The journey from being a good swimmer to becoming a great one involves more than just physical training. For swimmers aged 12-14, this is a crucial time to develop mental strength alongside physical abilities. This guide will help you understand how to prepare mentally for competitions while using Trackaswim to track and improve your performance.

The competition environment can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re still developing as an athlete. Understanding how your mind works under pressure and learning to harness those pre-race emotions can make the difference between a good swim and a great one. Let’s explore how you can turn those competition butterflies into your secret weapon.

Managing Pre-race Excitement

• Take deep breaths: Try the 4-7-8 technique (inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8)
• Remember: Excitement and nervousness feel the same in your body – it’s how you think about them that matters
• Focus on what you can control, not what you can’t

Converting Nervous Energy

• Use that extra energy for a better warm-up
• Channel nervous energy into positive self-talk
• Think of nervousness as your body getting ready to perform

Building Resilience

• Every challenge is a stepping stone to success
• Learn from each race, whether it goes well or not
• Keep a ‘resilience journal‘ in your Trackaswim notes

Data is power, and Trackaswim puts that power right in your hands. By understanding your
performance metrics and tracking your progress, you can build confidence based on real
achievements rather than just feelings. Let’s discover how to use Trackaswim’s features to
boost your self-belief and performance understanding.

Review Your Success

• Look at your positional finishes from this year
• Check out your stroke breakdown – knowing your strengths builds confidence
• Use the progress graphs to see how far you’ve come

Data-Driven Confidence

• Track your improvements over time
• Notice which pools you perform best in
• Use the green highlighting for county times as motivation

A well-planned routine is like a safety net for your mind. When you know exactly what to do and when to do it, you eliminate uncertainty and build confidence. This section breaks down
how to structure your competition preparation, from the week before to the final moments before your race.

Competition Week Preparation

• Review your personal bests in Trackaswim
• Watch videos of your successful races
• Practice visualizing your perfect race daily
• Plan your nutrition and rest schedule

Race Day Timeline

• 2 hours before: Light, familiar meal
• 1 hour before: Begin physical warm-up
• 30 minutes before: Mental preparation exercises
• 15 minutes before: Final physical warm-up
• 5 minutes before: Focus and breathing techniques

Visualization is one of the most powerful tools in an athlete’s mental toolkit. The best swimmers in the world use visualization techniques to prepare for their races, and with Trackaswim’s video features, you can enhance your mental rehearsal practice. Learn how to create vivid, effective mental images that can improve your performance.

Make visualization work for you:

• Watch your race videos in Trackaswim and mentally rehearse
• Walk through the pool venue in your mind
• Imagine every detail: the water’s feel, the sound of the starter, your perfect strokes
• Practice visualizing success scenarios daily

Setting the right goals can make the difference between staying motivated and feeling overwhelmed. Trackaswim’s features help you set and track both short-term and long-term goals, making it easier to see your progress and stay focused. Let’s explore how to use the app’s tools to set achievable, motivating goals.

Short-term Goals

• Set specific targets for your next meet
• Focus on technical improvements for each stroke
• Create process goals (like perfect turns or streamlined starts)

Long-term Goals

• Use the green highlights in Trackaswim to target county qualifying times
• Plan your season’s personal best targets
• Track stroke efficiency improvements over time

Confidence isn’t something that appears magically – it’s built through consistent practice and recognition of achievements. Using Trackaswim’s tracking features, you can create a solid foundation for your confidence by seeing your progress in black and white. This section shows you how to build and maintain strong self-belief.

Your confidence toolkit:

• Regularly review your medal positions in Trackaswim
• Track your improvement graphs
• Create positive self-talk scripts like ‘I am strong’ or ‘I am ready’
• Make a pre-race playlist that pumps you up

Your relationship with your coach is crucial to your swimming success. Trackaswim provides powerful tools to enhance this collaboration, allowing you to share detailed performance data and work together more effectively. Learn how to use the app to make your coach-swimmer relationship even more productive.

Work smarter with your coach:

• Share your Trackaswim analytics during meetings
• Use the stroke preference data to guide training focus
• Set collaborative goals based on your performance data
• Plan targeted training areas based on your race ratings

Remember…
Every race is a chance to learn and grow. Your Trackaswim app is there to help you track your journey, celebrate your progress, and identify where you can improve. The most successful swimmers aren’t just physically prepared – they’re mentally ready too!

Quick Action Steps:
1. Start using the Trackaswim race rating feature after each race
2. Create your pre-race routine checklist
3. Begin practicing visualization for 5 minutes daily
4. Set up your next meeting with your coach to review your Trackaswim data

What’s your next swimming goal? Log into Trackaswim now and let’s start working towards it!