Swimming Archives - Reaching Ahead Counseling and Mental Performance

Why Focusing on the Process—Not Just Results—Improves Performance and Well-Being
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Why Focusing on the Process—Not Just Results—Improves Performance and Well-Being

Career, Lacrosse, Mental Skills, Other, Performance, Sailing, Swimming, Teams

Why Focusing on the Process—Not Just Results—Improves Performance and Well-Being

Process Over Outcome: Focusing on Controllable Processes Builds Success and Fulfillment In performance settings—from athletics and academics to the workplace and everyday life—it's easy to become preoccupied with outcomes: results, grades, promotions, wins. But high-level performers across disciplines increasingly find that the path to excellence is not paved by obsessing over results. Instead, it’s built through consistent attention to [...]

2025-06-20T23:36:03+00:00By timothyherzog|Career, Lacrosse, Mental Skills, Other, Performance, Sailing, Swimming, Teams|

Who am I outside of sports?
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Who am I outside of sports?

Career, Lacrosse, Life, Mental Health, Performance, Sailing, Swimming, Teams

Who am I outside of sports?

Adolescence into young adulthood is a period of questioning, including “who do I want to be?” and “who am I?” During this time, between pre-teen and young adulthood, life is riddled with decisions regarding paths and roles. Young people may find themselves identifying as a ”kid,” a “student,” and/or as a “friend” during this time. Some pursue sports, music, [...]

2021-09-08T00:47:43+00:00By Alex Oldham|Career, Lacrosse, Life, Mental Health, Performance, Sailing, Swimming, Teams|

Sport Retirement: What happens when the game’s over?
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Sport Retirement: What happens when the game’s over?

Career, Lacrosse, Mental Health, Performance, Sailing, Swimming

Sport Retirement: What happens when the game’s over?

Like it or not, all sport careers eventually end. Age, injury, family decisions, or other factors will determine how your competitive athletic career will end or be adapted. Like many athletes, especially elites, you may feel that the transition is abrupt. Your life and identity may revolve around sport. Your loss may cause emotional, financial, or personal challenges that [...]

2021-09-07T22:12:50+00:00By Alex Oldham|Career, Lacrosse, Mental Health, Performance, Sailing, Swimming|

Anxiety and Sport
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Anxiety and Sport

Mental Health, Other, Performance, Swimming

Anxiety and Sport

Exercise can help modulate stress and anxiety but being an athlete does not necessarily prevent mental health concerns. Anxiety Disorders are some of the most common mental health concerns for elite athletes. Specifically, student-athletes have additional stressors such as staying on top of classwork and grades. Luckily in recent years, elite level athletes have been open about seeking treatment. [...]

2021-05-27T17:46:38+00:00By Becca Beauchemin|Mental Health, Other, Performance, Swimming|

Smoke and Mirrors: Tips for female athletes seeing body image more clearly
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Smoke and Mirrors: Tips for female athletes seeing body image more clearly

Lacrosse, Life, Mental Health, Other, Performance, Sailing, Swimming, Teams

Smoke and Mirrors: Tips for female athletes seeing body image more clearly

While the benefits of sport participation (academic success, physical fitness, learning critical life skills, etc.) often lend to overall mental and physical well-being, it’s important to recognize some of the struggles athletes experience when living, performing, and competing under heightened expectations from themselves or others. Body image is one concept that tends to have a more negative connotation in [...]

2021-03-09T20:34:39+00:00By Alex Oldham|Lacrosse, Life, Mental Health, Other, Performance, Sailing, Swimming, Teams|

Simple & Effective Practices for Performance Enhancement
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Simple & Effective Practices for Performance Enhancement

Career, Lacrosse, Mental Skills, Performance, Sailing, Sport Injury, Swimming, Teams

Simple & Effective Practices for Performance Enhancement

Below are some of the mental skills practices that we regularly train for resilience and performance. They can be used in isolation or integrated as you hone the skills! Paced Breathing There is much research that supports the impact our breath has on our ability to perform. Practicing paced breathing regularly (per the guidance of a biofeedback expert such [...]

2020-12-22T18:56:50+00:00By Alex Oldham|Career, Lacrosse, Mental Skills, Performance, Sailing, Sport Injury, Swimming, Teams|

The Gift of Imperfection
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The Gift of Imperfection

Lacrosse, Life, Other, Performance, Sailing, Swimming

The Gift of Imperfection

For simplicity purposes we could just say “nobody’s perfect” and leave it at that... but we all know there’s more to it than a catchy little phrase. When it comes to our children, we all want to see them accomplish great achievements. It’s also understandable for us to feel for them when they aren’t “perfect” ... when they aren’t [...]

2020-10-22T16:55:52+00:00By Alex Oldham|Lacrosse, Life, Other, Performance, Sailing, Swimming|

Coping High Achievers (CHA!) During COVID-19
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Coping High Achievers (CHA!) During COVID-19

Lacrosse, Life, Mental Health, Other, Performance, Sailing, Swimming, Teams

Coping High Achievers (CHA!) During COVID-19

Group Starts online on Tuesday/Wednesday (Dates TBD), 2020 @ 7pm (A virtual group for athletes and other peak performers, feeling the brunt of missed opportunities, milestones, or achievements) For driven kids and young adults, the current COVID-19 crisis has been hard, between abrupt endings, uncertainty about the future, strained relationships, and more. It is important to give voice [...]

