How to Get Your Swimmers to Compete in Events

As a coach, getting your adult swimmers to compete in a meet can sometimes feel like persuading reluctant children to eat their vegetables. 

Masters swimmers, however, aren’t children, and they have busy lives outside of the pool. Family, work, travel, other pursuits, and life in general can prevent people from committing to swim in meets. You can increase your success by tailoring your approach to the different athletes in front of you. Some of your swimmers will show up at every competition, ready to race. Others might tell you they never want to or don’t feel ready.

Your approach may require a variety of tactics, including gentle coaxing, friendly insistence and assertive asking, and rewards and recognition. Here’s an overview of these approaches to help you determine the strategies most effective for your club and your swimmers.

Coaxing

Gradual Approach. Find out if the swimmer is ready to compete. Ensure they’re comfortable with teammates and familiar with the competitive environment. Start with relays to give the swimmer a chance to experience racing in a fun and less intimidating way. This will build familiarity with the competitive environment before a commitment to a swim meet. 

Positive Reinforcement. Discuss personal growth and the sense of accomplishment swimmers achieve by participating in meets. Share examples of other swimmers in the club who have grown through competitive swimming. Focus on how swim meets have boosted their confidence and improved their swimming skills. Explain that by participating in meets, swimmers of all ages, sizes, shapes, and speeds gain new insights about themselves.

Club Camaraderie. Explain that there’s nothing comparable to the cheer and encouragement new swimmers usually receive when they experience racing in a meet for the first time. If your club is a typical USMS club, your swimmers are enthusiastic and supportive. Friendships grow deeper between teammates, and a new level of club cohesion develops when new swimmers are encouraged to fully jump in with events.

Goal Setting. Help swimmers set realistic and achievable goals. Create smaller milestones for these goals for new swimmers, such as focusing on completing a race, diving from the blocks, not breathing into the walls at each turn, or improving a personal best time. Most importantly, listen to the goals of each swimmer and help to guide those milestones.

Memorable Experience. Key in on the enjoyable aspects of the swim meet experience, such as the natural adrenaline rush of racing, meeting new swimmers from other teams who are also new to racing, and the upbeat and festive atmosphere at meets. The positive memories forged at meets create a sense of joy and fulfillment that lingers long after the competition ends. 

Offer Support. Reassure swimmers who are hesitant to compete that you, as their coach, will guide them every step of the way. Listen to their concerns and offer any training tips or techniques to soothe any anxious thoughts. If the swimmer is not buddied up with an experienced meet swimmer, invite them to sit with you throughout the meet. Reassurance goes a long way to get new swimmers to race in their first meet.

Friendly Insistence and Assertive Asking

If gentle coaxing proves unsuccessful, you might need a stronger approach. Balancing assertiveness with respect for individual choices is important, yet there are ways a coach can be more assertive in getting their swimmers to participate in meets.

Communicate the Importance. Explain why competing in a meet is crucial for swim development, including for adult athletes. Point out valuable lessons, experiences and growth that can come from swimming in a meet. Include sportsmanship in a healthy and respectful manner, experiencing the satisfaction of achieving milestones, handling pressure and nervousness, time management, and developing confidence and self-belief.

Emphasize Club Commitment. As a coach, club commitment is a responsibility you carry for every member of the club. With potential new competitors, underscore the importance of contributing to the success of the club. When members participate in meets, the team is strengthened with unity, camaraderie, and teamwork, not to mention the pride members feel with a sense of shared achievements.

Set Clear Expectations. Some coaches require meet participation for membership in the club. This can be in part because club-hosted events raise money to keep the club in the water. Money raised in event hosting can pay for anything from pool space to kickboards to travel expenses for fun team events. And experienced coaches understand that reciprocity is important—coaches and swimmers who support the sport by participating in other club’s hosted meets do so with the hopes that those coaches and clubs will attend their meets.

Identify a Meet. To alleviate some of the apprehensions new swimmers are sure to have, select an appropriate meet that fits their comfort level, abilities, and goals. Choose a meet that has a welcoming environment or is friendly to beginners. Let new swimmers know: “As your coach, I’ve taken great care to select this meet for your next swim journey. It’s an incredible opportunity for you to embark on a new and exhilarating chapter in your swimming experience.” 

Guidance and Support. Reassure swimmers of your availability to work closely with them to address any anxieties they have. Provide additional training, help with technique, or specific race strategies to help them feel more prepared for the meet you’ve selected for them. Create a personalized checklist of potential improvements to build their confidence and show this to them as they progress in areas of technique, endurance, starts and turns, race strategy, race preparation, rule familiarity, goal setting, and mental readiness. 

Rewarding

Swimmers of all backgrounds and abilities appreciate rewards and recognition. As a coach with a variety of athletes in your club, find ways to recognize effort, not just points scored. Remember, many adult athletes are in this for the healthy lifestyle and social connection. Not everyone is trying to break a record. Celebrating the achievements of all your athletes is important for the overall success of your club.

Incentive System. Many clubs and LMSCs have internal programs to celebrate swimming achievements. One example of an incentive program that recognizes performance and participation is the Pacific Masters Swimming LMSC’s Swimmer of the Year awards. Recipients are recognized at the LMSC’s annual meeting with towels or plaques to celebrate their achievements. 

Personalized Milestones. Create individualized milestones for each swimmer based on their goals and progress. Recognize and reward their achievements as they reach them, such as completing their first race, achieving a time goal, or participating in different events. Because keeping track of a larger club can be difficult, be sure to ask some of you club volunteers for help with this.

Team Celebrations. At team celebrations, swimmer participation and accomplishments in swim meets can be featured along with team dinners, award ceremonies, or other fun activities where everyone can enjoy a sense of camaraderie and support from teammates.

Certificates or Awards. Present certificates, medals, sweatshirts, towels, or other tangible rewards to swimmers to recognize their efforts and achievements in meets. This can boost their confidence and provide a sense of accomplishment.

Positive Feedback and Encouragement. By offering consistent encouragement to swimmers after their first meet, swimmers are reinforced and motivated to continue participating in meets. Recognize their willingness to step outside of their comfort zone. It takes courage to overcome nervousness and deal with the uncertainty and pressure of swim meets, unfamiliar pools, and race conditions. 

The Big Picture

Your job as a coach is to set clear goals in a safe and positive training environment. Supporting and encouraging your swimmers to overcome fears of competition is part of that. As is building trust and enjoyment of the sport.

When encouraging your swimmers to compete, remember to place a high priority on their personal growth and long-term engagement in swimming, not just speed. This holds true for even the fastest of swimmers, as everyone will slow down at some point. A balanced approach that supports their overall well-being is a winner every time.