Description
The award-winning Swimming Australia Development Coaching Program focuses on developing a broad range of coaching skills and techniques while also promoting participation in competitive swimming at club, district and regional level. Above all, this coach encourages participation, swimming for fun, play and skills whilst fostering a safe swimming environment.
Our Development Coach Program is a key element of the Swimming Australia National Coaching Framework and successful completion provides eligibility to obtain Swimming Australia Development Coach accreditation.
The Development Coach Program is engaging, educational and motivating and designed to give new coaches a practical understanding of what it takes to coach competitive swimming.
The Swimming Australia Development Coach Program is delivered in a blended learning format consisting of
- online knowledge learning through the Swimming Australia Learning Centre
- face to face workshops delivered by subject matter experts
- practical assessment tasks where coaches have an opportunity to demonstrate their applied knowledge, and
- practical coaching experience under the guidance of a mentor.
The Development Coach Program should take 3-6 months to complete all requirements.
PLEASE NOTE: Coaches have 12 months to complete the Development Coach Program. This means the completion and submission of all assessments within 12 months of commencing the course.
People commence their swim coaching journey holding a range of different prior skills and often hold previous experience teaching swimming or working with children and young people in other sports. To maximise the learner experience, people who seek to become a swimming coach should complete pre-requisite learning prior to enrolment into the Development Coaching Course. The current endorsed prerequisite courses are:
- AUSTSWIM Teacher of Towards Competitive Strokes
- Swim Australia Teacher of Competitive Swimming.
- Swim Squad Fundamentals Course (formally known as Foundation Coach Course)
This ensures new Development coaches are tackling the right level of education, at the right time and with the right level of background knowledge and experience to be able to successfully complete the Development Coach Program and effectively apply the learning with their athletes.
PLEASE NOTE: The minimum age for becoming a Swimming Australia Accredited Coach is 17 years old.
