I was just wondering what you guys do for pre-meet jitters. I'm going to my second Master's Meet April 10 & 11th in Lexington, KY. I'm swimming my first backstroke events at this meet. Since I never was an age grouper, high school, or college swimmer, I tend to get really nervous the closer to a meet that I get. It's getting so bad this time, that it's getting to the point that I'm not having fun anymore. I've also started to dread going to practice and just swimming in general. Do any of you have advice? Any help would be appreciated.
Parents
Former Member
You know I'm going through a similar thing. This Saturday is the Ohio State Masters Championship, and I'm swimming the 200 Back for the first time in my life. While I'm confortable with the 100 back, I've never raced anything longer than a hundred. There are three things that have helped me get over the jitters though.
1. We swim distances greater that 200s every day.
2. I swim because its fun, doesn't matter what place I come in.
3. Once the race starts, its only me and the water, and we're good friends.
Basically, if you have swum backstroke in practice, you can do it during a meet. Swimming to set records or win the race is the quickest way to burnout. you have to swim for your self.
"It's easy to forget when you're an elite athlete that everyone else gets nervous as well. Even the best people in the world, at whatever they do, they're still nervous".
Leisl Jones - world record breaker at the 2005 World Championships
You know I'm going through a similar thing. This Saturday is the Ohio State Masters Championship, and I'm swimming the 200 Back for the first time in my life. While I'm confortable with the 100 back, I've never raced anything longer than a hundred. There are three things that have helped me get over the jitters though.
1. We swim distances greater that 200s every day.
2. I swim because its fun, doesn't matter what place I come in.
3. Once the race starts, its only me and the water, and we're good friends.
Basically, if you have swum backstroke in practice, you can do it during a meet. Swimming to set records or win the race is the quickest way to burnout. you have to swim for your self.
"It's easy to forget when you're an elite athlete that everyone else gets nervous as well. Even the best people in the world, at whatever they do, they're still nervous".
Leisl Jones - world record breaker at the 2005 World Championships
