Pre and Post Race Conversations with The Athlete

by John Leonard

If you’ve been to swim meets, you will have noticed that both before a race and immediately after a race, the coach speaks with your child. This is an important part of the race experience.

Before the race, the purpose is to remind the child of the singular thing that  the coach wants the child to concentrate on in that race.

Or, in the words of famous Coach Confucius, “He who chases two rabbits, catches neither.”  The purpose of the coach’s communication with your child is to make sure they are focused only on the item that the coach has chosen for that race. (This is based on what we’ve been doing in practice.)  The reason we practice, of course, is to prepare to race.

Post Race, the coach wants to meet IMMEDIATELY with the athlete once they get out of the water to discuss with the athlete if they achieved that singular goal.  Did they do what they set out to do?  If so, “great, good job!” If not, why not?  Or if the athlete can’t remember what they were supposed to do, that’s not a good and back to the drawing board in learning how to concentrate!

Both communications are critically important in the development of the athlete.

If a parent wants to know what the child is supposed to be concentrating on in any particular race, ASK THE COACH! We’ll be happy to tell you. You might check afterwards and see if your child also remembered, post race, what we said about it.  Then you can reinforce the need to focus and learn.

Goal Thinking Versus Process Thinking

By, John Leonard

I would like to encourage parents to think about the mindset of their children as they approach the starting blocks before an event.

It is common at swim meets for children to ask their coach things like, "What do you think I can go in this 100 free?" or, "My goal is to go 1:05", etc. etc. etc..

In short, GOAL THINKING, or otherwise sometimes described as "outcome thinking."

Now, that's not a bad thing. But it is NOT what they should be thinking about as they get ready to swim!

Instead, the swimmer should be asking the coach, "What do I need to be doing to go 1:05 in the 100 free?"

And the answer would be something like this:  "Breath every 5 on the 1st 25 and every 3 strokes the rest of the way.  Take two strokes out of every wall before you breathe, and pick up your arm tempo on the 3rd 25 and your legs on the last 25".

(For a younger swimmer, the answer would be something more simple like, "Breathe every three and let me see good strong kicking on the last lap!"

That’s called PROCESS thinking.

PROCESS THINKING is what helps the child focus on and remember what they need to be DOING when they swim.   That's what helps them to go fast.

Heading for the blocks repeating their GOAL over and over in their your head will result in.....nothing.

Goals and goal thinking/outcome thinking is what gets them out of bed on Monday morning to go to practice after a long rainy weekend.  It’s what gets them to go to practice when their friends who are non-swimming slugs are going to the mall or sitting on their couch watching TV.  Therefore, goal thinking is IMPORTANT.

But at the meet, we need focused, PROCESS THINKING to get better.

Parents, I am sure you already understand all this, so please help us teach it to all your children.