Swimming is often referred to as an individual sport. In competition you are given a lane, a heat, and you compete for your time. Answer one question then, to prove its nature of individuality, at the seven hundred meter mark of the gruesome fifteen hundred, when the lactic acid has built up, and your body feels like failing, what pushes you beyond a point you have never reached before? The drowned out sounds of a team cheering, or seeing a friend charge through crowds flailing their arms through the air, is all I need to keep going and represent my team in a race to the finish. In addition to cheering during races, it is important to have the encouragement of your teammates all the time at practice, at school and, even in more personal matters. A team gives you a sense of belonging or a sense of discouragement that keeps you from your true potential. A community of a team extends much past the athletes, to the parents, as well. A team in which everyone is recognized for what they do/ can do compared to a special “elite” group of swimmers leads to a new level of pride and confidence for the younger athletes. Lastly, the philosophy of the coach is a critical component to the success of an athlete. One may believe in narrowing in on the naturally talented and the other coach strives to train each individual to maximum potential. I have been a part of two very different swim clubs in my development as an athlete, both of which helped me become my personal best, and who I am today in and out of the water. Although both the Ajax Aquatic Club and the Whitby Dolphins helped me develop my talents, abilities and, confidence, it is through the Whitby Dolphins that I recognize the need for strong interpersonal relationships with teammates, t...
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... did this, it was only through Whitby Dolphins that the need for strong interpersonal relationships with teammates, the importance for mentoring other athletes, and the confidence provided by a coach that believes in you. It is through both of these clubs that I am who I am today; as fast as I am now, and as hard-working (determined) as I am. The positive atmosphere of a team environment developed through the interactions between athletes, and the interaction between athletes and the coach is the key to the success of the team. Also, the support from the parents to all of the athletes of the time, solely in recognition of accomplishments is another major confidence boost that kids need in order to succeed. A negative atmosphere is one in which will see failure. Swimming is proven to be a team sport. The athlete may be racing alone, but is never alone in that race.
In conclusion, the decrease in participation towards swimming runs deep within Wavell State High and society due to the different upbringing of most cultures within the school, and with the low self confidence of most students and their self image, it only adds on to the increase of the decrease in participation rates. However if, as stated, a culture was created within the school and society through the establishment of an excellence program for swimming and the addition of a small portion of fixer uppers there would be, in my belief, an increase in participation rate for swimming in between different cultures and both HPE classes and Swimming Carnival.
Imagine swimming in the big Olympic pools. All you can hear is the muffled noises of ecstatic fans cheering. All you can feel is the water urging you to keep swimming. Then you reach your hand out and feel the wall. You emerge out of the crystal blue pool water and have won! Michael Phelps and Dara Torres are two extraordinary swimmers who live their lives in the Olympic pools. Both Torres Is Tops and Michael’s Magic deal with the challenges and successes of Dara and Michael’s Olympic careers, but they do so in different ways. Let’s start our swim through the lives of these two Olympic champions.
I have been swimming year-round on a club team since the age of six and when I was younger improving came relatively easily. However, around age 13, I hit a training plateau despite having the same work ethic and focus that I had previously had. I grew to despise swimming and at points I wanted to quit. However, unlike Junior, I had role models and mentors who were positive influences on me and who helped me to overcome this challenge. Primarily, I had several of my best friends on the team who convinced me to keep persevering and to not simply quit the sport that I loved so much just because I was no longer dropping time. For example, every day I watch my close friends Lizanne and Cate come to practice and give it their all, regardless of the numerous injuries and medical issues that plagued their swimming career; their positive outlook and dedication motivated me to try even harder than I had before. Moreover, I had by parents, something that Junior did not have; my parents were always there to support me after yet another disappointing meet reminding me that “you get five minutes for a win and five minutes for a lost”. My parents where my voice of reason as I tried to work through my issues; they were always there to encourage me, but also were very honest with me
“Being in such an intense sport, surrounded by people in the same boat as me, has really brought me closer to my team. We get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.” They push her to become the best gymnast she can be; she describes her team as a family. They cheer each other on and are the biggest support system to make her better. Being around the same group of people nearly every day through their struggles and successes has really brought the athletes of the Classic closer together.
Are you an extensive traveller? Do you love music? Then your answer is a MP3 Player, a device that allows you to listen to your favorite music on the go. There is nothing like putting on the head set, laying back and listening to some refreshing music when you are exhausted. This is when a MP3 player comes in handy.
