Soft Skills of Swimming Coaching – Episode 3 – Coaching Mental Toughness
Soft Skills of Swimming Coaching – Episode 3 – Coaching Mental Toughness
Being Mentally Tough – What Does It Mean?
It is common for coaches, swimmers and even the media to talk about mental toughness and the importance of competitive athletes being mentally tough.
As it is with all swimming skills, it’s one thing to talk about it – but what exactly is being mentally tough and more importantly how do you coach mental toughness?
Mental Toughness is like the weather. Everyone talks about it but not many actually understand it.
My definition of Mental Toughness is:
“The ability to perform when and where it matters – to the practiced standard – regardless of what happens to you or is happening around you”.
In other words, you continue to do your “job” – to perform to the level you’ve practiced – in competition – when and where it matters – no matter what’s happening.
Coaching Mentally Tough Swimmers.
Mental toughness is a learned skill.
Coaches can help swimmers to become mentally tough through the development and delivery of intelligent training programs and practices which encourage swimmers to learn to “do their job” when and where it matters.
This includes ensuring that skills practices incorporate the elements of speed, fatigue and pressure during training so that swimmers learn how to maintain excellence in stroke technique and swimming skills in competition situations.
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PHOTO COURTESY – THE AMAZING AND BRILLIANT PETER BICK.
