:help: Sorry, just a rant for those of you out there who sympathsize with my college swimming experience..
Okay, I have not spoken to my coach since his comment after my 100free at championships regarding the fact that I don't have any heart, and thats why I am swimming poorly. I can't imagine saying that someone doesn't have heart, when they've given sweat, blood and tears to the sport all in one season. If I wasn't caring that I was stinking, then maybe it would be reasonable to say I didn't have heart, but I was miserable and trying anything to improve my season...so that annoyed me, and I didn't talk to him for the rest of the meet, and haven't talked to him since.
Got an e-mail today that he is making it mandatory that we attend 3 practices a week with him, from now till the end of the semester.
#1. it has been 3 months since championships==why now?
#2. This is the most hectic time of the semester for EVERYONE
#3. I don't want to swim with him in the off season, which is why I am doing masters
:( Miserable in Albany
Morgan, I have been thinking about this for most of the day, so forgive the inevitable rambling.
As a former coach, I have told swimmers the same thing, in different terms. It was not an easy or fun thing to do, but sometimes it is necessary.
I understand that you have been working very, very hard this season and putting in a lot of extra time. I don't know what exactly you have done, but there is an added ingredient to success that most tend to forget: drive.
The swimmer I made this comment to was also a hard worker and dedicated. But I had seen all season that there wasn't a fire in him that got him from one end of the pool to the other during a race, either in workout or in a meet, and he wondered why one kid who trained the same way and had the same body type was always winning. I told him that when this other kid was forced to put the race on the line, something clicked in him and he didn't give up.
I don't think he was really gearing his mind for racing. He was putting in the yardage because he was told to. But there was no personal stake in it. When you were doing sprint sets in workout, were you giving yourself positive pep talks, positive reinforcements and motivational speeches?
I say this because while you might have thought that your 100 free race went well or just so-so, there's something we coaches see. Even the "amateur" ones. They can tell when you're racing, and in the minutes leading up to the race, if you're "in it to win it." There's a look we see in your eyes, and notice your body language. Did you take time to focus on your race before the actual race? Were you distracted in front of the blocks? Were you in "the zone" in the seconds before diving in? did you allow your body to tire and thus "give up?" Again, I wasn't there, so I can only ask the questions.
As someone who has been on both sides of this situation, I know where the coach was coming from. He wasn't out to hurt your feelings, embarrass you or force you to quit. He was doing what he was paid to do. Be lucky you heard "you have no heart." I've seen and heard other coaches practically rip a swimmer to shreds.
When he says "You have no heart," he's talking about that determination that is not only going to kick your body into a higher gear, but get your hand on the wall first. Michael Phelps trains like an animal, but he won seven gold medals and broke five world records at worlds because he'd been training his mind (and his heart) to race. Don't you think his legs were burning at the last turn of the 200 free? He could have backed off since he knew he was going to win, but that inner voice took over and I bet that last 25 was pure adrenaline and desire. You know the result.
So what am I saying? You could have been so busy training your body that you forgot to train your spirit. It takes more than big muscles to win races. I have always maintained that swimming is 90 percent mental.
Morgan, I have been thinking about this for most of the day, so forgive the inevitable rambling.
As a former coach, I have told swimmers the same thing, in different terms. It was not an easy or fun thing to do, but sometimes it is necessary.
I understand that you have been working very, very hard this season and putting in a lot of extra time. I don't know what exactly you have done, but there is an added ingredient to success that most tend to forget: drive.
The swimmer I made this comment to was also a hard worker and dedicated. But I had seen all season that there wasn't a fire in him that got him from one end of the pool to the other during a race, either in workout or in a meet, and he wondered why one kid who trained the same way and had the same body type was always winning. I told him that when this other kid was forced to put the race on the line, something clicked in him and he didn't give up.
I don't think he was really gearing his mind for racing. He was putting in the yardage because he was told to. But there was no personal stake in it. When you were doing sprint sets in workout, were you giving yourself positive pep talks, positive reinforcements and motivational speeches?
I say this because while you might have thought that your 100 free race went well or just so-so, there's something we coaches see. Even the "amateur" ones. They can tell when you're racing, and in the minutes leading up to the race, if you're "in it to win it." There's a look we see in your eyes, and notice your body language. Did you take time to focus on your race before the actual race? Were you distracted in front of the blocks? Were you in "the zone" in the seconds before diving in? did you allow your body to tire and thus "give up?" Again, I wasn't there, so I can only ask the questions.
As someone who has been on both sides of this situation, I know where the coach was coming from. He wasn't out to hurt your feelings, embarrass you or force you to quit. He was doing what he was paid to do. Be lucky you heard "you have no heart." I've seen and heard other coaches practically rip a swimmer to shreds.
When he says "You have no heart," he's talking about that determination that is not only going to kick your body into a higher gear, but get your hand on the wall first. Michael Phelps trains like an animal, but he won seven gold medals and broke five world records at worlds because he'd been training his mind (and his heart) to race. Don't you think his legs were burning at the last turn of the 200 free? He could have backed off since he knew he was going to win, but that inner voice took over and I bet that last 25 was pure adrenaline and desire. You know the result.
So what am I saying? You could have been so busy training your body that you forgot to train your spirit. It takes more than big muscles to win races. I have always maintained that swimming is 90 percent mental.
