When most people think of a coach, they think of a football, soccer, baseball or gymnastics coach. It is not often that a swim team coach comes to mind. Being a swim team coach is similar to coaching other sports, but it has some different challenges and perks as well. I have had the pleasure of serving as a swim team coach for my neighborhood swim team the Mighty Marlins for the past 3 years and being a coach has taught me many unique lessons.
First of all, coaching a swim team is different than coaching most other sports mainly because the sport takes place in the water so water safety is a big portion of the job. Most of the coaching I had to do involved needing to actively participate in the water with the kids. Whether that was teaching beginners how to float and blow bubbles or helping more advanced kids perfect their butterfly arms or breaststroke kick, most of my days were spent in the water and on the pool deck. Patience is key when it comes to coaching. Some kids will take longer than others to master a certain swimming drill and stroke, but the important thing about being a coach is that we never give up. Constant encouragement and coming up with creative ways of teaching the swimming strokes are essential when working as a swim team coach.
One of the perks of being a swim team coach is getting to work with kids at all levels. On our team, we divide the swimmers into age groups and swimming levels to help them get the most beneficial practice. I have had the amazing opportunity to watch some of the young children that I taught from the beginning become able to swim laps by themselves in the span of 3 short years and I have also watched the experienced swimmers get faster and faster each year.
Being a swim team coach is a fun job to have in the summer, but it can also be a little rough at times. As you can imagine, keeping the attention of 20 kids while they are in the water is quite a feat and making sure that each one has some of your individual attention is also challenging at times. As coaches, we try to give as much attention to our swimmers as possible and do our best to keep the practice running as smoothly as we can, but some days can be harder than others especially if a child is in a bad mood or not feeling well. Additionally, most summer league swim teams have their practices in the morning and their swim meets on Monday or Thursday nights meaning that swim coaches also have to be flexible and able to give their time many mornings and stay up late on Meet nights. This schedule, although sometimes exhausting, is just another way that we as coaches prove how much we care about all of our swimmers’ success.
Despite what some may think, being a swim team coach is more than explaining workouts and teaching swimming. When you are a swim coach, you are a role model. The swimmers on a team look up to their coaches and love to get to talk to and interact with them. Swimmers may sometimes ask them for advice on different topics or just ask them to play with them. One of my favorite parts from coaching the Mighty Marlins is that we have a party at the end of the season where the coaches get to jump in the water and play with the kids. Getting to interact with my swimmers as myself and not in my coaching role is rewarding for both myself and them. Being a swim team coach is mainly about being responsible, creative, trustworthy and open at all times, but also having the ability to have fun when the work is done. I found coaching the Mighty Marlins to be my favorite highlight for the past three summers because not only do I get to teach kids the life-saving skill of swimming, but I also get to watch them grow and improve into the amazing swimmers that I know they will be one day! It was one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever known, and I am so lucky to have been a part of it for three years.