What You Need to Know About Mental Toughness

USA Swimming posted a helpful article regarding mental toughness and how parents can help foster mental toughness in their athletes  Continue reading to learn more about what exactly we mean when we talk about mental toughness with your swimmer(s), and what you can do to cultivate that mental toughness within them.

MENTAL TOUGHNESS

What is mental toughness? It’s being in control of your emotions, being poised when challenged and under pressure. It’s the ability to maintain focus and to be resilient through intimidation and being able to bounce back from adversity. Mental toughness is being self-assured and learning how to deal with the fear of failure.

What can a parent do? Don’t demand or expect certain performance levels, condemn failure or equate love with performance. Stay away from undue or harsh criticism. DO encourage and support. Reward effort, not outcome. Realize that the consequences of failure are temporary. Learn and help your athletes learn to enjoy the sport and have fun regardless of outcome.

Discourage statements (and never use them yourself) like: “What if I don’t do well?”, “I can’t blow it now.”, or “I don’t do well under pressure.” Encourage statements (and use them yourself) like: “I’m going to do the best I can.”, “I don’t have to feel pressure. I’ll just do my job.”, and “I’m giving 100 percent and trusting my training.”

This was an excerpt taken from USA Swimming’s Swim Parents’ Workshop.

See this short article on the USA Swimming website: http://www.usaswimming.org/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=2208&itemid=4249&mid=11881

Meet Information: Mile/500 Meet

The Mile/500 Meet will be held on November 10th at Solon High School in Solon, OH. In order to swim the mile (1650) a swimmer must have a legal 500 Free time. There are no time requirements to swim the 500 Free. The morning session will be for 13 & Over swimmers  while the afternoon session is for 12 & Under swimmers. 

The due date for entries is Friday October 11th by midnight. Please send your entries to neonswimming@gmail.com.

Please  provide the name(s) of your swimmer(s) in the e-mail, in addition to which event you would like them entered in (mile or 500 Free).

2013 Solon Stars Mile Meet

Sunday – November 10, 2013

Location:  Solon High School Natatorium, 33600 Inwood Road, Solon, Ohio 44139

                    

Starting Times:

Morning session:  Warm-up begins at 7:30 a.m. and will continue for 45 minutes

                                   

Afternoon session:

Estimated warm-ups time will be posted on www.lakeerieswimming.com on Wednesday Nov. 6^th.  There will be a combined warm-up for 45 minutes (meet will start 5 minutes later).

Entry Fees:   

Individual events $10.00; plus a $2.00 per swimmer surcharge (for the Lake Erie Zone Team fund).  Fees must accompany all entries.  

Entry Limitations:                 

Each swimmer may enter 1 event for the day.

Deck Entries:                       

Fees will be $13.00 per individual event.  Deck entries will be accepted on a space available basis only, and will close 35 minutes prior to the start of each session.  Deck entered swimmers, new to the meet, will pay the $2.00 surcharge and must provide proof of USA Registration.  Deck entries will be seeded at NO TIME (NT).

Qualifying times:

There is no qualifying time for the 500.  To swim the 1650, the swimmer must have a legal time in the 500.  If the swimmer has no time for either the 500 or the 1650, please include a time even if it is a practice time or estimated time.  

Seeding and Check In:

The meet will be deck seeded. Swimmers must personally check in for their events in the lobby area adjacent to the natatorium. Check in will close 35 minutes before the start of the session. The Lake Erie Scratch Rule will be in effect.       

Clerk of Course:

            There will be no clerk of course.

Admissions:  

Admission will be $4.00; seniors (65 and over) and 3 & under children free.  There is no smoking allowed anywhere in the building.  Psych sheets will be $2.00.

Directions:    

Exit from Route 422 at Route 91 (SOM Center Road),

            Go South on Route 91 past Aurora Road (Route 43)

            Inwood Road is the 2^nd light after Aurora Road

            turn right on Inwood, travel to the end of the school near

            the marquee, and turn left at the stop sign into the parking lot

If you have any questions, please ask! You can leave a comment on here or ask a coach before or after practice. Also, you can e-mail Coach Eric - aquaman429@cox.net, or Coach Kara - ms.kdennis@gmail.com.

Go NEON!