Social Media Prompts for Athletes

Social media can be an excellent tool for sharing your message and connecting with your community. But sometimes, staring at a blank screen and wondering what to write can be frustrating. Here’s a list of prompts that could inspire your next caption:

• Share what you’re learning about your sport. Whether technical or inspirational, you’ve got a lot to share here!
• Share what you’re learning about yourself. How are you growing as an athlete and as a person?
• Share your upcoming competitions. If there will be a way for others to watch the event, share that ahead of time.
• Share your successes. Remember that you define success for yourself and not making the podium doesn’t automatically mean failure. People want to cheer you on!
• Share your failures. After processing, consider if you want to share your key takeaways from a situation that you think of as failure.
• Share your sport community. Other athletes, coaches, support staff – they all make up your sport community. Make sure you have permission before sharing about other people or posting photos of anyone.
• Share your travels. As an elite athlete, you likely travel more than many people. Where are you and what are you seeing? What’s the food like? How was your journey?
• Share your training. Where are you and what are you doing? Things that seem mundane to you are likely interesting to other people.
• Share where you are when not training. Not necessarily specifics – be aware of privacy settings, location settings and tags. But if you have a favourite hike or love visiting specific parks, consider posting about that.
• Share what you’re working on outside of sport or any hobbies you have. Do you enjoy baking? Have pets? Love fashion? Book recommendations? 
• Share anniversaries of big events. If it’s been one year since you went to the Olympics or a World Championship, what are your favourite memories from that time?
• Share your gratitude. Thank the host cities, organizers, other athletes and events. 

Remember:

• People want to know more about you and your life and journey. Share what you are comfortable sharing about your life, but be true to yourself.
• Screenshots are forever. You can’t always delete all traces of a post or direct message, so think before you post.
• You do not automatically have permission to share photos of anyone else online. Ask first. Especially if there are minors in the photo!
• Your social media is a big part of your image – consider your words and tone and proofread before posting. Choose a person or two to have in your head – what would your mom/grandma/children think of this caption?
• Your sport may have blackout practices in effect around major competitions. Be aware of what and when you can and cannot post. Consider asking a trusted friend or family member to manage your account while you cannot. You may also be able to schedule posts in advance.
• Your stats don’t affect your worth. The number of followers, likes, comments, etc does not define you.  
• Social media can have negative effects on mental health. Watch your thoughts and feelings, and remember to stay away from comparison traps. Set healthy boundaries for yourself, and if you need to take time off of social media to guard your health, do it! 
• As an elite athlete, you are a public figure and an influencer. Use your influence for good.

CSCM Athletes: Have you shared your social media handles with CSCM? We would love to follow you and encourage others to do the same. There was a spot on your athlete intake form to include your social media links. 

The Canadian Olympic Committee created a resource on using social media. While some of it is specific to Team Canada athletes going to major games, most of it is beneficial for all athletes. It is available as part of the Game Plan resources: Building Your Story