By Elise Campbell, Swimming World College Intern
Time is a significant fear for many athletes reaching a turning point in their career. Worrying about the clock running out before goals are reached can quickly take hold of a swimmer’s mind and inhibit performance.
Recruiting and retirement are two of the main stressors associated with this fear of the unstoppable. College recruiting, for the average swimmer, is a time of insecurity. High school juniors experience a new kind of pressure, stemming from coaches (both current and potential), parents, friends and more importantly, themselves.
Retirement brings the same beast about, however it has evolved and matured. The idea that something you’ve put countless hours and buckets of blood, sweat and chlorine tears into for most of your life is ending is a difficult pill to swallow.
Photo Courtesy: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (AW) Christopher D. Blachly
These thoughts transform into a cinderblock of pressure that athletes carry around on their back. Anyone who has swum with a parachute tied to their hips knows this sensation. It slows you down.
The constant fear that time is running out, that you will never have a chance to reach your personal goals can translate to decreased performance levels. You simply cannot swim fast while strapped to a crushing weight.
Many swimmers identify with these experiences and the feelings that come with them. It can turn into a vicious cycle. You feel the pressure to perform, which hinders performance. In turn, this creates more pressure and fewer positive results.
Alleviating Pressure
There are ways to avert this crisis, to again make swimming what it is supposed to be, FUN. Once you let go of the stress and pressure, faster performances will surely follow. That is why many high school seniors swim faster than they did their junior year. They are usually committed to a school and can enjoy the sport again.
The same applies for college athletes. Though the lead up to senior year is stressful and a rapidly approaching retirement (for most) looms ahead, some college seniors swim faster than they did their junior year. They figure out that what they’ve been told as young children is true: Last one, fast one. They simply want to get the most out of their last year of college athletics and are determined to make it memorable.
There are several ways to steer clear of this trap that so many find themselves in during a crucial point in their career…
1. Chill
Photo Courtesy: Petty Officer 1st Class Stephen Lehmann
It’s okay to breathe every once in a while. The more you worry about the consequences of your performance, the slower you make yourself. Learning to relax about the situation you are in will keep you away from the “Time Terror.”
2. Stop Thinking
Photo Courtesy: Xinhua/Fei Maohua
Swimming should be second nature if you are at this point. By overthinking every move, you are limiting your body to do what it does best. Don’t think that one race will determine what university you attend, instead think of it as one of many opportunities to show what you can do.
3. Don’t Let Fear Win
Photo Courtesy: Xinhua/Fei Maohua
Being afraid before a race tightens your muscles. Being afraid of the time you have left hurts your mental game. As soon as you are scared of a race or meet not being up to par, you’ve let fear win. Once those thoughts creep in, it’s difficult to push them away.
4. Remember Why You’re Here
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You put pressure on yourself because you want to keep swimming. You are afraid of the little time you have left to be amazing in the sport you love. The important part is that you do love swimming. And you love the sport because you find it fun, challenging, worth its hardships and tears. Without that passion, you would be without a care in the world. And who wants to go through life without permanently smelling like a noxious gas?
In both meanings, time is a terrifying aspect of swimming. It is essential to perform, especially at certain points in an athlete’s career. But that pressure and fear often lead to little success. Learning to recognize and deal with Time Terror is the only way to beat it. We are afraid because we want to be our best and know what we are capable of achieving. Let that confidence take the reins for a while. It knows what to do.
So true! One of the most relateable articles ive ever read. I can remember feeling this way throughout my entire junior/senior year of high school. Great article!
Thanks for writing this great article! Painfully watched my daughter go through this her junior year in high school. After countless hours of training to get mentally stuck can be so sad to watch. This article would have been so helpful to her. I will certainly forward it to her now as she is successfully swimming in college and approaching her junior year!