The POWER of the mind.

At sometime in life we have all used or heard the phrase "Mind over Body".  Whether it is pushing ourselves through a workout or telling our body that we don't hurt to push it to the finish line, our mind can do some pretty powerful things if we use it.

The study of Sports Psychology has been something very important to me and my coaching.  PMA and everything that comes with it has helped me and my student-athletes get the best out of everyday and every opportunity life presents us.

There are a couple of other important parts of Sports Psychology that can really make a difference: Visualization and Relaxation.  Yesterday I had to use them during a very scary part of one of my swimmers practices.

Towards the end of practice one of our swimmers was having trouble catching her breath.  She was so worked up that she was panicking and making it worse.  I got her out of the pool and had her sit on the side of the pool.  I talked to her very calmly and told her to listen to me and relax.  I told her to think about being in a grassy field, under a sunny sky.  I continued to tell her about the big white puffy clouds in the sky, the breeze blowing through her hair and the heat of the sun on her face.  I told her to picture that in her mind and relax. The smell of the grass and how peaceful it was in this field.  Slowly but surely she regained her composure and her breathing got back to normal.  It was impressive to watch it all happen and really showed that if you stay within yourself, you can take control.

The will and ability to do that sometimes comes from having to experience it first.

Mind over Body.

Coach Scott