The first weekend of counties have been and gone for Ava. 4 long course pbs out of 6 races with a 4th in the 100m back and 7th in the 400IM. Unfortunately her 50m fly and breast were off her pb from last year, so work to be done on her sprint events. She has a full programme of 8 events to get her teeth into to complete her Essex Age Groups 2025 campaign this weekend. Let’s hope it’s another positive one.

Happy New Year everyone! We are getting ready to crush some goals for the New Year. My daughter started to work on breathing and visualization before her races prior to the break. We want to make it more of a routine for her as mental preparation and understand it’s something that needs to be practiced daily. What makes sense to focus on visualizing each day? Should it be visualizing something she wants to work on in practise each day?

This is our second meet using techniques from Mind Gym and saw PBs in most events again this week. It’s small but steady progress in most events! The one she didn’t cut time in but had hoped to drop - the start was better which is progress. We are looking for the small things to celebrate and mini goals to bring back to practice to work on for the next opportunity.

Okay, parents, let’s talk about something awkward. You know those moments when you’re watching your swimmer at practice, and you think, "I could fix this in, like, two seconds if they’d just LISTEN TO ME?” Yeah, about that. Here’s the deal: To your swimmer, your advice is like broccoli. Full of vitamins, nutrients, and wisdom... but also the thing they instinctively shove off the plate. Why? Because you’re their parent. And when it comes to swimming, parents are automatically coded as: 1. Emotionally biased. 2. Totally out of touch with modern swimming techniques (even if you’re not). 3. Trying too hard. The result? Everything you say—even if it’s Olympic-level genius—goes in one ear, out the other, and splashes into the pool drain. But wait, it gets better. Even if they do hear you, there’s a good chance you don’t have the exact process to get them from “nervous wreck in the call room” to “calm, focused competitor.” You know the destination. But the roadmap? That’s a whole different thing. Now here’s where it gets hilarious (in a “laugh so you don’t cry” kind of way): If someone else—someone cool, someone who’s not you—tells them the exact same thing you’ve been saying, they’ll nod sagely and say, “Wow, that’s so true.” What? Yep. It’s the law of parenting: You’re broccoli, but someone else can be pizza. So, here’s my advice: Don’t sweat it. Lean into this dynamic. Let someone else—like, say, an ex-Olympian who gets your kid—step in and say the same thing in a way that lands. Because sometimes, the best way to be a great parent is to invite help from outside. Feel seen? 😁 Put your thoughts in the comments below. PS: Only 5 spots left for the "Call Room Mastery" live training tomorrow.

My daughter Ava, had a full schedule of racing this weekend. 5 Pbs from 7 races: - 400m free 4:56.71 - 50m free 30.33 - 100m fly 1:14.25 - 200m free 2:20.00 - 200IM 2:38.92 Just off her Pb in the 100m breast, needs to attack the stroke more! and 100 free, last race of a long weekend and identified she was breathing too much. Super happy with her performances - visualisation and breathing techniques working well.