Mental and Physical Toughness? The Power of a Honey Bun

Building mental strength through support systems is crucial for athlete development, something ODAC focuses throughout their program starting with ages 5 all the way through Senior Swimmers (ages 13-18). “Mental toughness is not developed in isolation; it relies on a support network, including coaches, teammates, and our parents at home." Coaches play a pivotal role by providing constructive feedback, setting realistic expectations, and offering stress-coping strategies.

At the ongoing ODAC training camp being held at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, Senior Coaches Steve and Craig continue to take swimmers aside to discuss unique strategies and techniques that would make a difference for each individual swimmer. Training alongside fellow elite swimmers fosters mentorship, camaraderie and healthy competition, driving everyone to reach their full potential. These customized targeted strategies, combined with mental conditioning techniques will help our senior swimmers manage stress and build confidence. By fostering an environment like this for our athletes, it allows them the opportunity to develop and flourish.

Today, we saw firsthand how success is rooted in both mental and physical toughness, a lesson Zach McNabb experienced directly. Coach Steve set an unconventional challenge for this 17 year old swimmer, attaching a Honey Bun to his superhero doll as a challenge to push him outside his comfort zone. Three 100 meter freestyle sprints, each in under 50 seconds—a tough feat for a distance specialist, especially with a 150-meter sprint test in between. This challenge highlighted the importance of improving finishing, sprint speed, and building confidence at high output during mid-distance races.

Different technique for sure. Did it work? You betcha! Two of the three are personal bests for Zach at that distance. The humor amongst the team is they all knew Zach loves those honey buns! Though serious, this is an example of the challenges made fun, as no one wants to disappoint or not accept a challenge... The power of a Honey Bun!

Today's three authoritarian practices and a dry land session were a straightforward test of their fortitude and resilience.

It's not all work, as the team has enjoyed and been rewarded with great food and fun. They had catered dinners from Panda Express and Olive Garden. After dinner, they had ice cream and a late movie at the theater last night to bring in the New Year. Thank goodness for the late practice time this morning.

These young ODAC student-athletes continue to impress with their discipline and accountability measures. Tina, the front office manager, pulled me aside yesterday to tell me how impressed she was with the kid's kindness, accountability, and behavior. Jerry, the kitchen manager, thought they were from a military school at first, as they were disciplined and quiet at breakfast and cleaned up after themselves. These senior swimmers should take great pride in how they represent themselves and the club. Kudos!

Blog and photos contributed by Mike McNabb - January 1st 2025

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