Your team is in the middle of a grueling practice, and one of your teammates is struggling to keep up with the set. You can tell that he’s trying really hard, but he’s having trouble making the intervals.
Discussion Questions:
What do you say to your teammate to encourage and support them?
>Safe Sport says: Rally your teammates in your lane to encourage this teammate. Remind him that he can do it and help by keeping encouraging chatter going.
How do you get the whole lane to push each other to do their best?
>Safe Sport says: Set goals as a lane and hold each other to it, or take responsibility for a teammate’s success by encouraging them to work hard and keep going.
What if your teammate just isn’t trying?
>Safe Sport says: After practice, talk with your teammate about how their lack of motivation and effort impacted your ability to be successful in the set. If the problem persists, talk to your coach about it.
Bonus Question:
What do you do if your teammate never works hard and never cares whether or not he makes the intervals or drops time?
>Safe Sport says: Talk with your coach and brainstorm strategies to keep yourself focused and rely on other teammates to push you.
Wrap It Up:
What does this have to do with Safe Sport?
Safe Sport is all about abuse prevention, and that means that Safe Sport promotes a healthy and supportive team culture. Holding one another to the standards of the team in the water is great practice for holding one another to the standards of the team in the locker room, on team trips, and in your swimming-based relationships. It’s easier to confront someone who is breaking the rules if your team’s culture encourages this kind of accountability.
*For Coaches: review your team’s values and talk about what accountability looks like and sounds like on your team. If you have questions or concerns, contact Safe Sport at (719) 866-4578 or safesport@usaswimming.org.