Canada: Becoming tough to beat
January, 11, 2011
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Our coaches and support staff were there to set an environment for our swimmers to excel, and have to be commended for their efforts.
We have seen similar performances this past summer at the Pan Pacific Championships where our swimmers won 1 medal on the 1st day, 2 medals on the 2nd day, 3 on the 3rd and 4 medals on the 4th and final day.
The same story was repeated at the Commonwealth Games where our best day was on the final day of the meet. Our National “B” team also fought to the victory against the Australian team to win the “B” meet by 11 points.
This is how we need to be known around the world! The team that never gives up, that is tough to beat anytime, anywhere, under any condition. This has to be the Canadian way!
It is important to remember that our best juniors are performing well at that level, not only because they have trained hard but because they are technically superior.
Our sport is a technical sport where great fitness is added on to, not the other way around. Swimmers must become fixated with the details of their techniques, and their coaches must become artists by developing a great technical eye. Coaches must be looking at, finding new way to improve day in day out and create a learning environment so that swimmers become the best at all 4 strokes, at underwater fly kick, body position, starts and turns, etc.
As a measure of celebration to the hard work and progression, each club in the country should acknowledge the daily challenges (training records) and improvements that can be measured. Add this to the club records, personal records, personal training records, pool records. Any way to celebrate progression outside of a swim meet will keep Canadian swimmers motivated to keep moving in the right direction!
As we look towards all the up coming international events this summer, the need to prepare your athletes to take on the world is as important as them getting ready to qualify for the team itself. They need to be resilient, excited to race for Canada and to make their marks, training to race by learning to win the “close ones”.
Swimmers need to make their presence felt on every pool deck they walk on. Show the World that we have prepared relentlessly better than anyone, that we have used all of our tools to be the best technically, and that we have used all of our racing opportunities to tweak our ultimate performances.
Go Canada go!
A great read…
Leadership – by Rudolph W Guiliani, Miramax Books 2002.
Here are the title of each of the chapters:
1 September 11, 2001
2 First thing First
3 Prepare Relentlessly
4 Everyone’s Accountable, All of the Time
5 Surround Yourself with Great People
6 Reflect, Then Decide
7 “Underpromise” and “Overdeliver”
8 Develop and Communicate Strong Beliefs
9 Be You Own Man
10 Loyalty: The Vital Virtue
11 Weddings Discretionary, Funerals Mandatory
12 Stand Up to Bullies
13 Study. Read. Learn Independently
14 Organize Around a Purpose
15 Bribe Only Those Who Will Stay Bribed
16 Recovery
I have just finished reading this good book and thought that was very appropriate for the work you do. Enjoy!
“Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.” – William Pollard
Pierre Lafontaine
CEO
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