"Concentrate" My coach was calling me and his voice was echoing on the surface of the pool. The whole team was fanning out at the edge of the pool, panting as we waited to send us for another quick 200. A few seconds before the kick-off whistle:΄CONCENTRATE, he called us. Focus on what? How fast is my neighbor going? How tired am I? In that I don't see myself improving as much as I would like as the games approach? Oh don't worry! I am very focused on all of this! 11 Methods Coaches Use
"Concentrate" was one of the words they shouted at us without explanation or details. Of course, when they called it to me I knew that I had to think about something very much at that time. I was too busy catching my breath to ask. After many years, I understood what my coaches meant for so long. By being focused you find more joy in training.
You are much more efficient, and this will bring after satisfaction and confidence that will take you one step further. Below is a list of ways that can help you gain the attention of your swimmers. Some of them come with experience, while others are based on scientific studies. Some are obvious, some not. Let's focus on concentration.
FOCUSED SWIMMERS WORK HARDER AND HAVE MORE FUN!
Focused athletes are focused on what they are doing. They enjoy the tedium of training and are emotionally attached to the whole process. They swim better and because they are having fun they are more likely to come to the pool for training more often than the rest. A more focused swimmer begins a cycle of sure improvement simply by being focused, in training.
On the other hand, we have the athletes who cannot concentrate. Their mind is not thinking about their body. Their shooting is slow and weak. Their shoulders and arms lose in technique. They get off to a slow start, lose track of distances, worry about what other athletes around them are doing, and spend time doubting themselves instead of focusing on what they can improve. So let's look at some ways coaches can help their swimmers be more focused in the pool:
11 Methods Coaches Use
1. BUILD YOUR ROUTINE
Routine helps us focus our attention better, since it blocks internal and external distractions. Pre-competition routines are very common, as they help the athletes not to be affected by the whole event, but to concentrate on the competition. Don't underestimate this process. The body after a while learns to go into fight mode if the routine is used daily.
2. CLARIFY YOUR TRAINING GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS
Concentration goes hand in hand with clarity. Swimmers need to know exactly what their goal is every time and exactly what they need to do to achieve it. Vague instructions and advice lead to a distracted athlete. Explaining to the athlete exactly what each exercise they are doing pushes them to try harder.
3. SIMPLICITY IN THINKING ….HELPS
Our minds cannot handle too many things at once. Because training opportunities are often limited, coaches try to do as much as they can in the least amount of time. This is something that should be avoided. High concentration comes by reducing “Distractions” Keep it simple and go deep.
4. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL
Instead of comparing yourself to other swimmers, focus on the parts you can improve on or where you know you are lagging.
5. USE YOUR CONCENTRATION IN BITS
Concentration is a process that requires enormous energy from the brain. No one can concentrate for too long without breaks. Fortunately, swimming is a sport that allows you a short rest between stops... Use this time to relax and start again in the next few meters
6. CORRECTIONS DURING TRAINING
The athlete can have perfect concentration. But if his coach is not ready to spot and point out mistakes and corrections, then all that concentration is wasted. Don't wait until training is over to make your observations. Make them on the spot.
7. ASK YOUR SWIMMERS WHAT HELPS THEM FOCUS AND NOTE THE
When you see a swimmer doing great in a workout and being incredibly focused, ask them what helped them focus. Maybe you will find it useful at another time when the same thing will not happen.
8. ENCOURAGE YOUR ATHLETES TO FIND WAYS TO STOP THEIR THINKING
When stress is at its peak it's hard to stop your mind from overthinking and overanalyzing things. That's why it's good to have ready in advance some ways to help you stop it.
9. NAME THE BEST PERFORMERS
By naming your athletes' best moments you can quickly remind them of the times they were at their best, encouraging them to achieve them again.
10. REPETITION IS THE MATTER OF LEARNING
The more you tell and repeat to your athletes the things they need to pay attention to and the areas they need to improve, the better. The moment they tell you they're tired of listening to you, that's when you'll know you've done a really good job.
11. TECHNIQUE NEEDS ANOTHER CONCENTRATION AND SPEED ANOTHER
All the concentration an athlete must put into their technique will show in the race. But when it finally gets to the point of competition, the endless hours of training will pretty much work themselves. All the athlete will have to do is concentrate on his performance.
Saltamanikas Nikolas
TEFAA graduate, swimming specialty
Class A swimming coach
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