ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

How to Pick a Good Swim Instructor

Updated on November 23, 2013
Picking a swim instructor who fits your needs is important.
Picking a swim instructor who fits your needs is important. | Source

If you or your child is interested in taking swimming lessons or competing, you are probably wondering what is the best method for picking a good swim instructor.

Here are some things to consider when picking the right swim coach.

Consider Your Goals

The first thing to think about is what you want to accomplish in swim lessons. If you are looking to give yourself or your child swimming skills so that they are safe at the pool, lake or beach then you may want to look for group lessons offered by a city, community or church.

Sometimes there are also people that give lessons out of their home to groups.

But if you or your child is hoping to join a swim team or looking for certification then your goals are more specific.

Check for certifications from places such as the United States Masters or the Red Cross.

Consider Personalities

What kind of person do you work best with? Are you more of a no-nonsense kind of person? Do you need a coach that will push you to excel.

Or are you looking for a more casual experience in a relaxed atmosphere?

Coaches often offer different kinds of classes based on your needs. Don’t be afraid to contact the coach and explain what style of lessons you are looking for. If that coach does not offer the lessons you are looking for they are likely to be able to point you to someone who does.

Check the Website or Social Media Page

Most coaches and swim classes have webpages or a social media presence. Often these groups are open or public.

Join one or read the site and get a feel for the style of the class, the kinds of people that are taking the class and how active the coach of facility is.

Check for what kind of information is offered and what classes are available.

Put your city and state into google to get a list of swim classes available.
Put your city and state into google to get a list of swim classes available. | Source

Consider Facilities

It is also important to understand where you or your child will be swimming. Is it a shared pool with a roped off section? How much actual swim time will you be able to get if you have a large class and only two lanes?

Does the facility require a membership above and beyond the price of the lessons? Is it accessible? Clean? Will you feel comfortable swimming?

Consider where you will be swimming.  Does it meet your needs?
Consider where you will be swimming. Does it meet your needs? | Source

Ask For Opinions

Find other people that are taking the classes and ask for their opinions. Parents will often give you an honest assessment of how the class is going and whether or not they feel their child is truly progressing.

If you are an adult swimmer, discovering the rapport that the coach has with the adult swimmer and their ability to translate their coaching to the needs of the adult swimmer is important.

Ultimately, it may take a while to find the right swimming instructor for you. Don’t be afraid to admit that it’s not working and look for a change. The experience of taking swim lessons should be as fun or as challenging as you want it to be.

Being able to swim and enjoy the water offers you a lifetime of fun possibilities.

Checklist To Help With Researching Swim Instructors

Needs
Yes
No
Small Group
Y
N
Adult Instruction
Y
N
Certification
Y
N
Learn to Swim for Recreation
Y
N
Swim Team
Y
N
Personal Fitness
Y
N
Perfecting Strokes
Y
N
Private Lessons
Y
N
Summer Lessons
Y
N
School Year Lessons
Y
N

Use this table to help you decide what kind of swimming lessons to pursue and to give you a guideline of what to ask when you contact the coach.

Below is a list of websites which contain national databases of certified swim instructors. This will give you the information you need as well as explain what each certification means and how that will affect the coaching you or your child receives.

National Website Databases for Certified Swim Instructors

Website
Information Available
http://www.usswimschools.org/
Information on swim schools in the area with certified instructors
https://www.usaswimming.org/
FINA certified swim instructors
www.swimkids.us/about-us
larger database of certified swim instructors
www.sunsationalswimschool.com/private_swimming_lessons.php
set up private lessons at home or at a community pool.

Find the Certified Instructor that fits your needs.

What supplies will you need for your class?

Although instructors may vary their requirements, most will use the following basic equipment during class:

  • bathing suit
  • good swim goggles
  • swim fins or flippers
  • kick boards
  • good beach towel
  • swim cap for long hair

Ask your coach for any other specific needs or requirements.

There are many aspects of a good swim instruction class to consider.

Knowing up front what your needs are and what kind of coaching experience you want will save you or your child from disappointment.

Happy Swimming!

What is the most important part of a good swim instruction experience for you?

See results

Kids Enjoying Group Lessons at the YWCA

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)