10+Steps+to+become+an+Olympian

Adam Lee 5/31/12 L&L Section 3 Mrs. Dabrush

=//__**10 Steps to becoming an Olympic Athlete**__//=

1. Choose a sport
Many people choose a sport that they have played in the past and that they are good at. Don’t try a sport that your athleticism does not suit. (If you are fast, don’t become a javelin thrower, become a sprinter.)

2. Assess your physical condition
Determine what shape you are currently in. This will assist you in deciding what sport that is right for you. If you are a good swimmer but you don’t have a lot of stamina, choose an event that doesn’t require swimming a lot of distance.

3. Find a place to train
Once you decide which sport to pursue, you need to start developing your skills. Join an athletic club or visit a recreation center so you can practice and take classes. Another good place to train, depending on your sport, is your local high school or university.

4. Join your National Governing Body
A crucial step that will get you to the next level is to join your National Governing Body or the NGB. The NGB conducts National Championships, keeps track of the national teams, and hosts various training programs for athletes. The website to the NGB can be found by going onto the Team USA website.

5. Start competing
If you haven't already started competing at the club and select stage, now is the time to do it. Your NGB hosts a variety of tournaments that start on the local county levels. To be noticed, attend tournaments or events where there are many scouts. This can help earn you a national ranking and get the USA coaches to begin keeping an eye on you.

6. Get a coach
This step should be taken at the same time as you start competing. A coach can help you develop your skills, so you can progress in your sport. A good place to start looking for a coach is your local training center. The people who teach classes at the facility can recommend someone to coach you, or they may can coach you themselves.

7. Visualize success
A training technique used by top athletes is visualization. According to a theory, if you see a perfect golf swing 1,000 times in your mind, it's better practice than actually swinging the golf club 10,000 times. Visualize yourself being successful and winning championship after championship. The number one key to being great is believing that you can be great.

8. Develop a financial plan
At one point you are going to be ready to train full time to take your skill beyond belief. This means that a source of income must be obtained to keep your life going. Most athletes get an athletic scholarship or earn the title of resident athlete at the Olympic training center. The training it takes to become an Olympian will take up any time for you to have a side job or a regular day job.

9. Attend the National Championships
NGB runs their National Championships similar to the Olympic Games so it will be good practice for you. The National Team coach is present at the National Championships to scout new prospects and will tell you what you need to do to make the Olympic Team in your sport. Many individual sports open their National Championships to any competitor who has achieved some minimum qualification at the local or regional level. This gives everybody the ability to become great.

10. Qualify for the Olympics
Each sport has a different process for qualifying for the national Olympic Team. Athletes in team sports (basketball or soccer) tend to be chosen by the national coaching squad. This depends on their national reputation, national ranking or by their results at previous competitions. Some team sports also have an Olympic tryout. Athletes in individual sports (such as track and field or tennis) compete for a spot on the Olympic Team by their performance at qualifying tournaments or their national rankings. = = =//Inspire a Generation //=