Swimming at skyline is not a sport it’s a lifestyle. Asking a swimmer who swims for legendary coach Joe Pereria about their life you are going to get the same answer ninety percent of the time, Swimming. Swimming is how these people are wired, Becca Goodson is no different, but it wasn’t always that way.
Becca Goodson started swimming at 6, her parents signed her up for swim lessons to teach her water safety, little did they know 10 years later their daughter would be swimming for one of the best swim programs in the state of Utah and defending a 100-yard butterfly title. Goodson loves swimming and its influenced her life in so many ways. “It’s taught me to be a good leader, about dedication, about respect, its why I am who I am today” Says Goodson. At one point in her life though Goodson almost lost the passion that made her the person she is today.
“It was the hardest summer of practices I ever had” Says Goodson. Long hours spent in the pool swimming back and forth back and forth with one goal in mind, Win and beat the clock. Swimming is a unique sport because you are racing two separate people the competitors in the lane next to you and the one that stares down with judging eyes just adjacent from the pool, The Clock. “I was so focused on my times” Said Goodson. She forgot about her attitude her friends her entire life that summer. All focus went to beating The Clock. She went into the next season with one thing on her mind, winning and winning big. “I was so disappointed” Goodson says, obviously emotional about this moment in her career. “I worked so hard and the times just weren’t coming out the way I wanted them to” Goodson says voice wavering. Goodson had worked so hard and put so much time into what she did and she wasn’t seeing the results she wanted. The first response for Goodson was to work harder, but after a few more weeks of grueling training every day in the pool Goodson was done.
“I wanted to quit, I just felt like people who didn’t put as much into it as me were beating me and kind of thought how is this fair?” Goodson stated. Quitting was not an option for Goodson, she’s not that kind of person. Instead of going back to work though Goodson stepped back, Goodson refocused and gained a completely new perspective for the sport she loved. “I forgot why I love swimming so much, I forgot it wasn’t all about winning” Said Goodson. Goodson saw swimming in a different light now, “It wasn’t I have to swim, it was I get to swim”. Goodson found what she was lacking, positivity. “When you want to be at practice and you want to swim you get so much better.” It’s not just wanting to be at practice for Goodson it’s about making practice enjoyable. If you want to make a swim practice negative it’s easy to do that. Its more challenging and helps the team more if you make it positive. “If your positive your teammates are positive and your all having fun and It makes you work harder”
Goodson’s change in attitude made all the difference. The wins started coming and coming fast and she won the state title in the 100 butterfly her freshman year. There is so much ahead for Goodson she’s only a sophomore and at this year’s state event shell bee looking to win state in the 200 free. “Swimming is not just about the times, it’s a lifestyle, we spend so much time in the pool if your only there to get the wins it’s not worth it.” It’s about hard work it’s about respect. It’s not all about winning for herself anymore for Goodson, it’s about making the team better and it’s about enjoying what she’s doing. Its working swimmingly.
Photo Credit to: Karrianne Prince