Mike's Mailbag: Stop Worrying About Competitors
Mike's Mailbag: Stop Worrying About Competitors
By Mike Watkins//Correspondent
Every Monday, I answer swimmers’ questions from around the country. If you have a question, email me at swimmingstories@gmail.com or ask me on Twitter @MicGustafson.
Hi Mike,
I’m a High School swimmer who works very hard and is very dedicated to swimming. The only problem is, I’m not sure how to relax? I always want to know my competitors’ times, but I know I should focus on myself, but I’m not sure how? Am I even supposed to focus on myself? Is it bad that I look at others times? If I’m not supposed to focus on others, how am I supposed to focus on myself?
I hope you can help me and thank you in advance.
- "Nervous Swimmer"
Nervous Swimmer,
Swimming is a beautiful sport, and I’ll tell you why:
Last night during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, a committee — a group of people — decided the fates of entire teams. They decided who got into the tournament, and who did not. They used factors like schedule strength, wins, losses, momentum, and head-to-head contests with other teams. (Yes, you can also argue that teams who did not get in deserved not to get in because they didn’t “do enough,” which is a legit argument. But even still, in the end, a selection committee decided who got in and who didn’t.) As is the case every year when a committee decides which teams get into which tournaments, the committee acknowledged that there is no perfect, scientific process.
In other words: The continuation of a basketball season, to a certain extent, was decided by people who were not even playing basketball.
Swimming doesn’t have this problem.
I’m a High School swimmer who works very hard and is very dedicated to swimming. The only problem is, I’m not sure how to relax? I always want to know my competitors’ times, but I know I should focus on myself, but I’m not sure how? Am I even supposed to focus on myself? Is it bad that I look at others times? If I’m not supposed to focus on others, how am I supposed to focus on myself?
I hope you can help me and thank you in advance.
- "Nervous Swimmer"
Nervous Swimmer,
Swimming is a beautiful sport, and I’ll tell you why:
Last night during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, a committee — a group of people — decided the fates of entire teams. They decided who got into the tournament, and who did not. They used factors like schedule strength, wins, losses, momentum, and head-to-head contests with other teams. (Yes, you can also argue that teams who did not get in deserved not to get in because they didn’t “do enough,” which is a legit argument. But even still, in the end, a selection committee decided who got in and who didn’t.) As is the case every year when a committee decides which teams get into which tournaments, the committee acknowledged that there is no perfect, scientific process.
In other words: The continuation of a basketball season, to a certain extent, was decided by people who were not even playing basketball.
Swimming doesn’t have this problem.
