Head Coach

Job Summary: The Head Swim Coach has two swim seasons. Short Course runs mid-November until mid-March, and Long Course runs mid-May until the end of July. Short Course commitment is approximately 15 hrs a week (depending on whether 1 or 2 sessions are running) on deck with Mon through Fri afternoon practices and a potential for up to 10 swim meets usually on weekends, including the state meet, and up to 20 hrs a month towards administrative duties. Long Course commitment is approximately 8 hours a week on deck with Monday through Thursday morning practices, 5-6 swim meets, usually on weekends, including the state meet, and up to 10 hours a month of administrative duties. 

Qualifications and Requirements: The Head Coach must have and maintain, in current status, certified coaching credentials (under USA Swimming requirements). 

As a key team leader, the Head Coach should be an experienced coach and swimmer, have strong communication and leadership skills, and interact professionally and maturely with swimmers, parents, and fellow coaches. 

The Head Coach is a motivational figure who inspires high morale, encourages recruitment of new members, builds team cohesiveness, communicates effectively, provides positive reinforcement, and develops meaningful engagement with our youth.   

The Head Coach must be capable of effectively leading in a humid, warm, and often loud environment where there are many outstanding young student-athletes. 

Physical demands include instructing and observing participants in proper stroke techniques and lifting and moving light equipment, including lane ropes. 

Travel is required to team swim meets held on weekends throughout the swim season.

Certification and Education Requirements: 

The Head Coach must meet all certification (on USA Swimming’s acceptable course list) and education requirements. These can be found at www.ndswimming.org under the coaches tab. Concussion training can be completed at https://www.nfhslearn.com/. The Head Coach shall attend at least one continuing education/training opportunity annually. DDST will reimburse all fees. 

Responsibilities: 

1) Managing and Coaching Workouts: 

Prepare workouts in advance and create thorough, age-appropriate workouts focusing on technique, endurance, stroke development, and drills. 

Ensure a safe environment for all swimmers at all times. 

Supervise assistant coaching staff, including organizing and overseeing the workouts and coaching schedule and ensuring that the weekly activities are staffed on an ongoing basis by qualified coaches. 

Make adjustments to workouts as needed based on feedback from swimmers, coaches, and the board of directors, and ensure the activities are communicated to the swimmers by the coaching staff. 

Develop a training cycle considering the varying levels of commitment and goals of both non-competitive and competitive swimmers. 

Provider swimmer feedback. 

Ensure all practice changes, pool closures, upcoming activities, and competitions are communicated to swimmers by email and at each workout. 

Foster a welcoming environment with the goal of retention in mind. Encourage team participation. 

Assist the Board of Directors in recruitment and development of assistant coaching staff. Enforce the posted pool rules and regulations—other duties as required. 

2) Administrative: 

This part of the Coach Position may shared with the Program Director. At the end of the first competitive season, exact duties will be re-evaluated.

Work with the Board of Directors to plan, schedule, and staff periodic swim events, including but not limited to practices, the annual swim-a-thon, swim meets, and swim and stroke clinics. 

Provide a Head Coach report to the Board of Directors before the beginning of each board meeting (the second Tuesday of each month at 530 p.m. at WRCC). Work with the board to implement policies and procedures. 

Schedule and lead regular coaches meetings to ensure all coaching staff understand and implement the training cycle. Usually at the beginning of each swim season and as needed. 

The Head Coach shall meet with each coach at the end of each swim season (SC and LC) to review how the season went and address any concerns. The Head Coach shall meet with all coaches once a year to conduct an annual performance review. A copy will be given to the DDST President to add to the human resources files. 

Oversee DDST equipment and property needs and coordinate the ordering of new supplies with the Board. 

Ensure all coaching staff have met their USA Swimming coaching requirements before the beginning of each swim season and communicate with the Board of Directors VP/LSC Rep that these requirements have been met. 

Communicate and coordinate the assistance of coaching staff and volunteers with all set-up responsibilities.  Assist the Team Manager with the Team Unify Site. 

Communicate any updates, changes, important information to swim families via e-mail/text through the Team Unify Site as needed, including information about swim meets. 

Absences/Schedule: 

The Head Coach shall create a weekly schedule to cover all lanes and provide for adequate supervision for swimmers. Assistant coaches should turn in a schedule of availability at the beginning of each season.

If the Head Coach is absent, he/she shall delegate responsibility to one of the assistant coaches. He/she shall also inform the Board of Directors when he/she will not be on deck as soon as possible before the absence. 

Coaching Issues: 

The Head Coach should contact the President of the Board with any problems/challenges/conflicts/issues as soon as possible after an occurrence. Any Disciplinary action must be discussed and cleared with the President of the Board before action is taken. All parents and athletes have signed a code of conduct before each swim season with disciplinary action outlined. 

Evaluation: 

At the end of each season, the Head Coach will meet with at least one Board member to discuss the coaches’ experience and address any concerns. In addition, the Head Coach will meet with the DDST Board President and one other Board member annually for an annual evaluation of Job performance. 

Swim Meets: 

The Head Coach will assign coaching staff for meets based on coaching needs for the number of swimmers participating. All Coaches must attend all home meets, and at least two away meets. The Head Coach must approve any exceptions to fulfilling the requirements. DDST will send coaches to all swim meets offered at the beginning of the season or added by the head coach during the season. If a swimmer signs up for a meet that the club has not offered to send a coach to, the swimmer would then be assigned to another team. 

The Head Coach shall attend all Home meets, State Championship meets, and Midwest Regionals/Sectionals (when DDST is represented by a swimmer). DDST will pay the Head Coach per diem for these away and regular season away meets. He/she should apply to Coach/Assistant Coach for Team ND in Central Zones and Mid-West All-Stars (when DDST is represented with a swimmer). The ND LSC pays per diem and handles travel arrangements for these two meetings.

The board president will make arrangements for hotel rooms, considering cost-effectiveness, when necessary for out-of-town meets. DDST will cover the cost of hotel rooms at the current federal government rate. ($100 as of fall 2022) All payments will be made with the club credit card. If any Coaches make their hotel arrangements, they will not be reimbursed.

Coaches attending a swim meet will be paid a per diem rate based on miles traveled, with time starting when on deck and ending after the meeting. A coach is expected to stay until a family member claims all swimmers. They will also be reimbursed for travel at the current IRS rate. Mileage will be submitted to the DDST treasurer along with work hours for the week. Coaches will also be paid their hourly wage for travel time using Google Maps to and from meets using their current hourly wage.