As she lies down, Natalie Swisher is envisioning success in this week’s ACC Championships.
Swisher is not sleeping or dreaming. The sophomore diver is going through a visualization drill before practice, mentally preparing herself for success in her upcoming dives in College Park, Md.
She said mental preparation is the key to diving well.
“For diving, it’s very important because it’s a very mental sport,” Swisher said. “A lot of divers in big competitions will get nervous and bomb all their dives, so if you’re strong mentally, you should do well.”
Swisher and her women’s swimming and diving team counterparts, along with the men’s diving team, are heading north for the conference championships at Maryland, which run today through Saturday.
But it’s not just the divers who acknowledge the importance of internalizing visions of success. Freshman swimmer Lauren Cranston acknowledged the importance of preparation but also echoed Swisher’s remarks about the visualization process.
“For me, it’s all mental,” Cranston said. “Everything’s in your head.”
Another vital aspect of practicing for ACC’s is what the teams call tapering. Tapering involves cutting back the yardage they swim in practice.
Junior distance specialist Lindsay Barwegen said rest is the reason for the decreased distance in practice, but she said the process goes even beyond the pool in satisfying her body’s needs.
“You’re trying to rest your body, not use as much energy in the water, get to sleep early, eat healthy and stuff because the four-day meet will definitely wear you out,” Barwegen said. “You’ll definitely be able to tell by the third day.”
Coach Brooks Teal put it another way.
Teal recalled a remark by former coach and athletic director Willis Casey as he thought ahead toward ACC’s.
“I’ve heard him say ‘The hay’s in the barn at this point.’ They’ve done the work. They’ve put in the yardage. They’ve done the time in the weight room the early mornings,” Teal said. “They’ve laid the foundation, the base, and now it’s time to let their body recover, let their speed come back.”
Teal noted that the weeks right before ACC’s are among the most exciting of the season.”We’re doing relaxation, visualization drills, cut back a lot on their yardage, cut back on their time in the water, which always helps their attitudes out,” Teal said. “So now’s the time to get excited and relax and have fun and swim fast.”
For the team’s veterans, knowing what’s going on in the competition won’t be a problem.
That’s something Barwegen, who will be making her third trip to ACC’s, said will put her mind at ease over the next few days.
“I know how the meets run, which events are swum where, who I’m swimming against — that’s a big thing. So I think it’s good. It’s definitely good to get it all out of your system, and it’s not bad anymore,” Barwegen said. “It’s just like another swim meet.”
Freshman Kathryn Pegg said she is able to draw on the experience of her teammates.
She said their help has kept her from getting anxious about the championship.
“I’m really relaxed because everyone’s supporting me so much, and everywhere I look people are telling me advice on the rest to get, what to eat, how to prepare, like mental training, stuff like that,” Pegg said.
Pegg said Monday that her usual nervousness for such a big event has yet to set in.
“I’m really excited. Usually, I’m nervous about stuff like this, but I’m just excited,” Pegg said. “I think we’re really ready to go, and we all have a lot of confidence.”
Senior diver Molly Culberson said the divers are looking to put a fitting cap on a solid regular season.
“We’ll have a really strong showing. We’ve done well all year against all the ACC teams, so I’m pretty confident that we’ll be able to represent N.C. State really well,” Culberson said. “I think it’ll be fun. We have a lot of fun together … and I think we’ll dive really well.”
Teal said his seniors have seen enough ups and downs to prepare them for a strong ending to their careers.
“For the upperclassmen, they’ve been through good times. They’ve been through tough times, so that helps them be smarter, more experienced and know how to make sure they go out with a bang,” Teal said.
He also spoke of his team’s improvement throughout the season and its second place finish at the Terrapin Cup Invite in November as he pondered its chances this week.
“They have consistently swum faster all year long. They had a great meet there at Maryland in the fall, and all signs are that they’re ready to go back and swim faster,” Teal said. “And the faster they swim, the more points they score, and we’ll see how we stack up.”
