by Ryan Woodruff
Olivier Poirier-Leroy has put together a fantastic tool with Conquer the Pool. I got a copy right after our team concluded a successful long course season. One of our swimmers was having trouble re-setting her goals and finding motivation to start the new short course season — and this was a swimmer who I would previous have rated as among our most driven. I handed her the book and asked her to read it and do the exercises. The book is laid out in such a way that it guides the athlete through a process of self-discovery and self-examination.
Here is what my swimmer had to say…
“I really liked how it helped me understand what kind of athlete I mentally. There were parts where I read a description that sounded like me… I showed it to my mom and she said ‘That’s totally you!’. I liked how once I figured out how I am thinking, and talking to myself the book showed me what to do about it. It definitely helped!”
You might be wondering… How did this swimmer do after using this book? She had a fantastic meet in December with a bunch of big time drops and a meet where most importantly she stayed mentally strong throughout.
In short, I highly recommend that every swimmer get this book. It is best geared toward the athlete who is at least a teenager. Coaches — you should encourage your athletes to get a copy or even thinking about getting one for every swimmer on your team — it is that helpful!
The Swimming Wizard 