Description
Coach and develop swimmers individually and as a team for competitive performance. Teach and demonstrate stroke mechanics, starts, turns, race strategies, and training methods. Evaluate athletes' strengths, weaknesses, and potential using times and video, and adjust plans to improve results. Scout and recruit prospective swimmers, and ensure safe, compliant use of pool facilities and equipment.
- • Plan, organize, and conduct pool and dryland practice sessions.
- • Plan meet lineups, relay strategies, and event entries for swimmers.
- • Plan and direct swim-specific conditioning to maximize performance.
- • Adjust stroke instruction and training based on each swimmer's strengths and weaknesses.
- • Compile scouting reports on prospective swimmers and opposing teams with time analyses and recruitment recommendations.
- • Instruct swimmers in rules, stroke mechanics, starts, turns, finishes, pacing, and race strategies.
- • Analyze opponents' rosters, seed times, and relay strengths to shape meet strategies.
- • Evaluate swimmers using times, stroke efficiency, and training data to assess potential and event fit.
- • Stay current with USA Swimming, NFHS, and NCAA rules, techniques, and technology.
- • Monitor safe and proper use of pools, starting blocks, timing systems, and training equipment.
- • Develop and arrange meet schedules, time trials, and training cycles.
- • Explain and enforce pool, deck, and water safety rules and emergency procedures.
- • Lead team activities, pre-meet warmups, and represent the team at coaches' meetings.
- • Demonstrate proper use of fins, paddles, snorkels, kickboards, and dryland equipment.
- • Arrange and run swim camps, clinics, skill sessions, and pre-season tryouts.
- • Select, procure, store, and issue team gear and training equipment.
- • Provide training direction, motivation, and basic nutrition and hydration guidance for practices and meets.
- • Teach swim courses or PE classes and advise student-athletes, as applicable.
- • Communicate with parents or guardians about schedules, progress, and expectations.
- • Coordinate travel logistics and accompany the team to away meets.
- • Hire, mentor, and supervise assistant coaches, lifeguards, and support staff.
- • Maintain and review timing data, practice logs, video, and split analyses for athletes, team, and opponents.
- • Counsel swimmers on academic, athletic, and personal matters.
- • Promote the program through community outreach, media engagement, and fundraising events.
- • Monitor swimmers' academic eligibility and progress.
- • Identify and recruit prospective swimmers through outreach, visits, and scholarship offers where applicable.
- • Oversee the program budget, pool time allocations, equipment purchasing, and fundraising.
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O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
