The Car Ride Home!

About this episode

The episode discusses how parents should support their children after disappointing swimming performances.

Three Key Learning Points * The worst thing you can do is ask them to analyse what went wrong. * The car ride home is not the time to coach - even if you ARE a coach. * What they need most in that moment is unconditional love and acceptance. This post is ostensibly for swimming parents but it’s a good one for coaches too - because part of your job is educating the parents in your program on how to handle the big moments. So here’s the scenario. Your child has gone to a big meet. New goggles. New bag. Everyone’s been excited about the Meet for weeks. But, for whatever reason, their swimming performances didn’t meet their own expectations or yours or the coach’s. Now you’re in the car on the way home. They’re quiet in the back. Maybe headphones on. Maybe gaming. Maybe just staring out the window. There’s that silence that we as parents all know so very very well. And as a parent you’re thinking: “I’ve got to say something. I love them. I can’t bear to see them like this.” This is one of the most critical swimming parent moments you’ll ever experience. Let me walk you through what NOT to say and suggest what you can say and do that might actually help. Don’t ask them to analyse what…

People in this episode

Host: Wayne Goldsmith

Topics covered

• parenting
• coaching
• swimming performance
• emotional support
• communication

Keywords

• swimming
• parents
• coaching
• performance
• support
• communication
• emotional

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