Coach Laurel's Lessons From China

10 Things I learned with the World Championship Team in China

As many of you know I spent the last 3 weeks with World Championship Open Water team. There are 5 events in Open Water, 5K, 10K, 25K(yep, that is 15.5 miles) and a 5K team event. Athletes that place in the top 10 in the 10K qualify for the Olympics next summer in London. On the whole the American team did very well, 1 of our male swimmers placed 4^th in the 10k qualifying for the Olympics and in the Team Event the USA took 1^st!

I was impressed with the dedication and determination of the athletes and the commitment of the coaching staff to achieving their goals and to compete with the best in the world. It is a real learning experience to be immersed in a culture that demands nothing but excellence and where the goal is Olympic berths. I have tried to include some of the things that I noticed/learned from being on this trip.

1.      Be a winner- The night before the Team Event we had a team meeting about the United States winning Relay tradition, the team event had never been swum before at a world championships and we really wanted to continue the tradition. We put that out there as a goal for ourselves and prepared to win.

2.     Everyone gets nervous- it is just how you deal with it. EVERY athlete I saw walk out to the dock on race day was nervous; some didn’t handle the pressure well at all and subsequently couldn’t perform at their best. But those that use some of that nervous energy to their advantage and put it towards swimming tough did really well.

3.      Trust your coach- Athletes and swimmers have to work as a team. They need to communicate honestly with each other and trust each other that they are making the right decision, and then stick to the plan.

4.      Practice- Take responsibility for your training, the coach provides the right work that needs to be done but it is up to the athlete to execute it properly and know what they have to do to prepare for race day. (everything from warming up to knowing pace times and nailing it every time)

5.      Core! Core! Core!- Both in and out of the water. Even though the athletes were backing off on hard weight room work closer to their race they still did core exercise every day. They also swim with firm cores and use that strength for great body position in the water.

6.      Eat right- You need the right fuel to carry yourself through a 5k or longer, same goes for practice. Pay attention to what you eat and know how it can help you or hurt you in a race or practice.

7.      Kicking- All great swimmers can kick (even through the 25k), and when they go fast it is like they are being propelled by a motorboat.

8.      Preparation- It doesn’t matter what you do the week before the race, if you haven’t prepared properly you won’t be able to compete.

9.      Soak up your environment- Big competitions are exciting, everything from the IL Regional meet to the Olympic games and you can you use the excitement and adrenaline to help you reach your goals.

10.  Power of Team- your team is your family and it is so much easier to stand on the blocks and know that you have everyone behind you cheering you on that to do it by yourself. Embrace your team mates and work together to make great things happen!