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5 Ways We Try To Outsmart Our Coaches

Courtesy of @swim2win4life

Swimmers are known to be hard working and dedicated athletes. We are also known to have quite a bit of smarts in us. We’ve learned to count our laps to infinity, read circular clocks with half our vision, and even to outsmart our coaches. Maybe? Or maybe not? I don’t know; I guess our coaches are pretty knowledgeable too, but maybe they’ll let this one slide. Those 5 am mornings, insane holiday training, and the continuous pounding at practice leaves us all at least a little bit delirious. Every once in a while we pull an “I literally can’t/ won’t/ you can’t make me” moment and try one of these and see if we can get away with it from our coaches:

R.I.P. My Favorite Cap

We have this one planned out pretty well. That really big hole in my cap on my forehead? That’s going to come in handy sometime soon. 10x200s alternate fly and breast? It looks like I have to pull really hard to fix my cap and whoops there it snaps. Goodbye, worthy cap that gave its life away for me to skip this set. I just hope coach didn’t notice that I had been saving that hole for a few days.

Breaking My Goggles

Similar to the cap situation except this one has different scenarios. The nose piece bust? The suddenly leaking gasket? Or simply the snap of the strap? And if Coach asks why you been on the wall for the past 10 minutes adjusting your goggles you say, “That set was so complicated that my head grew bigger while reading it.” So technically it was the coach’s fault my goggles broke; he made such a detailed workout.

Accidentally Forgetting Your Equipment — On Purpose

Miles pull for time and a fins test set? Not tomorrow. I’ll remember to forget my equipment bag and tell coach it was a mistake. Unfortunately, I think he heard me whisper it to my teammate while I was walking out of the locker room. Oh well, I’m still going to pretend it was a complete mistake.

“I SWEAR My Alarm Didn’t Ring”

Plus the electricity went out, the garage door was stuck, and my parents were in a bad mood. Actually, I overslept, but all the excuses that fit in my story are planned out. However I blank and say, “Sorry I was late coach; my dog ate my homework.” Wait what? Shoot I just used the excuse for my second period class. (and now Coach knows I lied)

Going to the Bathroom A.K.A. Shower Time

Runs out of the pool. Sits in shower for half an hour. Comes back out. Coach asks where I went? To the bathroom of course. He goes on to ask why I didn’t just go in the pool. I will then describe in detail for the next half hour about the hazardous chemicals that are created when you pee in the pool. (total time out of the water: 1 hour) I mean coach’s fault for asking.

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swimmer
9 years ago

Is is just me, or these kind of posts do have a lot in common?

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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