BBST
o Update October 1st 2012
o Bellingham Bay Marathon a Success!
o Thank you BBST for hosting an incredible event this past weekend. It was great
to see BBST out in force and enthusiastic about what we were doing. We are off
to a great start to the Short Course Season!
 Please remember that most of us only see the final result. The
preparation for the marathon is a year long process. Thank you to those
who put in the long hours over the course of the year to make the
Marathon Weekend a success. We will be recruiting and educating new
members throughout the course of the year to learn the behind the
scenes work it takes to run This Successful National Event.
o October Challenge
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Swimmers Registrations are due Tomorrow, Tuesday, October 2nd
o Swim 2000 on Deck This Wednesday, October 3rd
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Order your Team Suits
Team Sweats
Personalized Team Caps
Goggles
Training Gear (Snorkels)
o Parent Education
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What Can I do to Help My Swimmer Perform?
I have had several parents ask me about their role when it comes to their child’s
performance at a meet. The truth is that there is very little a parent needs to do at a
meet other than a show of support for the Team, Coaches, and for your Swimmer. The
preparation to do well at a meet is done daily at practice. Athletes cannot simply show
up to a competition and perform well.
 Support: Like the Swimmers and the Coaches, many parents have goals for their
child (ex: a College Scholarship) and that is not unreasonable. The best way to
support your swimmer and let them know that this is important to you is to
make sure they are at practice at meets and to volunteer your time with the
Team. When your swimmer sees that you are taking the time to help out and
that you are involved with the program it sends a very simple, subtle, and well
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received message that this is important to you. Very little can be done at the
meet in terms of motivating your swimmer to swim fast. If the swimmer has
been at practice then the swimmer has a better chance of being successful.
Tracking your swimmer’s Times is discouraged: There is already a lot of
pressure on the swimmers to perform well at a meet, pressure to make a Relay,
Pressure to Qualify for a Meet, Pressure to keep up with the Jones’s, etc..We
want the pressure at each meet to be intrinsic: The Motivation for the swimmer
to perform well is because they want to perform well. We all know of athletes
that put too much pressure on themselves in competition and it works to their
detriment rather than to their advantage. The pressure at a meet should be
from as few sources as possible. The best thing for parents to do at a meet is to
support your swimmer regardless of the outcome. Best thing to say after a race
is “Great Job” “What did your Coach say” and “Did you do your Best?” One of
the “Values of Sport” is to do your best. That is after all, all we can ask of
someone, 100% effort. When performances (good and bad alike) are constantly
reinforced with “Did you do your Best?” it once again sends a message that
100% effort is expected and is a value. The Habit of %100 Effort will remain
ever-present throughout their life.
Avoid Comparing Swimmers to each other: This is extremely difficult; we are
after all part of a sport that promotes breaking records. The cliché of “Keeping
up with the Jones’s” is not a healthy one. Each swimmer develops at their own
pace, especially as an age grouper. Some swimmers mature faster than others.
For some it takes years to develop a feel for the water (we are land animals not
water animals). One of the great things about swimming is that each swimmer’s
performance is individually based. It is up to them and the work they put into
their training. Many times swimmers have an outstanding swim and they do not
enjoy their own accomplishments because they are comparing themselves and
their performance to someone else. Another value or attitude to reinforce is to
be “Pleased but not Satisfied”. We need to be pleased with our performances
and celebrate our victories while we can but with the attitude that now we are
going to work harder because we are motivated to become better. Ex:” I am
Pleased with the amount of money I make and I am willing to work harder to
earn more. If I compared myself to Warren Buffett I’d be miserable”.