Michael Stott - (Author)

The Power of a Positive Mindset: How Your Thoughts Can Change Your Swimming  You can train harder than anyone else in the pool, but if you don’t believe in yourself, it’s tough to reach your full potential. The truth is, your mindset matters just as much as your physical strength. What you tell your...

Simple Habits to Keep You in the Pool and Out of the Doctor’s Office During Cold and Flu Season Cold and flu season always seems to show up right when you are training your hardest. Between long school days, early practices, and busy weekends, your body is working overtime. Add in colder weather, po...

The Moment I Almost Quit I can still remember the exact moment I thought I was done with swimming.  It was the middle of a grueling practice, the kind where every set feels endless and your arms feel like they’re dragging cement through the water. I was staring at the black line on the bottom of the...

What Your Favorite Piece of Equipment Says About You  Every swimmer knows the feeling of digging through their mesh bag during practice. The fins are wedged under the paddles, the snorkel is somehow twisted into the straps of the mesh bag, and the pull buoy is always missing when you need it most. S...

Making the Jump: Tips for Student-Athletes Entering College  Starting college can be an overwhelming change. Starting college as a student-athlete can be even more overwhelming. As a freshman swimmer, you are about to juggle harder practices, tougher competition, and a brand-new lifestyle. It can fe...

A Letter to My Parents: From a Retired Swimmer  For some reason, a simple “thank you” does not encompass all of the gratitude that you deserve. When I was a young athlete, I did not see all of the sacrifices you made. I did not notice the early mornings you endured, the weekends you gave up, or the ...

Why Open Water Swimming Deserves More Attention in the U.S.  At the break of dawn, a group of swimmers step into a quiet lake, scanning the open horizon. There are no lane lines, no black lines on the bottom of the pool. Simply the water, wind, and the unknown. This is open water swimming. It is raw...

Commentary: They’re More Than Their Times - Supporting Team USA with Compassion With the pool competition at the 2025 World Championships about to begin, swimmers from around the globe are preparing to represent their countries on one of the biggest stages in our sport. We’ll be watching from home, ...

You Are Not Behind: Your Progress Is Right on Time  In swimming, it’s easy to look around and feel like everyone is moving faster than you. A teammate drops five seconds in their best event. Someone your age qualifies for a meet you’ve been chasing. You show up to every practice and work hard, but y...

The Agony of Almost: Why Finishing in Third Place Can Fuel a Champion Records were shattered, young stars rose to the occasion, and Team USA’s World Championship Trials delivered exactly what you would expect from a high-stakes meet. Celebrations and triumph could be seen everywhere you looked. For ...

Reset Like a Champion: Why the Best Swimmers Know When to Take a Break As the swimming world gears up for the upcoming World Championship Trials, some of the biggest names in American swimming are choosing not to compete and take a step back - for now. To the untrained eye, their absence may raise e...

Iron Sharpens Iron: Inside the Training Relationship Between Bobby Finke and Katie Ledecky In the world of competitive swimming, the difference between silver and gold often comes down to hundredths of a second and the people who help push you to find them. For Olympic gold medalists and world-recor...

It Takes a Village: The Support System of a Swimmer When I look back on my swimming career, the milestones and medals are clear—but what stands out even more is the incredible network of support that helped get me there. My parents volunteered as officials, drove countless miles to early morning pra...

Thoughts From a Distance Swimmer: A Beautiful and Inspiring Part of the Sport In the fast-paced, highlight-driven world of sports, it’s no surprise that sprint events have become the crowd favorites. In swimming, the 50-meter races of each stroke have been added to the Olympic program, showcasing po...

Making the Shift: From Short Course to Long Course As the short course season wraps up, it’s time to shift gears and get ready for long course season. While it’s a change in pace, this is a great opportunity to improve your swimming, build endurance, and hit new goals. If you’re ready for the long c...

The Power of Being a Great Teammate: 6 Ways to Provide Support Swimming may seem like an individual sport, but no swimmer achieves success alone. Whether it’s cheering your teammates on during their race, pushing each other through tough sets, or offering words of encouragement after a challenging p...

5 Ways to Ensure Your Body is Rested While Traveling to Your Championship Meet Championship meet season is here! It's the time of year when excitement is high and all your hard work and training are behind you (for now). But traveling to a big meet—whether it’s across the country or just down the ro...

The Unseen Nerves Behind Every Swim: A Community of Jitters When I swam, I was an emotional athlete—my highs were high, and my lows were low. Looking back, I thought that nothing could replicate the intensity of the nerves I experienced before a race. The racing heart, the sweaty palms, the tension ...

Surviving Taper: A Guide to Thriving During the Most Exciting Time of the Season It’s that time of year again. Practices gradually become shorter, the yards start to decrease, and the energy is at an all-time high. It’s taper time. For swimmers, tapering marks the beginning of championship season - ...

Lessons Learned From the Injured Swimmer And there I was again, sitting on the side of the pool deck with my college’s athletic trainer, watching my teammates practice. All I wanted to do was get back in the water, but my body had other plans. With every day that passed, it felt like I was falling f...