Attitude

by Charles Swindoll "The Longer I live, the more I realize that impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our Attitudes.

100 Characteristics of a Champion

By: Professor Brent S. Rushall Listed below is a checklist which contains characteristics and behaviors which have been shown to be consistent indicators of champion athletes.

Read each item to decide if it is indicative of you. It is important to answer honestly. If there is the slightest feeling that the item may not always apply to you, then respond with a "No" reply. An outstanding score ranges in the area of 80%

___ ___ I make friends within the team who are serious about the sport

___ ___ I tolerate other athletes at all times

___ ___ I join fellow athletes in social functions.

___ ___ I attempt to be liked & friendly with other athletes

___ ___ I train with athletes who are cooperative

___ ___ I don't get upset when criticized by other athletes

___ ___ I offer constructive & positive advice to others

___ ___ I accept advice from other athletes

___ ___ I help other athletes if asked to do so

___ ___ I am interested in team matters and projects

___ ___ I ask why things are done in particular ways

___ ___ Unless I have evidence, I trust what the coach says

___ ___ The coach & I make decisions together

___ ___ I usually do things as the coach says

___ ___ I let the coach know if I disagree with any decision

___ ___ When asked to try new things, I apply myself fully

___ ___ I've asked the coach to tell me privately when I have done something wrong

___ ___ I can forget awkward social mistakes

___ ___ I calm down quickly after being upset by something

___ ___ I do not brood over sporting problems or mistakes

___ ___ From my mistakes, I learn to do things better

___ ___ I can accept blame for things that go wrong

___ ___ I prefer to know the training program in advance

___ ___ I like training sessions which keep me busy

___ ___ Slow-motion movies or videos help me

___ ___ I always arrive early for training

___ ___ I never leave training early

___ ___ I try to do everything as well as possible

___ ___ I occasionally feel grouchy and want to work alone.

___ ___ Feelings of ill-health and vague pains don't occur

___ ___ I organize my equipment well

___ ___ I have characteristics superior to other athletes

___ ___ I prefer having someone plan trips & other forms of organization

___ ___ I am very enthusiastic about swimming

___ ___ Swimming is the most important activity I do

___ ___ I primarily compete for myself

___ ___ I could train by myself with adequate directions

___ ___ Watching my weight is important

___ ___ I seldom miss training through illness

___ ___ Before arguing on sporting matters, I wait until I'm sure that what I say is correct

___ ___ I do not break team rules

___ ___ I am conscientious about details

___ ___ I make a point of not being forgetful of details

___ ___ I am as enthusiastic as possible about swimming

___ ___ I don't miss training if do to another interesting event

___ ___ I tell the truth when I describe what I did in training

___ ___ I look for reasons, rather than for excuses, to explain what happens at training and in competitions

___ ___ Unfamiliar arenas don't affect my performance

___ ___ I enjoy training and competing

___ ___ I strive for improvement in training & competition

___ ___ I keep equipment well organized and ready for use

___ ___ I make training challenging for myself

___ ___ I put more intensity into competing than into training

___ ___ I plan my preparations & competitions in detail

___ ___ I develop plans telling me what to do if things go wrong at competitions

___ ___ I can warm-up by myself

___ ___ My warm-up includes things that'll be done in a meet

___ ___ I don't let anyone bother me during warm-ups

___ ___ I don't worry about opponents

___ ___ I am nervous and tense before a competition

___ ___ If I'm troubled before a meet, I can regain my focus

___ ___ I control excitement by picturing what I'll be doing

___ __ I don't get distracted when meet preparations begin

___ ___ I mentally rehearse my contest plan as often as possible

___ ___ I can maintain my concentration throughout warm-up

___ ___ Just before the contest starts, I concentrate on how well I will start the competitive effort

___ ___ I set realistic goals for my contest

___ ___ Unusual events don't upset or distract me

___ ___ I do focus on the preparations for the meet

___ ___ I start contests properly

___ ___ I am prepared to take a lead early no matter what the cost

___ ___ I don't save myself for a good finishing effort

___ ___ When tired, I concentrate on my prepared plan

___ ___ I always do my best in competitions even though winning may not be possible

___ ___ Every meet is seen as a chance for improvement

___ ___ I think only about my performance in a meet

___ ___ I do not get upset about my performance

___ ___ The more important the meet, the more enjoyable it is

___ ___ I use the information gained from a meet to modify and plan for the next meet

___ ___ I like the coach to often comment on my techniques

___ ___ I like the coach to comment on how well I am training and performing

___ ___ I like other to talk and notice my performance

___ ___ I like to compete and train with friends

___ ___ I like to train with athletes who are cooperative

___ ___ I like my parents to be interested in swimming

___ ___ I like to receive Swimmer of the Week awards

___ ___ I like my friends from outside my sport to be interested in what I do

___ ___ I like training programs to include a lot of variety

___ ___ I like each training session to be a challenge

___ ___ I like my skills to continually improve in training

___ ___ I like to know my progress & improvement

___ ___ I want as much information as possible about swimming

___ ___ I like the travel that is associated with swimming

___ ___ I like my name to appear in newspapers & on TV

___ ___ I can compete well in every contest

___ ___ When my performances improve, I train harder

___ ___ I like to place frequently in meets

___ ___ I like to qualify for at least one final at every meet

___ ___ Every training item and meet is a challenge

___ ___ I want to improve in all aspects of swimming, not just my specialty

After completion, count the number of "Y" responses you have made. That count is the percentage of thoughts and actions that are required to think and act like a champion. Remember, 80% is a good number.