A Winning Attitude

The following article I think is appropriate after a big swim meet and some swimmers are beginning to hit a plateau in their times in some events (while others are finally beginning to drop times after being at a plateau). As an athlete sticks to a sport, each year it gets harder to make large improvements as they had when they first started. I can remember Olympic gold medalist Josh Davis sharing his journey of the 200 freestyle. For eight years he got the same time in the 200 free, never improving it. Eight years is a long time and can be frustrating! But he stuck to it, trusted his coaches and himself, and it finally paid off. It is one of the reasons why I try not to let swimmers swim the same events every meet, that it is mixed up and goes through a rotation. Besides the fact that I feel that age group swimmers should be exposed to many events, but also this exposure keeps them from getting easily frustrated at one particular event. They will be able to celebrate the gains they are making in other events and can trust that it will happen sometime for their favorite event.
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A Winning Attitude


by Coach Allan Kopel


Every one of you has or at least is capable of having and benefiting from a winning attitude. If we choose to be positive and if we choose to find ways to expect the best from ourselves on a daily basis, we will think, feel and act like winners. All that is required to be confident and successful is a consistent determination to think and act like winners. This is a simple concept but it takes consistent effort for most of us to master.


Feeling confident and facing challenges is difficult at times. The more you let yourself trust and believe in yourself and in “the possible”, the easier it becomes to face subsequent challenges. It is not wrong to have self-doubt. Self-doubt is more common than you may realize. Dealing with self-doubt may not be fun, but winning that battle feels great. You can let your self have fun and be confident. Choose to believe!


Having self-doubt does not make you weak, and it will not defeat you (unless you let it). The keys are to recognize when you are anxious, accept it as part of the process, and find something positive to focus on and then act with confidence, passion and determination to be successful. One of the toughest things to overcome is the fear that no one else has doubts or that people (coaches, teammates) will not understand. It may not be easy but it is vital that you believe that you are strong and that your coaches and teammates understand and care. No one wants to have self-doubt. Your teammates and coaches will probably not sit around worrying or complaining with you. The role of a coach or teammate is to help people have fun, relax, stay in the now and trust, believe and achieve. Worrying and dwelling on one’s concerns is fatiguing and counter productive. Focus on something positive and take positive action. Action that centers the mind and leads to success is one of the best ways to overcome doubt or anxiety.


“Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

BEGIN IT NOW” (Goethe)

Lincoln’s Road to the Presidency


1831: Failed in Business


1832: Defeated for State Legislature


1833: Second Failure in Business


1836: Suffered Nervous Breakdown



1838: Defeated for Speaker


1840: Defeated for Elector


1843: Defeated for Congress


1848: Defeated for Congress


1856: Defeated for Vice President


1858: Defeated for Senate


1860: Elected President of the United States of America


Think about it. What if Abraham Lincoln thought of himself as a loser or no good each time he lost an election or failed at something? Put into a swimming / polo context, we could say that from 1831 through 1858, he did not have many, if any successes (first place, best time or victory), but he hung in there and had the best time of all in 1860.