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Sport Psychology for Swimmers, Swim Coaches and Swimming Parents
Sport Psychology articles for swimmers, discussing topics such as planning and preparing for competition, training, mental skills, motivation, confidence and self-management.
I was given a stark reminder recently that for any competitive swimmer, at any level, setbacks are a reality. Injury, illness and other uncontrollable factors mean that all of a sudden the event that you’ve been preparing for – the goals that you’ve set yourself, perhaps the opportunity to gain international honours or a National [...]
What is the 10000 Hour Rule? According to Anders Ericsson, it takes a minimum of 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become a genuine expert or, in the case of swimming, to become a world class swimmer. Can you break this rule? Performers are made, not born What the 10000 hour rule is really saying [...]
I was recently approached by a male senior swimmer ‘G’ who wanted help preparing for competition, because he was experiencing issues with anxiety and confidence, and losing time from starting the race feeling tense. The senior Nationals were around 6 weeks away and he wanted some help preparing for the event and races beyond. Presenting [...]
My first attempt at an infographic. It’s not a thing of beauty (just as well I’m a psychologist and not a graphic designer!) but hopefully gets the idea across. Performance mindset is a choice The performance mindset is a choice. Specifically, it is about choosing to focus on your own performance, valuing effort and determination, [...]
Swimmers are pretty well-known for being comfortable, perhaps too comfortable for some non-swimmers, with their bodies. Yet the pressure to keep improving performance, and perhaps the extent to which young swimmers’ bodies are on display, contribute to the risk of disordered eating. While the clinical eating disorders Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa gain much needed [...]
What does it mean to be competitive? We tend to think of people for whom winning is everything, perhaps will do anything to get one up on someone else, or gain at the expense of others. I don’t know many people in swimming that are competitive to the point of being destructive to others. I [...]
If you believe the multitude of success gurus that have sprung up on the web you might believe that setting goals is absolutely essential for performance and happiness. Don’t get me wrong. Goal setting is a very useful skill. Used well it helps focus your energy, think more clearly and build confidence. But goal setting [...]
When it comes to preparing for swimming competition, most swimmers put more into the physical than the mental aspects of preparation. Indeed, there is an awful lot more to preparation than packing your bag and getting physically ready. Taking Responsibility and Feeling Confident It’s important for swimmers to take responsibility for those aspects of their [...]
All of us experience pressure from time to time, and often it’s no bad thing. Pressure can help focus the mind and, at healthy levels, can help us to perform. Many people, however, experience unpleasant levels of pressure and find that their performance suffers as a result. So, how can you go about ensuring that [...]
Why use Goal Setting? People tend to equate goal setting with motivation, and tougher goals with higher levels of motivation, but that’s a simplistic view that can lead to ineffective goal setting, anxiety and problems with confidence. On the other hand, effective goal setting can help swimmers: Focus on the right things at the right [...]
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