Introduction

Coaching Resources:   

Introduction     Planning and Delivery     Best Practices     Evaluation    Limiters and Fixes     Drills      Analysis     Workouts 

Swim coaching is a tremendously rewarding experience allowing you not only positive social contact each week but also the chance to help direct others to develop a life long skill. Seeing your swimmers learn and develop is incredibly rewarding. I have never left from coaching a swim not feeling better than when I arrived. Plus a coaching role fits well with an active life since it's typically only one hour per week.

What We Look For

• Someone that has completed at least one season as a member of our programs. That way we know they understand our organizations culture of welcoming, fun, effective.

• A positive presence, someone that is obviously enjoying themselves 

• A solid level of proficiency with stroke technique, ideally across all three to four strokes. Proficiency is not performance; you don't have to be fast.

• There are as many right personalities for coach as their are different personalities among our members. Our bottom line is that our coaches deliver a class that is safe, fun for the swimmers and the coach, and one that features lots of swimming (!)

The Training Process

• We have worked within the National Sport Governing bodies but have repeated found they do not serve our club well. The NSG's are more focused on youth and more specifically high performance youth. Much of what their educational programs include is not at all applicable to us. We are an adult-only club that serves those from non-swimmers to Ironman triathletes. We needed a coach training program that served OUR coaches and swimmers.

• As an organization we have developed our own approach based on 20 years of serving our members. It is that knowledge that we share here in these web pages and also in the additional coach training steps.

• With at least 32 hours (one season) of experience in our programs a trainee coach already has a good understanding of the role of coach and how a workout is organized. The next step is to see things from the deck instead of the pool and to start to find their own voice. A trainee will shadow and assist one or more of our coaches for at least 8 hours. Over that time the trainee will lead segments of the workout performing the explanation and then also taking part in observing and correcting the swimmers. Most importantly they will learn by watching the lead coach. Trainee coaches are encouraged to visit and shadow more than one coach to see different styles.

• Once the trainee and lead coach feel they are ready, the head coach will come to watch the trainee lead a full workout from start to finish and assess their performance. If the trainee fulfills the key elements of our evaluation outline they will become qualified Ottawa Swimming Coaches.

• OS Coaches earn $30/hr as independent contractors. They submit invoices two to three times per year, Christmas, March Break, and year end.

• As independent contractors OS Coaches are responsible for all planning and delivery of their classes be those as part of a regular weekly class or if covering for another coach. All programs must be delivered in line with Ottawa Swimming best practices and coaches will strive to perform up to the standards outlined in our evaluation outline.

• When covering for another coach it is up to the sub whether they deliver a workout designed by the regular coach or one of their own. If using their own workout the sub should endeavor to ensure the workout is in line with the regular coaches general periodization or where they are in their build.