It's 2016 and the Summer Olympic Games in Rio are set to begin in August. Trials concluded earlier this month, and many people decide at this time to become fans of sports that they otherwise wouldn't care about. Swimming is one of the sports that people jump onto more than any other. Oh, you know who Michael Phelps is? Good for you, so does everyone else. Anyway, I have decided to take this opportunity to advertise a little bit. Swimming is probably one of the most challenging sports out there both mentally and physically, so it takes a lot of practice in every area, especially the mental part.

I always say that mindset is everything (see my previous article on perspective). In swimming, your mindset will determine where you fall in a race, whether that be first place or last, and even if you have the physical potential to get first in a big race, one mental mistake could very easily cost you that. On the flip side, if you have the physical potential to get first and you firmly believe that you can and will get first place, you will.

During my high school years, my coaches made us listen to tapes before our sectional meets. We always saw these tapes as an opportunity to lay on the floor and laugh at all of the ridiculous analogies that were thrown at us, but this mental training actually made a huge difference in our performance at these big meets. Dr. Alan Goldberg is my best friend. Not actually (even though that would make my life), but he is pretty great. I can hear his tapes in my head as I am writing this, perhaps because I heard them a million times too many. The tapes did, however, make an impression on me.

I noticed each and every time that I used Alan's advice that my performance was significantly better than previous races. Mental training in swimming is important mostly because of the slim time margins that separate competitors on the scoreboard. Having a positive attitude is often the difference between first and second place, or a hundredth of a second for a qualifying time or a record. I have experienced this phenomenon firsthand time after time, surprising myself with what I have accomplished versus what I thought I was physically capable of.

If you believe you can, then you absolutely can. This phrase goes for almost anything you can think of, but in swimming it means so much more. When you have set goals and you sincerely believe that you can make a cut or a lifetime best, there is no reason that you can't accomplish that.