Last week at Junior nationals, Carmel Swim Club came in with a goal: to be a great team. Sure, they had winning the entire meet, boys and girls, in the back of their head, but that isn’t the kind of “great team” they were shooting for.
Chris Plumb discussed that Carmel’s main priority going into JR Nationals, and really into swimming in general, is having a great experience racing and doing so as a team. He said they had the goal of winning the meet in the back of their head, but as we all know anything can happen once you get to the actual meet. So Chris has found it’s a more tangible goal to merely focus on swimming for something bigger than yourself; performing for the team.
In doing so, the Carmel team was able to come in with low stress and high energy, an energy that Plumb explains lasted throughout the entire week. I didn’t even need to talk to Chris to see this aspect of the team. Just by looking at them, you could tell they were all for one. They always had matching shirts, they were having fun with each other while crashing in the stands, they cheered for each other no matter what, and most importantly they congratulated every single best time like it was an olympic gold.
In short, I think there’s a lot to be learned from what Chris Plumb and Carmel swim club have developed. They’re no stranger to elite swimming and winning championships, but remember that it’s possible for any team, you just have to work towards being just that: a team.
Congratulations to Carmel Swim Club and Coach Plumb and staff! More big things are coming from CSC!