Parents often ask me what they should look for when choosing a swim coach for their child. I recommend that they move cautiously and consider all the facts, as a hasty decision could have far-reaching implications. To assist parents, I compiled a list of what I consider to be the most important points.
- Shares your values
- Emphasizes technique
- Invested in every swimmer no matter how fast or slow
- Places safety first
- Trustworthy
- Patient
- Well-organized
- Genuinely likes kids
- Talks to parents
- Treats every swimmer with respect
- Makes an effort to connect with every swimmer
- Coaches 100% of practice
- Open minded
- Motivatational
- Views all levels of competition, from novice to the national level, as significant and worthy of attention
- Ambitious
- Fully committed
- Trains all strokes in practice
- Sets time aside to work on starts every week
- Emphasizes the importance of sleep and nutrition
- Conducts themselves in a professional manner
- Provides swimmers with opportunities to race every event in competition
- Spends time with every swimmer in practice
- Takes pride in being a swim coach
- Positive role model
- Keeps it fun
- Loves what they do
- Disciplined
- Places a high value on dry-land training
- Inspires swimmers
- Teaches swimmers how to deal with the mental challenges of competition
- Gives swimmers short breaks to recharge during less critical times of the year
- Energetic
- Treats assistant coaches with respect
- Teaches old-fashion values
- Uses positive persuasion to guide swimmers
- Passionate
- Always learning
- Emphasizes the importance of a good education
- Conditions swimmers from a mental, technical, and physical standpoint
- Recognizes effort as well as achievement
- Continually updates the program
- Provides frequent competitive opportunities for swimmers at all levels
- Even-tempered
- Has a vision
- Sincere
- Strives to make swimming a great experience for both swimmer and parent