Saying “I noticed” might be the best compliment there is.

Most praise is generic enough that it could have been handed to anyone standing nearby. Saying that you noticed is different, because it proves you were actually looking, and that the thing was specific enough to see. That is why it lands harder than louder compliments, because it tells somebody they exist to you in detail.

Give one this week with the detail attached. Instead of a general good game, say you noticed they were the only one still sprinting back in the fourth. Instead of a general thanks, say you noticed they did the dishes before anyone asked. Say it once, plainly, and then stop talking.