I Want To Coach Swimming

Our programme of qualifications gives you the tools to apply your knowledge to coaching athletes at all levels; improving their performance while keeping them committed to the sport.

The first step is the Swim England Assistant Swimming Coach. As an aspiring coach this course will equip you with the knowledge and tools to actively support a swimming coach in the delivery of a planned training session.

After completing the Assistant Coach qualification, you can then move onto the Swim England Swimming Coach which builds on the Swim England Assistant Swimming Coach certificate, developing your knowledge and skills ahead of becoming an independent swimming coach.

You may then look at completing the Swim England Senior Swimming Coach which develops the skills to plan, deliver and evaluate long-term competitive coaching programmes.

Coaching swimming is no different to any other sport and there are some key skills that you will need and continue to develop through your career. These include: 

• Communication: effective communication will help you to ascertain the needs and ambitions of your performer, relay information and provide constructive feedback.
• Planning and organisation: from your sessions and programmes you will need to ensure that you are meeting the performers’ needs and are guiding their development.
• Be able to analyse and evaluate performance (your own and that of their performers) to gauge and direct progress.
• Be able to create a safe environment in which the well-being of the performer is paramount.
• Be open-minded in developing your coaching skills and knowledge. This is perhaps the most important attribute of good coaches: the ability and willingness to evaluate your own skills and knowledge, and constantly work to develop and improve them.

This list could be endless, and you will develop your own skills that help you become a successful coach as you learn and develop. 

It is important that you continue your professional development throughout your career and more information about CPD can be found on the Institute of Swimming website.

The first level of qualification focuses ‘how’ and ‘what’ to coach. Once completed, coaches are qualified to actively support a more senior qualified or licensed coach at any level, in the delivery of a pre-prepared session. 

To coach on your own, you will be required to hold an Swim England Level 2 Certificate. This qualification will provide you with the skills and knowledge to effectively plan, prepare, deliver, monitor, and evaluate coaching sessions. 

The Swim England Level 3 Certificate is the route to becoming a senior coach. It will enable you to plan, implement, analyse and revise annual coaching programmes to get the most out of your athletes. 

There are no prerequisite qualifications to undertake the Assistant Coach qualification but there may be additional qualifications you will need including:

• First Aid
• Safeguarding

The course is delivered through a mixture of e-learning, Zoom classroom activities and practical poolside learning. You will participate in training sessions, coaching swimmers at county standard and above, to gain hands-on practical experience.

In the discipline of Swimming you have three levels from Assistant Swimming Coach to Swimming Coach and then Senior Swimming Coach. 

Our other disciplines of Diving, Artistic Swimming and Diving have an Assistant and Coach certificate.

Typically, initial qualifications cost around £390, but don’t let lack of funds stand in the way.

There are bursaries and grants available. They vary according to location but some even pay 100% of the course costs.

The course is a blended learning programme with a mix of online learning. The estimated time to complete this is 12-15 hours. You will also be expected to attend around 3 x Zoom webinars and then 1 or 2 x half day practical assessment sessions at the pool.  

As part of your practical sessions you will have written assignments to complete prior to your feedback session.

Swimmers with a disability are integrated into club training sessions and will train alongside non-disabled swimmers. If your club does not have any disabled swimmers integrated into the sessions, there is Para-Swimming regional training. Regional training is delivered by the Swim England regions and supported by the England Para-Swimming Talent Team. 

As a coach you can book onto the sessions to observe and speak to the coaches delivering the sessions to aid your development. In the future you could be part of the workforce that delivers the Regional training sessions. We also work in partnership with a number of impairment-specific organisations who are always looking for coaches to work with their group of swimmers.

You can find out all about the coaching qualifications on this section of the Institute of Swimming website. 

To start you will need to complete your SEQ Level 1 Swimming Assistant (Teaching). This course will develop your knowledge, skills and abilities as an assistant swimming teacher.

This qualification really sets the foundations for you as a swim teacher.

