How to Train to Be a Swim Coach
Train to be a swim coach and you can spend your work hours passing on your knowledge and love of the sport. Coaches help athletes at all levels to hone their skills through education, practice and drill. They also create training programs for each person in some cases. Training and education requirements vary greatly depending on the level at which you coach, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Instructions
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Gain experience in swimming. Many swim coaches swam competitively in high school or college. High school teams, collegiate sports or years of private or group instruction typically appear on the resume of a well-qualified coach.
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Complete the educational requirements for a swim coach, depending on where you wish to teach. For example, secondary schools often hire teachers who work part time as coaches, so consider a teaching degree. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, most college coaching positions require a bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science, nutrition, fitness, sports medicine or a related field .
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Start building your resume while in college, or even earlier. Swim competitively at the high school or college level. Teach swimming lessons for children in the summer. Talk to local gyms and sports clubs about working as an assistant or completing a paid or unpaid internship over the course of several months.
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Obtain certification necessary to work as an official swim coach. Both the American Swim Coaches Association and USA Swimming offer certification for swim coaches. The ASCA offers five levels of certification based on education, experience and achievement. USA Swimming requirements include safety training, education and proof of knowledge through examination, as well as passing a background check.
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Tips & Warnings
Learn about changes in certification requirements if you have previously been a certified swim coach. Education requirements for the USA Swimming certification changed in 1998. Coaches certified prior to this date are exempt from the education requirement and can be grandfathered in to the new system, according to USA Swimming.
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- Photo Credit Boy With Orange Swim Goggles and Swim Fins image by Wimbledon from Fotolia.com