The journal article, “What does sport mean to you? Fun and other preferences for adolescents’ sport participation” claims that fun, social aspects, masculinity, and identity are the main reasons youth participate in sports (Skille and Østera˚ s, 360). Oftentimes, athletes forget they are on the same team, and they start to form cliques or groups based around who has the best bench press or 40 meter dash time. As a result, teammates start to compete with each other instead of working towards the same goal. For instance, one coaching journal article claims that “moral reasoning” in youth is determined through “collective norms” or group behaviors that the coach has a hand in influencing (Shields, LaVoi, Bredemeier, Power, 748-749). A proper coaching environment should therefore revolve around a fun, supportive, and collective environment where success is encouraged through the full support of the team. This support can further be developed through proper positive mindfulness and code of conduct guidelines set forth by the coach; for instance, hazing should be discouraged and proper communication and helpfulness among teammates should be
Have you ever been surfing the web and seen an article about how some group is attacking a product due to some controversy? Have you then proceeded to read about said product and eventually seeking it out to see if it’s as bad as what the mentioned group(s) said? Well, this is how sales are made. I believe that controversy can help sell products by creating curiosity, giving something for people to criticize, and giving something for people to talk about. Are there products that are not socially acceptable to advertise. Is it true that too much controversy can prevent a product from selling?
Whether helping our coaches train new members, being used as examples in the gym or being put in the boat with the least experienced teammate to help them learn the ropes, we were always there. We naturally took on our leadership roles, even out of the boat, making sure teammates were behaving, doing their share of work and organising fun team activities. Through this experience, I learned the value of effective communication, patience, adaptation, and resilience in overcoming problems. My rowing career began at 14 when I found my love of the sport and a deep sense of camaraderie within my team. I've had the privilege of representing my province in several rowing competitions, including the 2022 Canada Games.
Adam Smith described self-interest and competition as the two forces that drive the invisible hand of the market. Self-interest in this context can be described as one’s advantage and well-being. The choices made on a day-to-day basis solely depend on which is the best option available. These choices involve time and the allocation of scarce resources all in the pursuit of self-interest; which in turn could potentially harm those who are less fortunate. Taking money from the less fortunate further increases the inequality gap between the upper and lower class. In Joseph Stiglitz essay “Rent Seeking and the Making of an Unequal Society” he describes rent seeking, a term used by the top 1% of the upper class to further expand their profit. Consider
Another concept I have learned from my participation in running is teamwork. No matter how hard we try, we cannot live our lives without others' help or without helping others. We must work together to succeed on the road ahead. This is the essence of teamwork. I know that even my personal success in cross-country and track is not solely mine. I know that my three district titles, one in cross country and two in track, in the 800 meter and 1600 meter runs, could not have been accomplished without my team's unequivocal support and for that, I thank them.
But under Brooks’s training and with Brooks as a slight common enemy for the group, the boys who once were pitted against each other, become a strong, clean team and gain success. The mismatched group of kids went through their struggles early on in their process as they didn’t know how to work as a team, but after being broken down after their first game, a tie against the Norwegian national team, they started to think like a unit and began to run like a true team on the ice. An article by umbrella.org.nz explains perfectly how teamwork is important in success: “A strong team will provide an environment that fosters and supports individuals to enhance and maintain their resilience.” The best team is able to highlight the strengths of all their members instead of individuals carrying the rest of their team. If one works as a member of a team, both their triumph and lack of are supported. A group member who struggles or falters,
A mixture of multiple leadership styles, she was able to lead in her own way. For example, her leadership style was very similar to servant leadership, in regards to how much she valued the members of her team. Coach McKeever was quoted saying, “It is not about winning but being a better version of yourself. What happens at the end is a celebratory by-product of the work we do.” Although she was able to transform the culture of the university and make them a winning school, she still cherished the well-being and improvement of the swimmers. McKeever’s leadership style allowed for everyone to have a voice, similar to participative leadership. She was very receiving of constant feedback and total honest, no matter if it was convenient or
Swimming throughout my life has allowed me to gain many valuable qualities that have been vital to my success in high school and life. Because swimming is truly an individual sport, you must be accountable for how hard you push yourself. I am responsible for my own actions in the pool. No one has control over how fast I swim or how hard I work. Therefore, I am ultimately responsible for how much I improve in the sport.
The study looked at coaches’ verbal and nonverbal immediacy behaviors, as well as the athletes own levels of satisfaction and unity. Turman separated athletes by “starters” and “nonstarters” to see if athlete’s, satisfaction and team cohesion was influenced by playing status. Turman argued that, “coaches communicate with their athletes to foster a learning environment to help ensure positive learning outcomes.” Positive outcomes that came from coach-athlete interaction are facilitated by the development of interpersonal relationships between these two parties. Findings indicated that apparent verbal immediacy behaviors were a substantial predictor for social attraction to the group and social group integration. I selected this article because it not only examined the verbal interactions between coaches and athletes but it also looked at the non-verbal communication in the relationships.
...Wayne Humphrey, vice president of government relations for Central Florida YMCA said, "When you look into their eyes, you can see they believe they have a future. Their aspirations and their hope is grounded in their experience as swimmers, as people and as future leaders." Breaking barriers in swimming and incorporation incites images of freedom and hope that Americans desire. Despite the reality fettered by inequalities in access and arbitrary rules as long as Americans desire to succeed and value individuality competitive swimming and corporations will continue to grow.