Chris DeSantis Coaching
The Blog

Notes on mindset, coaching, and the craft of sport.

Essays on Positive Psychology, talent development, and what it really takes to perform at your best.

Mindset

Four Swimmers that Show Why NC State Is Killing It

NC State can win a men's NCAA title in a couple weeks. That will be a remarkable achievement in a sport where...

March 9, 2017 · 3 min read
Mindset

Advanced Team Building: Going Beyond Activities

I cringe whenever someone uses the phrase "team building activities". Not because there isn't some value to setting aside a specific time...

March 8, 2017 · 3 min read
Mindset

My Application for USA Swimming National Team Director

Rumor has it, USA Swimming is looking for a new National Team Director. While the mainstream swimming media has chosen not to feature...

March 6, 2017 · 3 min read
Mindset

Why I don’t Swim for a Masters Team

It has now been more than a decade since I swam for a team. My last honest attempt came in 2009, when...

March 1, 2017 · 2 min read
Mindset

The 2017 Easterns and Why High School Swimming is the Best

By the end I could barely croak out a few words. My vocal chords were spent and quite lucky that the competition...

February 27, 2017 · 2 min read
Mindset

Frank Busch: USA Swimming’s Calming Force Retires

Frank Busch retirement was much like his career as national team director. He left quietly, saying the right things, with a solid...

February 23, 2017 · 2 min read
Mindset

Project Under Update: Slowed But Not Stopped

"I think I'm getting closer, but the scenery's the same. Am I a disappointment? " -AWOLNATION, "All I Need" The past few weeks...

February 21, 2017 · 5 min read
Mindset

Rutgers Isn’t Unique

Last week, Rutgers coach Petra Martin resigned (not willingly, it seems) after swimmers came forward to say what they had experienced swimming for...

February 20, 2017 · 3 min read
Mindset

The 2017 Easterns and The Role of Announcing

In the water, Mathias was pumping his fist and yelling. Clearly he was excited, but the crowd was silent. It was the...

February 18, 2017 · 2 min read
Mindset

Remember Bill Belichick When Hiring Your Next Coach

Photo By David Shankbone (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Bill Belichick is the greatest football coach of all...

February 6, 2017 · 2 min read
Mindset

Project 59 Update: New Name, New Game

I'm the one who gets away- I'm a New Jersey success story "Jimmy Eat World- Big Casino" A month ago I decided to...

February 2, 2017 · 2 min read
Mindset

Small Pool Advantage: Why Bigger Isn’t Always Better

I recently returned to the pool where I swam in high school. The six lane pool at Babson College had narrower lanes...

January 30, 2017 · 3 min read