Courtesy: Sean O’Connor & Piper Osterhus
Sean O’Connor has coached for a few years with various groups of the Barracuda Swim Club of Northeast Tennessee, and through his experience working with kids of all ages and backgrounds, one thing that’s stood out to him is how often mental health can serve as an obstacle in a young athlete’s development.
“As a coach, I believe we all hold very valuable positions in guiding swimmers through any problems they may come across in the sport of competitive swimming,” O’Connor says.
One recurring problem Sean has seen is the idea that you have to be perfect in order to be good.
“So many athletes struggle with improvement when that improvement doesn’t make them the best. And so many more stress themselves to no end trying to be better than the best, so much so that they forget to focus on what makes them better,” he said.
One of Sean’s swimmers, Piper, recently wrote a poem for school.
“A little background on Piper, she is one of the most upbeat and positive swimmers I know,” Sean said. “She loves the process and embraces the challenge every single day.
“Piper is also a human, and like all other humans, she struggles with not being perfect. She sets her goals so high that it becomes difficult to see the proper path to reaching them without hitting perfection.
“But over the course of many months, she has worked hard to get these ‘all-or-nothing’ ideas out of her head.
“As her coach, I couldn’t be more proud of how well she verbalized the pain perfection brings, and with her permission, I asked if I could share her words. We both hope that someone else out there reads this, and understands they are not alone with their struggles.”
Perfection by Piper Osterhus:
Perfection
Not just good enough, but without flaw
It will be tough, but will leave you in awe
It does not matter how long it takes
You must persevere until you break
Every moment and every detail
You will not settle until you prevail
Not a single mistake
No matter how many tries it shall take
Unable to settle
It’s a never ending battle
I add an -ist to perfection
Perfection is my perception
Perfectionist
Sean & Piper:
Coach Sean came through our program and has given back to the sport through his coaching. Very proud of his growth as a person and a coach! Piper has benefited from his caring and mentorship. Now she is paying it forward through the sharing of her poem. Thank-you, both!!
Very nice 👏🏻