People learn to swim with the help of a swim coach. Swimming instructors are another term for swim coaches. They must keep up to date on first aid and pool safety training, as well as meet government or other standards for qualifications. Coach is a term that is frequently used to describe someone who manages a swimming team rather than just teaching lessons. A high school swim coach, for example, works with a team during practices in the hopes of winning local and regional competitions against other schools’ teams.
Swim meets are a term used to describe competitive races between teams. Winners are usually given medals, with a trophy going to the school that wins the most swim meets during the season. In all meets and events, a swim coach must ensure that his or her team competes fairly. He or she also ensures that all necessary details are handled, such as entering the meet and arranging for student transportation.
The salary of a college swim coach is typically much higher than that of a high school coach. For starters, many college swim team coaches are hired full-time, whereas a high school swim coach may only work with students part-time after school, in the evenings, and on weekends. Both types of swim coaches typically appoint a team captain to assist in leading the rest of the team. While high school coaches are less likely to bring in professional swimmers to help their teams improve their strokes and techniques, college coaches are more likely to do so.
Because swim team members are also students, many of whom are concerned about their grades or other issues, keeping the swimming club together and organized is a high-pressure task for coaches. Another difficult aspect of a swim coach’s job is keeping the team competitive and capable of winning swim meets. Swimmers on the team may have varying levels of ability and require various types of coaching. Swim coaches must exercise patience and tact if they do not want to be confronted by irate parents.
Swimming coaches should make it a priority to motivate and inspire their team members. Coaches help people improve as individuals and as a team. They organize practices, drills, and swimming exercises, as well as other team activities. Members of the high school swim team are chosen through a series of tryouts held by students hoping to make the team. From senior high school swim teams, college coaches select talented recruits.