Some people are afraid of the dark...some are afraid to go outside....
I'm afraid of the starting blocks!
Yes, sad and pathetic but true - the blocks scare the beejeezus outa me. Why, I don't know. When I swam in high school I had no fear (and no cap and goggles either - we're talkin' WAY back in the day...)
Well...flash forward several years to my now Masters career and my coach talks me in to competing. So we have a start clinic. From then on (and it's gotten worse) I developed a really strange phobia of actually getting on the blocks and jumping off.
Part of it has to do with the fact that my starts are terrible. I have practiced and I cannot seem to get my brain to wrap around the information of what I'm suppose to do, and to get my body to follow.
Lately it just so happens that I've been competing in really long races (i.e., 1650, 1000, etc.) and I start from the wall. But when I compete in the shorter distances I know I cannot get away with that. And, I'd really like to get over the irrational fear of diving into the water...AND I'd really like to have a decent, competitive start.
Suggestions? Thoughts? Therapy of any kind...?
PS: we do have a diving pool where we work out, so I have no excuse!
:(
i used to coach age-group swimming where i grew up (south-central PA) and i had lots of 8&unders that were petrified of the blocks. rob's suggestion of leaning on someone's shoulder is an excellent idea- my fellow coach and i would help the kids up on the block. many times, once they were up there, they had no problems. so once you can get yourself to stand on the block, you might find that you're not as afraid as you thought. but once that happens, don't go right to doing a dive. just try stepping off or even jumping off the block, feet first.
the key is taking it a little at a time. if you can convince yourself that you're not afraid anymore, a start will be a piece of cake. trust me- i was terrified of jumping off the 10-meter platform, but the day i told myself i wasn't afraid was the day that i jumped off and realized that it's almost kinda fun!
:cool:
best of luck!
i used to coach age-group swimming where i grew up (south-central PA) and i had lots of 8&unders that were petrified of the blocks. rob's suggestion of leaning on someone's shoulder is an excellent idea- my fellow coach and i would help the kids up on the block. many times, once they were up there, they had no problems. so once you can get yourself to stand on the block, you might find that you're not as afraid as you thought. but once that happens, don't go right to doing a dive. just try stepping off or even jumping off the block, feet first.
the key is taking it a little at a time. if you can convince yourself that you're not afraid anymore, a start will be a piece of cake. trust me- i was terrified of jumping off the 10-meter platform, but the day i told myself i wasn't afraid was the day that i jumped off and realized that it's almost kinda fun!
:cool:
best of luck!
