On the recent broadcast of www.deckpass.com there was some interesting dialogue on age group swimming, Gary Hall Jr, and yes my hero, Jack LaLanne...
Okay... not to digress, but... Sullivan's breakthrough was from technical improvement, not an increase in power output... just an observation.
Jack LaLanne is my hero...
If you swim for fun, you'll always be a winner! Keeping the focus on personal improvement is a great way to hold the "passion" without making comparisons to others. That concept of winning, only being the absolute freaky best, that concept is dysfunctional. If you are in the water regularly, you'll always be a winner; you can feel great about what you are doing.
Swimming is a unique experience, and mastering the water is a joy.
It is absurdly reductionist to classify everyone who is not #1 in the world as a "resounding loser."
Yes, no one deserves praise for getting out of bed and leading life and being "you," but sheesh. I suck at many things ... like calculus and gourmet cooking and basketball ... but I don't go around hanging a "loser" label around my neck. You are what you think ...
The bottom line is that even though you might not "win" an event, you can still have a fabulous time at a swim meet and reach your personal goals. Loser, while perhaps technically accurate at times, is such a prejorative term. A kid will glean that hard work, determination, resiliency, and talent are the key factors without being called a "loser" or being ridiculously molly-coddled with constant praise.
It is absurdly reductionist to classify everyone who is not #1 in the world as a "resounding loser."
Yes, no one deserves praise for getting out of bed and leading life and being "you," but sheesh. I suck at many things ... like calculus and gourmet cooking and basketball ... but I don't go around hanging a "loser" label around my neck. You are what you think ...
The bottom line is that even though you might not "win" an event, you can still have a fabulous time at a swim meet and reach your personal goals. Loser, while perhaps technically accurate at times, is such a prejorative term. A kid will glean that hard work, determination, resiliency, and talent are the key factors without being called a "loser" or being ridiculously molly-coddled with constant praise.
