What is a Swim Coach?
The Swim Coach helps guide and support volunteers and swimmers through different swimming skills and techniques. By suggesting tips and exercises, they will be able to motivate and inspire swimmers to build their confidence in water, fitness, strength, technique, physio exercises and social skills.
The role will include analysing swim techniques and determining skill levels, developing individualised swimming programs and overseeing training. You should also recruit new talent and prepare swimmers for galas.
To be successful as a Swimming Coach, you should be empathetic, patient, and understand that swimmers have varying abilities. The role is intrinsic to making the club feel a warm and welcoming space for volunteers and disabled swimmers.
What’s in it for you?
- Being part of a friendly community
- Meeting people and making new friends
- Experience supporting and developing others
- Responsibility co- running swim sessions
- People management experience
What’s involved?
- Communication with volunteers and swimmers making them feel welcome
- Determining individual’s ability and skill level
- Using a range of activities to improve water confidence.
- Teaching and perfecting skills like breath control, strokes, floating.
- Developing and implementing training programs that focus on improving technique, fitness, confidence.
- Safeguarding – being a key contact if there is a safeguarding concern
- Supporting volunteers, telling them when they did a good job and getting feedback from disabled swimmers about how their session with their volunteer went and feeding that back to them. Listening to their concerns.
- Input into quarterly committee meetings and feeding back to WeSwim
- Collaboration around a centralised training portfolio / curriculum
- Co-running swimming sessions with another manager
This role will suit people who…
Have a friendly and enthusiastic manner and enjoy working with a great diversity of people. People who are empathetic, patient and motivational.
Swim teaching qualification, either mainstream (ASA) or disability specific (Halliwick).
We proactively support diversity, in all its forms, and welcome applicants from a wide range of backgrounds and with disabilities.
Extra information
Location: Ironmonger Row Baths
Sessions: Friday evenings 7-8pm
Hours/week: 5 hrs, including running minimum 2 sessions /month alongside another Manager.
Training: Task specific training will be provided to you as a volunteer
Expenses: WeSwim will cover pre agreed expenses such as travel to the pool.
About WeSwim
Our mission is to increase the opportunities for people with disabilities to swim in London. To do this we support existing swimming clubs, launch new clubs in areas of need and provide a resource to find information on the services available.
Our primary focus is on the mental, physical and social benefits of community led clubs where everyone is welcome. With dedicated pool space and the support of our fantastic volunteers WeSwim provides welcoming and safe swimming sessions for swimmers with disabilities. Whether you are new to swimming, you need to build your confidence or you would like to work on particular exercises in the water we are here to support you.
This role is purely voluntary and this arrangement is not meant to be a legally binding one or an employment contract