How To Become A Swim Coach (Education & Career)

Endurance exercises keep us healthy, active, and fit. Swimming is a great form of exercise that isn’t only beneficial for the body and mind, but it’s also fun and enjoyable. Becoming a swimming instructor requires a certain level of professionalism and high swimming skill levels. One of the main qualities that any swimming coach should have is patience; so, they will be able to teach and follow people’s progress. Another quality is having a high level of awareness to be able to keep everyone safe in the water. 

Coaches usually deal with different age groups from infants, toddlers, children, teenagers, adults and seniors. They also deal with swimmers with different personalities and backgrounds, so you can just imagine what they need to deal with during the sessions. So, if you are a student and you want to show your gratitude towards your swimming coach, experts at giftunicorn have managed to collect the perfect gifts that you can give to your swimming instructor to show your appreciation. Some coaches work with swimming teams to improve their skills. Others teach safety techniques for people who want to become lifeguards. Experience helps coaches to develop their own teaching methods and plans for their students to reach their goals. 

In this article, we will talk about the requirements that you must meet to be a swim coach.

 Education Requirements

The American Red Cross certificate is a must-have to be qualified as a legitimate swimming coach. All coaches also must have advanced life saving techniques to be able to keep the safety of everyone, especially beginners in the waters. Candidates must pass two main classes; advanced lifesaving and water safety instructions and they must have a standard first aid card from the Red Cross and CPR certification. If a swimming coach wants to work in schools, they must be certified as physical education teachers to be able to teach in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools; however, an advanced physical education degree or a bachelor’s degree in a related field is often required in colleges.

 Job Tasks And Duties

You might think that this job is all fun and games, but it’s actually a very tough job to manage. Coaches usually help swimmers at different skill levels to improve their techniques, fitness, strokes, and styles. Most of the time, coaches provide dietary programs for their swimmers to lead a healthy lifestyle that will help them in their practice. They also have to be updated on the developments in sport science. Every instructor has to come up with their own teaching strategies based on their students’ levels and learning curves. They have to supervise the safety of everyone in the water while making sure that they are well aware of the basic aquatic skills and rescue techniques.

 The Required Skills

Most instructors who don’t work in private covered pools are in the sun for a long time. Coaches who usually work outdoors are in danger of sun strokes and sunburns. This job requires mental and physical capacities to be able to keep everyone safe while making sure that they are learning and developing their swimming skills. Swimming coaches who train teams usually work for long hours and they are often required to accompany the team they are supervising during their travels and swim meets. Most employers will ask the swimming instructor to have some skills other than exceptional knowledge of swimming techniques and good swimming ability. Here are some of the skills you must have to be able to apply for this job. 

• Patience and good communication skills to be able to deal with different people. You must be able to explain your strategies at length and to answer any questions your students might have.
• Flexibility to adjust your plans according to different needs and demands.
• You will also need motivational skills and the ability to motivate others to keep learning and to not give up on their practice if they hit a rough patch.
• First aid and CPR certifications.
• You must have the right personality and attitude to be able to establish your authority while remaining approachable by your students; they have to respect you, not fear you.

Choosing this career path is very rewarding and fulfilling. Coaches will not only help students to be better and faster at swimming or even teaching them from scratch, but they also build their confidence. Kids and smaller group ages, usually view their coaches as their role model. That’s why coaches should encourage their students to do their best. However, there is a difference between success and winning. You should make it clear that their success should be based on their own progress, and not the results.