What to Say to Your Swimmer After A Race

By Fitter and Faster Staff

Swimming is a very mental sport. As parents, we want to do our best to support our swimmer and help them maintain confidence and a positive attitude. What we say after a race can make a big impact on our swimmer. Below are some examples of simple phrases to say to your swimmer after a good race and a race that maybe didn’t go as planned. 

What to say after a GOOD race

After a while, saying “good job” to your swimmer won’t make as much of an impact. Of course, it’s always good to tell your swimmer you’re proud of them, but here are some other things you can say to your swimmer after a good race that can help them maintain their momentum!

  1. “I’m proud of you for ___” Be specific! Notice and name some of the things you saw your swimmer doing well. This reinforces those good habits and tells them you were really paying attention.
  2. “You’ve worked so hard for that” Praise your swimmer for their efforts! This helps them maintain a growth mindset and helps them focus on the effort over the outcome.
  3. “That took a lot of ___” Praise your swimmer for a positive quality you see in them: strength, focus, determination. These specific types of praise will help reinforce your swimmer’s strengths.
  4. “What did you learn?” No matter if a race is good or bad, taking something away from each race is incredibly important. Asking WHY it was a good race can help make the next ones good too!

What to say after a BAD race

All parents hate to see their swimmer disappointed. It can be nearly impossible to say the right thing after a bad race. Here are 5 things you can say to your swimmer to both validate their feelings and help them grow and learn from failure.

  1. “I love you” No matter the situation, hearing these three magic words can help any swimmer feel comfort and security.
  2. “I’m proud of how you kept fighting even when it was hard” Praise your swimmer for not giving up and for putting forth their best effort.
  3. “I’m here if you want to talk” It’s best to let your swimmer open up about what might have gone wrong in their own time.
  4. “What did you learn?” If your swimmer does want to talk, asking this question can allow your swimmer to gain something from a bad race and remember that every race is a learning opportunity.
  5. “Let’s get ready for the next one” Sometimes the best thing to do is to move forward. Sometimes a bad race is just a bad race and there’s a good one just ahead.

Regardless of what you say, your presence is the most important part. Showing up for your swimmer as much as possible shows them (rather than just tells them) that you care and support them which will allow them to thrive both in and out of the pool.