For most of my life I have relied on external validation to feel good about myself. I fruitlessly chased perfection in pursuit of long-lasting fulfillment for five decades. I relentlessly compared myself to other people, and rather than helping me experience growth and gratification, the only thing this did was make me feel like nothing
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Don’t Quit Until You Get It
Between high school and club swim teams, my kids have morning practice Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings. I get up in the “fours” every day, and I’m cooked by the time I get home from coaching my team’s practice and then picking my kids up from their practices. We are all in bed by
It Starts At The Top
Today’s swim practice did not go the way I wanted it to. The girls were off, and the energy was off. I was super frustrated, and I launched into lecture mode. I know better than anyone that lecture mode rarely accomplishes anything. Anything positive, anyway. I came to swim practice today with bad energy. And
Everyone Gets Their Own Box
I don’t buy much processed food anymore; fueling the kids with healthy options is a priority for me. But now that they are all in high school and often going from morning practice to school and back to practice right after school, I want them to have some stuff that’s easy to keep in their
Swim Parents Should Expect a Return on Their Investment
Competitive swimming is extremely expensive. In Connecticut at the 13&over level, it costs well over $12,000 a year per swimmer. Here is the cost for Gretchen to compete just for the short course season (September to early April): program fee: $2400 team dues: $425 Y membership: $744 required equipment: $97.50 required team suit: $66.25 meet
Make It Easy To Raise The Training Bar
Long-term development in swimming is my goal as both a parent and swim coach. My objective isn’t to get my own children or the kids I coach to be as fast as possible as soon as possible. A full scholarship at the best possible college program is not the goal. Longevity is. The potential for