Have you ever experienced a moment where all the attention is on you? As an athlete, not only are you under pressure but when it gets loud and you can’t hear yourself think, the mental side of it impacts other’s performance. Now think about going under and above water at a fast pace, with everyone screaming the word “go”. Being a diver or swimmer is way different than being in the audience. The meets can get chaotic, especially when going against a competitive opponent–whether it is the team itself you’re facing, or the team’s best swimmers or divers. Pressure is the key word to focus on when perfecting a dive or swimming at a better time and being at your best pace to accomplish a better time then the other teams, in order for your team to win.
Others who aren’t interested in swimming and diving do not really get a close up on how hard you have to train in order to swim that much and with all the strength in your body to use. Once you pay more attention to the sport itself, you will notice how much training the girls have to do and how team bonding plays a big role. Their mentality of the sport can also get down at times because of how much they expect out of their performance so they have such a close relationship together to keep each other’s heads up. Swimming and Diving requires a lot of mental focus from the athletes competing at meets
Mr. McFarland, the New Hartford Girls Varsity Swimming and Diving coach, gave us a run down of what practices consist of. They start with their 20-30 minute warm up, to get their bodies going and then do an aerobic speed set and following after that is their warm down.
They have won the Class B title in 2022, and won the Overall Title in 2022, and 2023. All their hard work during practice paid off during meets. The swim team never fails to let our school down and they take back a win after most meets.
The girls overall have a good relationship with their coaches. No matter how hard they put themselves down, the coaches will always reassure them that not everything is easy and that practicing over and over will catch up to their performance. For this sport, and any other sport, you have to want it. As a team player you are not only going to have to prove yourself to the team but for your own sake. It takes a lot of courage and determination to join a team. When joining a team you are not only in it for the sport but you make new friends and create new bonds with the people around you.
The coaches are by the girls side through it all. When it comes to the day of a meet, they are cheering you on and right by your side. Not only do they want you to get out of your head and comfort zone so you can push yourself, they are there to encourage you for your best performance. If making a mistake they will be the first to explain that mistakes happen and to learn from that mistake.
This is coach McFarland’s fourth year coaching, and so far in their 2025 season they are 3-0. Although Coach McFarland can be tough on the girls, he is also very thoughtful. “I always tell them to Breathe. You can’t perform well, without being able to catch your breath,” Coach McFarland says. Coach McFarland knows a lot about the sport and has led the team a long way to success.He is always making sure the girls stay focused but have fun. The team has a ton of chants and when it is time for the diving team to perform, the swimmers sit and watch and stay quiet. They will cheer you on. This sport is more than just swimming and diving. The team bond these girls have is unbreakable. They always all have smiles on their faces and it’s not unnoticed that they are always supporting each other. It is very heartwarming to hear how much fun they have and how exciting meets can be. No matter if it is before, during or after the meets, they are always keeping their heads up. These girls are a team and they make it known.
While speaking to some of the athletes on the team, you get a good idea of the sport itself. Juliana Allen, a diver that has been on the team since her freshman year states, “the sport is pretty much all mental. You will get in your head a lot and sometimes it’s hard to keep going when you are frustrated, but that is how the sport works.” Watching Juliana compete is amazing. The countless practices pay off and it shows how much work these divers themselves have to put in. All the body strength to throw some of the dives they do is incredible. Hearing about how much practice it can take just to do one dive would sound impossible to some. It’s all about the commitment for the sport.
Another swimmer on the team, Kaitryn Pelnik-Wadsworth, also agreed that swimming isn’t just a physical sport but it’s also mental. “Even though you are working as a team to win meets, swimming is also an individual sport. You have to mentally prepare yourself for every event to work towards improving your own time to help win the meets as a team,” Kaitryn said.
This is important because Juliana Allen had the same thought process. This is good feedback since it is not only coming straight from a swimmer on the team but also a diver. It is good to take a look at both views from the two athletes. The two girls never fail to show up for their team and put the hard work into the sport. They are very dedicated and determined to not let their team down. They do very different things in the sport but can both agree on the basis of the sport itself.
As long as you learn how to work around it and keep finding that passion and strength for that specific sport, you will always achieve. It is always about how much you want it. You will succeed when you are determined for how much you want to win.
