18 that shape my motivations now.
Thanks,
Rob
P.S. I've yet to start my own site, but I do have a swimming psychology page on facebook and I'm on twitter. I'd really appreciate a boost with likes/shares as I build a readership.
I'll give two views, one as a swimmer and one as a coach.
I started swimming competitively at the age of 16 in California. I really got into swimming in college, where my team was slightly better than my high school team. In grad school I loved the Masters swim team I swam with. I think that since I started competing so late is why I still love it. I am constantly trying to change/improve my stroke (breaststroke) and that makes it lots of fun. They keep changing the stroke every few years! I also am constantly trying new ways to train. I swim in Masters meets and for the past three years have been going to USA-S meets. It is sort of fun since I also often workout with the kid's team our Masters team is part of. So I know the kids and they know me. Of course it is fun racing someone one fourth your age. I think racing more often has really helped. My kids are both in college so my home life does not interfere too much with my swimming. I do have a long commute to work every day (75 miles one way), but that is life.
As a coach I try to write workouts that challenge and motivate the swimmers. I often get smiles after workout from swimmers saying they loved that set. Also they'll tell me when a set really made them work hard. I let the lane and swimmers self-motivate themselves. Very rarely will I ever tell them to go faster. The trick is to write a workout that makes people go faster than they might want to and make it totally fun. I know that some swimmers have a hard time getting to the pool, but once they show up they always work hard. We also to let them pro-rate their dues if they cannot make it to workout (sick, injured, vacation or business). They are supposed to pay if they are just lazy. I also never bug people about not showing up. That way everyone who is there wants to be there.
I'll give two views, one as a swimmer and one as a coach.
I started swimming competitively at the age of 16 in California. I really got into swimming in college, where my team was slightly better than my high school team. In grad school I loved the Masters swim team I swam with. I think that since I started competing so late is why I still love it. I am constantly trying to change/improve my stroke (breaststroke) and that makes it lots of fun. They keep changing the stroke every few years! I also am constantly trying new ways to train. I swim in Masters meets and for the past three years have been going to USA-S meets. It is sort of fun since I also often workout with the kid's team our Masters team is part of. So I know the kids and they know me. Of course it is fun racing someone one fourth your age. I think racing more often has really helped. My kids are both in college so my home life does not interfere too much with my swimming. I do have a long commute to work every day (75 miles one way), but that is life.
As a coach I try to write workouts that challenge and motivate the swimmers. I often get smiles after workout from swimmers saying they loved that set. Also they'll tell me when a set really made them work hard. I let the lane and swimmers self-motivate themselves. Very rarely will I ever tell them to go faster. The trick is to write a workout that makes people go faster than they might want to and make it totally fun. I know that some swimmers have a hard time getting to the pool, but once they show up they always work hard. We also to let them pro-rate their dues if they cannot make it to workout (sick, injured, vacation or business). They are supposed to pay if they are just lazy. I also never bug people about not showing up. That way everyone who is there wants to be there.
