SWIM Update 06-01-06

Greetings Mission Viejo Nadadores Masters and Friends,

In This Weekly Update:

1. FINA WORLD MEET- LAST CHANCE

2. JUNE BIRTHDAYS

3. SUMMER SCHEDULE

4. SPORT PSYCHOLOGY

5. WEEKLY QUOTE

Current workout schedule: http://mastersmvnswim.org/workouts.htm

Current meet schedule: http://mastersmvnswim.org/MeetShedule.htm

Not a member yet – What are you waiting for?

Its simple just go to http://mastersmvnswim.org/BecomeAMember.htm

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Team Breaking News

Up Coming Meets

Las Vegas Long Course - (Saturday, June 24)
Santa Barbara Long Course - (Saturday, July 8)

Mission Viejo SW Zone Meet - (Fri, Sat, Sun., July-14-16)

Stanford – 2006 FINA World Championships– (Fri.–Thurs., August 4-10)

Workout Times Changes

Wednesday, June 14 - NO Evening practice

Thursday, June 15 - 5:00 AM and 8:00 PM ONLY

Friday, June 16 - 5:00 AM and 2:00 PM ONLY

Saturday, June 17 - 6:00 AM ONLY

Sunday, June 18 - 6:00 AM ONLY

2006 FINA Worlds Championship – Last Chance

The entry deadline for the 2006 FINA Masters World Championships is June 3^rd.

You MUST use the on-line meet entry system to register for your events at http://www.2006finamasters.org

If you plan to attend the meet please let me know TODAY!

All the relays will be on Tuesday - the 200 Mixed Medley Relay, 200 Mixed Free Relay, 200 Men's Medley relay, 200 Men's free relay, 200 Women's medley relay and 200 Women's free relay.

This is a great meet to compete against other swimmers; you will compete against other swimmers of your age and swimming ability. If you enter a good seed time, in your heat you will compete against swimmers who will almost match your ability. This will be great competitive conditions. And the social events will be a great place to meet swimmers from around the world.

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June Birthdays – Happy B-Day!

Christine Connellan – 6/13

Rachelle Lorentzen – 6/4

Kathy Love – 6/7

Wayne McCauley – 6/29

Octavio Zornosa – 6/19

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Summer Practice Schedule

July 19 – August 11

Mornings
Monday - Friday: 5:00-6:00 AM

M-W-F: 6:00-7:00 AM

Noon
Monday-Friday: 12:00-1:00 PM

Evenings
Monday-Thursday: 8:00-9:00 PM

Saturday
7:00-8:00 AM

Sunday
8:30-10:00 AM

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Sports Psychology

by Jani Sutherland
June 1, 2006

Sports psychology isn’t just for the elite athlete. It’s for all of us!! Sports psychology deals with our mental skills. We train our physical skills when we are in the pool so what not our mental skills too?

Anxiety is a big piece of sports psychology and it can affect all of us from the swimmer ready to move to a faster lane to those individuals going after national or world records. And it can affect those of us in between: should I swim in my first meet at my local pool, can I qualify for Worlds at Stanford?

One of the best definitions of anxiety is “a threat by uncertainty multiplied by importance.” We usually don’t get anxious if the outcome of an event is unimportant or if the outcome is certain. Anxiety isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it shows we care about our performance. It is part of being human. The attempt to resolve uncertainty is part of our mission in life. Many are drawn to sport because of this uncertainty - how fast can I go, can I win?

There are 2 kinds of anxiety: physical (somatic) anxiety: increased heart rate and butterflies in the stomach. The other is mind (cognitive) anxiety: low self-esteem and negative thoughts. And no matter which type of anxiety you experience, how you react to it can be more important than the anxiety itself. In any performance an athlete will experience some anxiety (we’re swimming how much fly?). The athlete’s interpretation of anxiety is what’s important and for each of us there is an optimum level of anxiety. We need to find that level. Finding the right level leads to confidence! A confident athlete uses their anxiety positively and that often leads to better performance.

How can we use sports psychology to improve our performance? There are no general rules and everyone is different. Self-analysis is a good start – is your anxiety physical or mental? For most people it is cognitive (the mind): will I look ridiculous doing this IM set, will I get lapped in the 1000? A primary cause of cognitive anxiety is the tendency to focus on results. We think about outcomes and these are powerful thoughts. Louise Friend, one of Britain’s top sports psychologists, suggests event goals rather than outcome goals. Provide goals you can control: I will keep my head down when I am doing butterfly, I will be streamlined off the wall after my turns. Attention is taken away from the outcome of the race or event, which cannot be controlled.

Some athletes with cognitive anxiety use pre-race mental routines, visualizing a calm place or themselves executing a flawless stroke. Other people respond well to mantras – a word or phrase repeated over and over that blocks out other thoughts.

If your problem is somatic or physical anxiety, relaxation techniques are recommended. Deep breathing, stretching, shaking loose your muscles and meditation are all ways to reduce physical anxiety. Some people find chatting with friends reduces this type of anxiety.

Reducing anxiety is only half the battle. The crucial thing is to channel that anxiety positively into confidence. Confidence comes with experience and learning from past situations. When we train anxiety is usually low, and we gain confidence just by performing. Racing frequently will build confidence, again through experience. Find out what works for you, then go for it: move up a lane, swim a 200 IM, go to Worlds.

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Weekly Quote

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Mission Viejo Nadadores Masters

Challenge Achievement Recognition

An Adult Fitness Program for Triathletes, Fitness Swimmers, Competitive Swimmers and You!

All practices have a coach on deck who provides expert assistance in training techniques, stroke mechanics and goal setting. Each workout accommodates all skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced, or triathlete. Practices last one hour and the total distance ranges from 800 to 4000 yards/meters, depending on the skill of the individual.

SWIMMING FOR FITNESS, SWIMMING FOR FUN, SWIMMING FOR LIFE!

Cell: (949) 233-6521

Check the Web site frequently

www.mastersmvnswim.org