2020-11-09T15:17:58+00:00By timothyherzog|Lacrosse, Life, Mental Health, Other, Performance, Sailing, Swimming, Teams|

Crossing the Sport Career Finish Line
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Crossing the Sport Career Finish Line

Career, Lacrosse, Life, Sailing, Sport Injury, Swimming, Teams

Crossing the Sport Career Finish Line

Like it or not, all sport careers eventually end. Age, injury, family decisions, or other factors will determine how your competitive athletic career will end or be adapted. Like many athletes, especially elites, you may feel that the transition is abrupt. Your life and identity may revolve around sport. Your loss may cause emotional, financial, or personal challenges that [...]

2020-02-01T16:35:34+00:00By Alex Oldham|Career, Lacrosse, Life, Sailing, Sport Injury, Swimming, Teams|

Growing Up Well-Rounded: Developing a Multidimensional Identity
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Growing Up Well-Rounded: Developing a Multidimensional Identity

Career, Lacrosse, Life, Performance, Sailing, Sport Injury, Swimming, Teams

Growing Up Well-Rounded: Developing a Multidimensional Identity

“Who am I?” “Who do I want to be?” These are questions commonly asked by adolescents as they work to form their self-identity. Between pre-teen and young adulthood, life is riddled with decisions regarding paths and roles. Young people may find themselves identifying as a “kid”, “a student”, and a “friend” during this time. Some pursue sports, music, or [...]

2020-02-01T16:06:50+00:00By Alex Oldham|Career, Lacrosse, Life, Performance, Sailing, Sport Injury, Swimming, Teams|

Letting Athletes Take Charge
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Letting Athletes Take Charge

Lacrosse, Performance, Sailing, Swimming, Teams

Letting Athletes Take Charge

Taking ownership over training, development, and performance can help athletes feel more in control, boosting their enjoyment and motivation. For athletes to feel more in control, it requires cooperation with parents, coaches, and trainers, sometimes sharing ideas (once) and sitting back while young athletes make what may feel like good or bad choices... resisting urges to intervene. Obstacles to [...]

2019-08-02T13:36:43+00:00By Alex Oldham|Lacrosse, Performance, Sailing, Swimming, Teams|

Physical Injury, Mental Pain
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Physical Injury, Mental Pain

Lacrosse, Mental Skills, Performance, Sailing, Sport Injury, Swimming, Teams

Physical Injury, Mental Pain

Emotional pain from your injury will typically heal once rehab is complete. When emotional changes trickle into life outside of sport, lasting beyond rehab, you may be showing signs of greater mental health concerns. If you’re struggling with mental health issues post-injury, you are not alone. Frances Altick, a professional and NCAA tennis champion struggled with intense depression, anxiety, [...]

2019-07-19T20:58:19+00:00By Alex Oldham|Lacrosse, Mental Skills, Performance, Sailing, Sport Injury, Swimming, Teams|

Mental Imagery and Injury: Using your mind to heal your body
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Mental Imagery and Injury: Using your mind to heal your body

Lacrosse, Mental Skills, Performance, Sailing, Sport Injury, Swimming, Teams

Mental Imagery and Injury: Using your mind to heal your body

You’ve probably heard of mental imagery for performance training. This well-researched technique enhances performance by “practicing” technical skills (in the mind’s eye) and simulating environments to boost familiarity in specific contexts (e.g., a soccer field in France, a sailing venue in Tokyo, or a basketball court in the next town over). Imagery also improves motivation, reduces competitive anxiety, and [...]

2019-07-05T12:36:39+00:00By Alex Oldham|Lacrosse, Mental Skills, Performance, Sailing, Sport Injury, Swimming, Teams|

Emotions: The Mental “Ouch” from Injury
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Emotions: The Mental “Ouch” from Injury

Lacrosse, Life, Mental Skills, Performance, Sailing, Sport Injury, Swimming, Teams

Emotions: The Mental “Ouch” from Injury

Athletic injuries can take a toll, not just on the body, but also on the psyche. For some athletes, their identity revolves around their sport; being injured can lead to feeling lost and big questions such as “Who am I?” Why are your emotional reactions to injury important? The body is attached to the brain and the heart. In [...]

2019-07-03T18:32:15+00:00By Alex Oldham|Lacrosse, Life, Mental Skills, Performance, Sailing, Sport Injury, Swimming, Teams|

Mapping a Path to Success: an Anecdote in Goal-Setting
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Mapping a Path to Success: an Anecdote in Goal-Setting

Life, Other, Performance, Swimming

Mapping a Path to Success: an Anecdote in Goal-Setting

Heading Towards Accomplishment? Let’s say you want to drive to Rehoboth Beach or somewhere else for a fun weekend get-away. Without finding Rehoboth on a map or with GPS, most of us would not know the best route. The sheer desire to go to the beach will not take us there; but the map or GPS that helps us [...]

2018-10-26T16:56:42+00:00By timothyherzog|Life, Other, Performance, Swimming|