ALWAYS positive reinforcement on deck

One thing I really enjoy about Club Wolverine is that there is nothing but positive reinforcement on deck.  Nobody speaks negatively.  Even during a main set, coaches are SCREAMING at the swimmers, it's ALL positive.  Keep in mind it's a group of adult men we're dealing with, so a certain degree of vulgarity is to be expected but it's always shouted in a motivating way, and frankly... it pumps me up.

I always enjoyed when Big Joe Tristan, the graduate assistant at EMU my Freshman year, used to tell me mid-set that he knew I could go faster.  He would read my 100 back time, and say, cmon Doak, I know you can do better than that.  It was positive support, it was belief in my abilities and it enabled me to achieve times I didn't think were possible in the pool.

Fast forward 11 years and I find myself surrounded by the same motivational coaching I liked so much about Joe Tristan.  On Wednesday we had 5 coaches timing 6 lanes, all of them running back and forth taking times and stroke rates.  The coaches were smiling watching the amazing times roll in.  There was yelling, screaming and whistling galore.  To me, it's an amazing feeling to be part of this.  I found myself screaming and yelling at a fellow sprinter I train with, Beng Foo.  He was racing every single swim and I was yelling my head off to try to keep him motivated.  He did great during the set and I know it was partly because he (like me) knows that people were watching and cared how fast he was swimming.  That's how it should be.  I find my current experience a sharp contrast to swimming alone in a community pool, alone and bored.  During that time in my career, nobody cared if I did 100 yards or 10,000 yards.  I could get out at any time and go home.  Although I've always been good at motivating myself, it seems undeniable now that I'm gaining strength from the support I feel as part of this program.  It feels good.