What To Look For In A Swim Coach

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