Mental preparation for swimmers

According to Mike Edger mental training is the segment of sports psychology that concentrates specifically on helping athletes break through the mental barriers that are keeping them from performing up to their peak potential. A lot of coaches and swimmers avoid to use mental training as they feel that it has nothing beneficial to their performance to offer them. As we all know great performances is a combination of technique, training, nutrition, and psychology. So I say that developing a mental preparation routine will only help swimmers improve their performance.

There are two steps that swimmers should take to make their own mental preparation routine. First, they need to figure out the desired results. That means how they want to feel prior to racing (confident, nervous, relaxed, happy, a little worried, controlled, high energy etc.). In the second step the swimmers need to determine how they are going to get into this mental state. What tools are they going to use to attain the ideal mindset? Following are some mental tools that athletes use to help them attain their desired mental state:

• Goals
• Self-talk
• Mental imagery (rehearse competition and race strategy)
• Performance cues/ concentration
• Relaxation and activation

Let’s see now what the benefits of developing a mental preparation routine are. The primary benefit of mental training is to get the swimmer in a “mental state” that seems to relate to success performance for that individual. When an athlete can see and feel past and future successes as part of his/her mental preparation, s/he will feel more confident. Another benefit is that swimmers are more capable of managing their mental energy and stay focused on their racing thoughts (technical cues, race strategy). A mental preparation routine brings consistence to swimmers preparation and their performance. It can also help, to a degree, take the environment out of the performance (for swimmers who are negatively affected by competitive environments). Lastly, it helps the mind get purposefully recruited and engaged so that swimmers have the additional support of positive emotions, feelings, and thoughts.

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