How smiling changes mood and performance

I met one of the assistant coaches of swimming at a Division I institution (where I happen to be interning this summer). I told him that I compete in triathlons and am looking for ways to improve my swimming (my weakest leg of the race). He told me to check out his master’s swim team, so I did.

 

The team is geared towards swimmers who are more experienced than the average recreational swimmer; therefore, most people on the team have swum at a competitive level before and want to continue with their sport.

 

We started off with dry land warm-ups and some strengthening exercises. Push-ups, squats, Russian twists, planks. No problem! We do a lot of the same exercises with the women on my team, and after having done them all season, I was used to doing them. I was pleased to see that my push-ups went lower than some of the other women and therefore, I was no longer as nervous that I might not fit in on a swim team. After all, I am a runner.

 

When it was time to enter the water, we were told to split ourselves up based on ability. Lanes 1 and 2 for developmental swimmers, lanes 6 and 7 for experienced swimmers, and everyone else in the middle. I thought lane 2 was a good compromise, so I hopped right in and began my laps behind the other 3 women in my lane. 4×50 meters, front stroke, back stroke, 4×100 meters, kicking,…after a few minutes of this warm-up, I noticed that everyone was back at the wall while I still had ¾ of a lap to go.

 

What is going on? I’m in great shape! What’s happening here? I can swim a mile…I can run pretty fast…I swim about twice a week…

 

“Rachel, we’re going to move you to lane 1,” said Marc, one of the assistant coaches. If he didn’t say it, I was going to do it anyway, but I still felt extremely defeated. I really couldn’t believe how slow I was in comparison to all of the other swimmers.

 

This isn’t for me. What did I get myself into? I appreciate the opportunity to “check out master’s swim,” but I’m not going to continue. Three nights per week until August is just too much, and plus, I don’t even fit in here.

 

But then I looked up through my tinted goggles, barely able to catch a breath, and saw Marc grinning widely at me. I will never forget that smile and the words that followed it, “Rachel, are you okay? Just relax. You are doing fine. You’ll do much better, however, if you relax in the water and breathe.”

 

I continued with the workout for the next hour. My mood did a 180 and as a result, so did my swimming. I can do this. Fight for it, Rachel.

 

At one point during the workout we grabbed kickboards and worked on our kick. “You have strong legs,” said Marc, “I can tell.” I kicked faster. I felt stronger. I made it through the hour and a half session, and I came back twice that week. I inputted all of the practices for the remainder of the summer into my calendar. I committed.

 

As much as I like to think that I am a go-getter, I’m not so sure I would be a part of this master’s swim team if it weren’t for the smile and encouragement from the coach. I really can’t stress enough how much of an impact his actions, words, and expressions had on me. I feel fortunate to have had that opportunity and I really look forward to improving my swimming this summer. I have already learned a lot in 3 practices and am eager to use my skills at my next triathlon!

 

What I look forward to the most, however, is using this experience as a coach. Remembering how Marc’s smile and encouragement made me feel is a huge lesson for us coaches. Even for those athletes on our teams that think they’re in great shape, a little encouragement, a smile, or just a remark to check in goes a long way. It can even determine whether or not an athlete wants to be a part of your team.