There are lots of skills that will come in useful when teaching but some key ones are:

• An enthusiastic and positive attitude towards swimming.
• Good communication.
• The ability to inspire confidence and motivate swimmers.
• Perseverance and patience.
• The ability to encourage people and put them at ease.

• To plan and deliver lessons, ensuring adherence to the scheme of work and lesson plans.
• Ensure safe provision of all equipment and ensure it is used correctly.
• Make sure safety standards are followed in sessions and undertake risk assessments.
• Identify participants’ abilities and encourage them to reach their full potential.
• Plan and deliver sessions appropriate to the level of swimmer.
• Provide explanations and demonstrate swimming techniques.
• Correct faults in swimming techniques and identify ways to improve performance.
• To be a positive role model, creating a positive and fun environment in which to motivate and encourage children and adults to participate in swimming.
• Set ground rules for each session.
• Evaluate sessions and give feedback.
• Regularly assess each participant’s ability and progress.

There are no formal entry requirements or prior experience required to undertake the SEQ Level 1 Swimming Assistant (Teaching) Qualification, but there may be additional qualifications you will need including:

• First Aid
• Safeguarding

There are three different ways to complete your SEQ Level 1 Assistant Swimming (teaching) qualification:

1. Face to Face

This will be delivered at a venue with a tutor at the site. The course theory takes place in a seminar room. You will then go to the pool for your practical work, lesson delivery and assessment. 

2. Blended Learning

This course will start online through interactive e-learning, which you do in your own time. Once you get to the venue, there is some theory content to cover in a seminar room before your practical work, lesson delivery and assessment pool-side.

3. Online and Virtual

This course allows you to make the most of learning online and will cover the course theory through interactive e-learning and live Zoom webinars. E-learning allows you to work through the content at your own pace while the Zoom webinars will be with the rest of your course cohort and from the comfort of your own home. Once you get to the venue, you’ll have pool-based practical work, lesson delivery and assessment to complete.

To become a swimming teacher there are two qualifications for you to gain.

The SEQ Level 1 Swimming Assistant (Teaching) course is the first step and it allows you to support a Level 2 swimming teacher.

We recommend gaining at least 3 months of experience as a swimming assistant before starting your SEQ Level 2 Teaching Swimming course.

Once you have your Level 2 qualification you can then add to your skills with our SEQ Level 2 Teaching Swimming to Babies and Toddler course or our SEQ Level 3 Swim Coordinator programme.

Typically, initial qualifications cost around £375, but don’t let lack of funds stand in the way.

There are bursaries and grants available. They vary according to location but some even pay 100% of the course costs.

This will vary depending on the type of learning (Face to Face, Blended or Online Virtual). 

Face to face learning will be approximately 4 full days. 

Blended learning will be a mixture of online learning and face to face days. It is estimated that it will take 8 hours to complete the online element. The face-to-face days section will be approximately two days on site at the pool.

Online learning will take approximately 6-8 hours with 2 x Zoom webinars and 1 x practical session.

Swimmers with a disability are integrated into swimming lessons and will learn alongside non-disabled swimmers. If you currently don’t have disabled swimmers in your lessons and want to enhance your skills, Start Para-Swimming and Regional Training are two good opportunities for you to develop your skills. Speak to your region and they can signpost you to both these opportunities. 

We also work in partnership with a number of impairment-specific organisations who are always looking for teachers to work with specific impairments. If you are interested in this opportunity, please e-mail [email protected].

SEQ Level 1 Swimming Assistant (Teaching) course is the first step on your career path from which you can progress to the SEQ Level 2 Teaching Swimming course. Once you have your level 2 qualification you can then add to your skills with our SEQ Level 2 Teaching Swimming to Babies and Toddler course or our SEQ Level 3 Swim Coordinator programme.

CIMSPA has endorsed our SEQ Level 1 and 2 Teaching Swimming qualifications as meeting the requirements of the Assistant Swimming Teacher and Swimming Teacher Professional Standard. Once qualified you can gain a 12-month free CIMSPA affiliate membership, giving you access to further benefits.

You can find out all about our teaching qualifications on this section of the Institute of Swimming website.