Several weeks ago, over 30 GMA swimmers traveled to Harvard University to race in our first local long course meet of the season. It was a joy to have so many GMA swimmers at the meet, excited about racing with their teammates. Now that we have had a chance to look at our performances from the meet and break down the strengths and weaknesses in our racing, I have some thoughts about what really matters at meets.
Since each swim meet provides our athletes and coaches with many opportunities to learn about our racing, the Harvard May Classic taught us much about what is required to perform at one's best:
1. First and formost, athletes must be prepared for the stress of racing. This stress is best managed by many hours of focused training prior to the meet. Each training session at GMA helps athletes focus on various racing skills, racing speed and racing strategy. Every practice matters and every training session prepares our GMA athletes for the stress of racing.
Beyond the preparation gained through GMA training, the athletes receive verbal and written communication regarding the small details they need to remember in order to race their best. Using the GMA meet information packets that are posted online and printed for the athletes, we outline the key things that every GMA swimmer will need to do prior to the meet to be prepared to race their best. With advanced planning and preparation, athletes can arrive at the meet with all of the equipment, food, drinks and comfort items that they will need to race with confidence and security.
2. The stress of racing can be alleviated by focusing on the team during the competition. Socialize with your GMA teammates, focus your energy on supporting GMA swimmers and take some time to get to know your teammates better. Nothing is more distracting than great social interactions with others. Moreover, when we take the time to focus our energy on our teammates and their successes, we feel better about our own racing. Give it a try at our next meet GMA . . . socialize with your teammates, encourage their efforts and watch them race with pride!
3. Maintaining the proper focus throughout the competition is essential to racing one's best. It is so important to focus on one race at a time. Focus on what YOU need to do in order to be successful. Take the focus off of the things that you cannot control. You cannot control the pool conditions, the flow of the meet, the atmosphere on deck, your parents and teammates or the other competitors. However, you have total and utter control over yourself and how you race. Before each race, be certain of your race plan. While you are racing, stay fully engaged in the fun of what you are doing and feel yourself racing your best. Focus on the most important person and the most important thing when you race - you and your race!
4. Of course, one of the many the challenges that athletes face is to race with excellence at every opportunity. Every single race is a chance to have fun pushing your physical limits and pushing your body to new and different levels of performance. Whether we are racing at the beginning of the season or the end of the season; whether we are racing at the best facility in the United States or our home pool we can decide to race with focus, effort and excellence EVERY chance that we get.
Outstanding athletes are athletes who challenge themselves to be better and to race faster at every competition. There is no need to hold back or save your energy at a particular meet or in a particular race. You are a GMA athlete! You have been trained to perform your best for an extended period of time. The progression of our training groups, the progression of our daily workouts and the progression of the commitment levels that are expected on this team ensure that our athletes maintain a great level of fitness. With great fitness, our athletes are primed to race five or six events per day with excellence! Trust your training and trust yourself. Sieze every opportunity to race your best.
5. Recall the racing tools you have used in the past to race with success. Before each race, remember what you LOVE about racing and remind your body and mind of how fun it is to move at high rates of speed and skill through the water. Utilize the skills which you have used before to make you the excellent racer that you are. Use those skills in each race and adopt new and different racing techniques in order to push your physical and mental limits. Build on your racing strengths to be better and faster. Few experiences in life are as rewarding as racing your heart out to achieve your goals. Race your heart out GMA!
Ryan Lochte said it best when he remarked that he "LOVES to RACE". That's the key. Love the competition for the thrill of the moment, for the connections that are made within the unique environment of a swim meet and for the lessons that can only be learned from putting your best effort into challenging and stressful situations. As we embark on the remainder of the long course season, we hope that each GMA swimmer will learn and grow through the love of racing!
GO GMA!
Laura Matuszak
