Staying Motivated in the the Midst of COVID-19

Staying Motivated in the the Midst of COVID-19

Motivation and Mindset

For many athletes, having a positive and determined mindset can be just as important as being physically active. When a swimmer is mentally down on themselves, it can cause them to not be focused upon entering the water, later leading to even more disappointment.

As the fall swim season approaches, it is more important than ever for athletes to build a confident mental state, despite all the uncertainty surrounding them.

“Some advice that I would give to a swimmer who has been struggling to stay motivated during the coronavirus lockdown is to make sure you are making the best of the situation and thinking about the big picture. I would tell them to make sure they have their goal times written down somewhere and are looking at them daily to remind them of what they are working towards,” Coach Matthew Rochna said.

Rochna is the Head Coach at Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania. He and his coaching staff are constantly thinking of ways to keep their team motivated throughout the season.

At the beginning of every season, Rochna holds individual goal setting meetings with each of his student athletes. He also adds a motivational quote to the top of each written-up practice set to keep the swimmers in a positive mindset. The titles of books, online articles, and documentaries are sent out to each member of the team in order to help them develop their strengths as an individual as well as a swimmer.

“Any little thing that any coach can think of that might motivate their athletes is absolutely worth any time devoted as it is the key to achieving goals in the pool and in life,” said Rochna, who encourages coaches to become creative when dealing with the challenges of the 2020-21 swim season.

Over the summer, many athletes didn’t have access to swimming pools and many may have been discouraged because of their lack of a training facility. Fortunately, there are ways for student athletes to stay in shape without touching a drop of water.

If a swimmer finds themselves lacking membership to a pool or even a weight room, there are several other things that they can do to stay in shape if they are creative and passionate about their sport. These activities can range from cardio in their neighborhoods, dryland workouts in their backyards, or yoga workouts online.

As long as swimmers remember what they are training for, the possibilities are endless.

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Rosemary Niebauer

3 years ago

Nice article. Very interesting and informative!

Anonymous

3 years ago

Yay coach Matt! Best person hands down!

Kimber

3 years ago

Yay coach Matt! So thankful to have the best coach!

Alecia O’Sullivan

3 years ago

Excellent article. Great ideas and tips to stay motivated!!