Legendary Parenting Advice from a Legend Himself- Special Guest Matt Biondi Joins the Carpool Lane!
My first in person encounter with Matt Biondi happened at YMCA Nationals in Fort Lauderdale. I was in 9th grade and Matt was making a special appearance at the meet. The meet announcer informed us of his presence in the stands. Cue the sudden rush of swimmers running on a slippery pool deck to see who could get closest to Matt. He stood larger than life at 6 feet 7 inches with a wingspan of almost 6 feet 8 inches. Seeing one of my swimming idols in person- not just on a poster in my bedroom- had me so awestruck, that I cannot remember to this day what he said to us.
Matt may be one of the most accomplished swimmers of all time, with 11 Olympic medals from 3 Olympic games, but today he joined us to talk about so much more than all of his swimming accolades. In addition to growing up playing multiple sports, Matt was also in the choir, played the piano and drums, and had a (non-singing HA!) role in a musical. Matt talked to us about the lessons he learned from his parents and how they influence his role as a father. Here are some of my favorite takeaways!
Playing different sports and being involved in multiple extracurricular activities all gave him an appreciation for swimming.
As a parent, he lets his kids choose their disciplines, but he shares the same values that his parents instilled in him. If you make a commitment, you follow through with it until it is completed. There is flexibility in choice once you have finished, but finish what you start.
When times are challenging, focus on the people who know who you are, and what you stand for, and who don’t care how you finish in a race.
When things go well on the court, field, or in the pool- celebrate, be happy, and respect the competition. But when you are sad or disappointed, avoid showing it while still on the pool deck or playing field.
When giving feedback to your children, sometimes they need space and distance before discussing an event. Feedback may have a bigger impact if you wait until your children are ready to talk.
Mediocrity SUCKS! For Matt, it doesn’t matter if you finish first or last, what matters is if you gave it your all and how you handle yourself.
Reflect on your competition. Find the things that didn’t go well, hyper focus on them, and work towards improving them.
Let your children make mistakes and learn from them. Making mistakes fosters contemplation.
Encourage your children to invest in something other than themselves-have them volunteer and do chores.
Always focus on what you can control, especially during this time. If you aren’t able to swim, or play your sport, take the time to learn something new- like a language, how to cook, knit, anything!
Matt, thank you so much for joining us on The Carpool Lane! It was an honor to have one of childhood heroes visit The Carpool Lane, and I am grateful for you taking the time to share your experiences!
If you missed the episode you can catch the replay here!
