How to become a swimming teacher

How to become a swimming teacher

Teaching swimming is by far the most rewarding job role I have had in the leisure industry. As a swimming teacher you have the important role of teaching a swimmer a life skill. The journey of taking a swimmer from beginner to advanced and seeing their reaction when they achieve something new is priceless. Admittedly, teaching swimming is not always a plain sailing job and there are challenges along the way. Nevertheless, the challenging can be the most rewarding!

What does it take to become a swimming teacher?

Before you decide to invest in training, firstly decide why you would like to become a swimming teacher. To be a swimming teacher the following characteristics are important

  • Patience
  • Understanding
  • Ability to be flexible and adapt quickly
  • Prepared to always learn – your courses are the foundations, use experience and the course knowledge to find the best ways of teaching – you cannot teach every swimmer the same way as everyone is different
  • Work well in teams – your colleagues can be a fanatic’s support mechanism, especially when you have a challenge and need to ‘pick their brains!’
  • Smile!
  • Enjoy what you do and incorporate fun, not necessarily through games but through your language. Speak to the swimmer in the language for their age. Include stories, television programmes – a Peppa Pig adventure (helping Peppa and George scoop ice creams for their friends (teaching front crawl arms) always goes down well!
  • Time – similar to patience, allow swimmers to progress in their time and learn when to push and when to offer more encouragement.
  • Praise – you are shaping their character, if a swimmer believes you then they will believe in themselves – give them the confidence

I could add so much to this list!

How do I start to become qualified?

The following qualifications/documents are required for becoming a swimming teacher – marked with mandatory and desired. Please note that there are two providers who train swimming teachers; Swim England and STA. Swim England. Amateur Swimming Associations (changed to Swim England in April 2017), courses provided through the Institute of Swimming (IoS) or the STA.

 

Supporting courses are:

  • Adult and child (parent and baby)
  • Rookie Lifeguard
  • Discipline specific – water polo, synchronised swimming….
  • Pool Plant Operator
  • Trainer Assessor

Experience:

During and after your courses, I strongly recommend that you seek experience with a variety of swimming lesson providers. Always continue your personal development and learn the various scenarios you can face! Knowledge and experience are key to becoming a successful swimming teacher!

If you would like further guidance, interested in becoming a swimming teacher, contact Nicole today.

 

How to become a Lifeguard

How to become a Lifeguard

Lifeguards are very important and carry significant responsibility – at the end of the day, lifeguards ensure that all swimmers are safe and there to intervene if necessary.

Important elements to be a lifeguard are:

  • remaining vigilant at all times
  • approachable
  • maintain training standards by the governing body (Royal Life Saving Society) and the workplace(s)
  • reliable
  • professional
  • adaptable – to different pools, training updates and situations

 

Lifeguarding is generally a foundation for a career in the leisure industry or a part time job for students.

Perceptions:

Often lifeguards are perceived to be ‘boring’, ‘fun spoilers’. Lifeguards prevent accidents and educate pool users, especially children, how to enjoy the water but remain safe! Pools have similar rules and some rules which will differ depending on the pool design, session activities and level of supervision from other qualified persons, such as swimming teachers.

Presenting yourself as a lifeguard in a professional manner and being able to quickly analyse situations is a necessity to effect actions which have positive outcomes. For example, simply asking a child to hold onto the side during a lesson educates the child a safe area. Similarly, asking swimmers not to dive in a specific area of the pool is preventing potential injury which could be minor or major.

How do I become a lifeguard?

Firstly, visit http://www.rlss.org.uk/professional-qualifications/national-pool-lifeguard-qualification/ to read all pre-requisites, current course content and examination information. The Royal Lifesaving Society (RLSS) are the governing body for the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ), linked above.

Generally courses run through various providers such as private swim schools, leisure centres and clubs during school holidays.

What happens when I am qualified?

You can apply for jobs, however always maintain your monthly training to enable you to renew your qualification every two years. Ongoing training means you remain up to date with knowledge and skills. Often employers require employees to have the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification or teacher rescue when becoming a swimming teacher.

If you are a qualified lifeguard and you are looking for hours or to progress your leisure career, contact Core Aquatics today http://www.grasshopper-hosting.co.uk/coreaquatics/swimming-jobs/ . Alternatively email hello@coreaquatics.co.uk or call 07505065184.

 

We are an enthusiastic team that deliver high quality swimming lessons. Lifeguards are an asset to us and we would love to value your lifeguarding and personal contribution!