Hi everyone...
Tonight is my very first masters swim practice and I'm really quite nervous.
While I've been a competitive swimmer since the age of 5, swam on a US team, competed in both long course and short course US Nationals, and then went and swam in college.....I'm a nervous wreck about tonight's practice. Although I have more than enough swimming experience, I'm terrified that I won't fit in with the master's team.
I've been "out of the water" for 6 years now and I'm very out of shape and I've gained a considerable amount of weight. I can't believe that I've allowed myself to get like this, but it obviously didn't happen over night. So I've been doing cardio and weights at the gym to get myself back in shape but it doesn't seem to be working very well. I realized how much I miss swimming and that I'd like to get back into the sport and thats how I got interested in masters swimming. I'm excited to swim for me...not for the coaches, not for my parents. I'm looking forward to ENJOYING swimming, rather than dreading practices and having kick boards thrown at me if I have to stop during a set. I'm excited to meet people and have fun.....but I'm still so nervous to step foot onto the pool deck.
I guess I'm mostly embarassed. I know its silly to be like this, but I'm afraid everyone will be in good shape and I'll get run over during the practices. I'm wondering if maybe I should put off swimming for a little while until I can lose some more weight.
Can anyone please shed some light on their first masters practice and what you might have been feeling?
I really appreciate any help or advice that you can give me. Thank you!
Parents
Former Member
Hi Erica,
Approach the experience with a sense of humor, and you'll be fine. You'll probably find Masters is a little different than the swimming experiences you've had in the past. There are very few requirements. Your coach isn't going to make you do push-ups if you have to go to the restroom in the middle of a set.
Want to test the waters without the worry? Reintroduce yourself to the water in a peaceful environment without too much distraction. Go to the pool when it's not busy, grab a lane to yourself, and try doing a little lap swimming to get a sense of where you are (intervals, pace, conditioning, etc.).
If you're still too nervous to jump into the practice group, go and observe a practice and talk to the coach when he/she is available.
Enjoy!
Swimmer Bill
Hi Erica,
Approach the experience with a sense of humor, and you'll be fine. You'll probably find Masters is a little different than the swimming experiences you've had in the past. There are very few requirements. Your coach isn't going to make you do push-ups if you have to go to the restroom in the middle of a set.
Want to test the waters without the worry? Reintroduce yourself to the water in a peaceful environment without too much distraction. Go to the pool when it's not busy, grab a lane to yourself, and try doing a little lap swimming to get a sense of where you are (intervals, pace, conditioning, etc.).
If you're still too nervous to jump into the practice group, go and observe a practice and talk to the coach when he/she is available.
Enjoy!
Swimmer Bill
