Making Additions to the Life List due to Swimming Success

I have always identified myself as an athlete, specifically a basketball player. I love the sport and want to play and coach every chance I get. I will always have a passion for what I believe is the greatest game on earth. But due to the contact nature of the sport, it's not something I will always play, because when I play, it's all or nothing. I have a hard time not being a physical player because that's who I am as a basketball player, I'm physical, dirty, and it makes it fun! Maybe I can transition into a terrific 3-point shooter and avoid all contact. I better get to the gym and shoot if I am going to do that. Though that is not my position nor my passion in the game. 

So at this point in my life, I am transitioning from "the Basketball player" and have found that I harbor a lot of frustration due to not being able to complete a college career in basketball. If I could do anything over again it would be to play all four years of college basketball. I do have an excuse for not continuing and it was a damn good one, but it was out of my control and now I wish I could change one thing, my mentality....and make it through four seasons of ball. In realizing that I had a dream dashed, I am working to move on. 

I have started swimming and am getting great advice from a swim coach here in Lahaina. Last night was my fourth practice and I feel like I am improving an incredible amount. I have always been a decent swimmer, strong and can save people (good thing as I was a lifeguard for 6 years and made multiple, albeit simple saves), but I am self-taught so my technique is lacking. With the coach's guidance I am changing that and falling in love with swimming all over again. I am building valuable confidence and technique in a sport that I can continue for the rest of my life and at this point, I may be able to become even more competitive in my sprint triathlons than I thought possible. Which is extremely exciting. Swimming feeds my competitive spirit. I like to compete and I like to win. Though it must be said, I do lose, and a lot, and I do it with grace. It makes winning all the more rewarding. 

So this leads me to the additions to my life list:

Life List Addition No. 1: Complete a Swim Race

Life List Addition No. 2: Complete a full length triathlon  (this involves a lot of training for running and biking, two things I need to tackle more thoroughly but I think I can do it) 

Life List Addition No. 3: Take Skiing Lessons, improve, and ski more

So where the heck did No. 3 come from? Well, with the success I have seen in swimming, I want to improve myself in another activity I adore, and that is skiing. I won't always live in a warm climate and that is ok because I want to be a better skier. So while I know I will be very frustrated, embarrassed, and demoralized when I have a professional ski with me and point out my problems, I want to be better, improve my technique, learn to do moguls, and ultimately become a much more aggressive, confident skier. I am tired of just being mediocre. I tend to be a 'jack of all trades, master of none' in the sports arena, with the exception of basketball. However, we know from above that I am transitioning, I am ready to become better at some sports that I can conceivably continue for the rest of my life. The nice thing about swimming and skiing is; I can do it by myself or I can do it with any number of people. Basketball takes a lot of organization and getting people together, which is great but not always reliable. 

I am really excited to have the opportunity to branch out and try to improve myself in these sports. I do have to say that I try to thank God everyday for the blessing of my ability see, breathe, and walk. Sometimes this can be easily taken fore granted, but I know I would be devastated if I were not able to walk, play, run, see, listen, or anything that I have now that could potentially be taken from me. It humbling to think about so I am very thankful for all my blessings! 

Oh and just as an afterthought and great teaching point for any sport; "practice does not make perfect, practice makes permanent." Jim Clayton, of Sports City U preached this at all his clinics and camps that I attended in the early 2000's. That simple sentence stuck with me more than any other basketball philosophy I have been taught or heard beucase it is so logical and true. I am a perfect example, I was self-taught in skiing and swimming and have developed lackluster form and detrimental habits. It's important to learn the right form and technique and practice that. 

I think it is extremely important to learn several accepted techniques and forms, and develop a style that is comfortable but text book in form and consistency. The biggest problem with people that are self-taught is consistency. They do something different every time unbeknownst to them because they, simply, know no better. The best aid is to have someone point these habits out and explain how to change them. I feel this philosophy can be applied to anything in life, eating, positive thinking, sports, work, and relationships. It takes the will to change and is a humbling experience but I am better for it and so everyone else can be as well. 

So little did I know when I embarked on my "goal to meet people" by attending these swim practices, that I  would  be able to transform my identity, my outlook, and motivate so many new exciting goals.