Head Swim Coach

The Aquakids Swim Team, located in Conway, AR, is searching for a head coach to lead our year-round competitive swim team. The Aquakids was started in the summer of 1961 and has operated continuously since that summer. Our vision is to provide a safe and supportive community where swimmers of all abilities have the opportunity to achieve their highest physical, emotional, and social potential. Our swimmers, ages 5-18, cover a wide spectrum of skills and abilities, and the ideal candidate is an experienced swim coach who can provide consistency, leadership, and positivity to enable each swimmer to meet their highest potential. The perfect coach is someone who has a growth mindset and who is continuously looking for new ways to improve and expand the swimmers, the Aquakids program, the assistant coaches, and themself.

General Responsibilities

Coaching: general expected responsibilities of a head swim coach, including:

• Setting workout and meet schedules
• Designing and overseeing training plans, including ondeck coaching at practices and meets
• Setting goals for the team, assistant coaches, and individual swimmers
• Attending swim meets
• Placing swimmers in appropriate training groups
• Maintaining memberships and certifications required by USA Swimming, Arkansas Swimming, AAU, and other governing bodies as required

Supervising staff: day-to-day supervision of assistant coaches and lifeguards, including:

• Setting schedules
• Holding regular staff meetings
• Setting direction for staff and conducting yearly reviews
• Hiring and maintaining appropriate number of staff

Communication: all levels of communication with the parents, swimmers, assistant coaches, and board of directors, including:

• Providing adequate time for parents and swimmers to discuss evaluations, goals, and performance
• Regular updates to the parents and team
• Attending board meetings

Program administration:

• Establishing creative programs to serve the Conway and surrounding communities 
• Promoting and growing the team and recruiting new swimmers
• Assisting in budgets and fundraising activities 
• Purchasing equipment
• Acting as the liaison between the team and the pool facility
• Representing the team within the greater Arkansas swim community, including the Arkansas Swimming chapter of USA Swimming
• Establishing appropriate code of conduct and expectations for swimmers, assistant coaches, and parents

Qualifications

• 5+ years of coaching experience
• Member in good standing with USA Swimming and current with all certifications (or the ability to become current on certifications)
• Outstanding leadership and motivational skills
• Extensive background in competitive swimming, stroke mechanics, and age-appropriate dryland training techniques
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Strong sense of personal integrity
• Track record of fostering an amazing team culture