There’s nothing to fear. We’ve already won.
We’ve put the time in. We’ve worked tirelessly toward our goals. We’ve become better swimmers, we’ve become better teammates, we’ve become better men. There is nothing that can happen tomorrow that can take any of that away.
Tomorrow is a celebration. It’s a celebration of the effort we’ve put forth. It’s a celebration of the commitment we’ve made to ourselves, our school, our team. A celebration of the countless hours, enormous energy, and unparalleled passion we’ve put forth to get to this point. There’s nothing to fear, tomorrow is a celebration.
Don’t miss the party.
Instead, embrace the moment. Be confident. Confidence leads to courage. Courage is not the absence of fear, though. Courage is recognizing fear and having the will to take action in spite of it.
So what's our fear?
Failure? Failure makes us better, failure makes us stronger. Failure is a positive because we can learn from it, grow from it. We've lost before, yet we are still here competing for a championship. We've failed before, that's why we are here…
Disappointment? If we have done everything up to this point and are committed to giving every ounce of energy and effort we have toward our performance tomorrow, there's not a soul on Earth that could be disappointed in you, no matter the result.
The work is done.
The hours have been spent.
We've faced our fears.
Tomorrow, I promise to be the absolute best coach I can be for you. And I know in my heart you will be the absolute best you can be for me and for each other.
That's why there's nothing to fear.
That's why we've already won.