Master Swim Coach

About the Role

Provides leadership, instruction, and motivation for adult participants in a high-level swim environment. Creates a safe and positive atmosphere promoting member safety and engagement, youth development, and healthy living in accordance with YMCA standards, policies, and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Knows and understands all emergency procedures and responds to emergency situations immediately and appropriately.
• Maintains all required certifications in accordance with YMCA standards, policies, and procedures.
• Teaches sound high-level swimming skills for adults in accordance with YMCA standards, policies, and procedures.
• Creates and leads appropriate workouts focusing on technique, endurance, speed, and distance.
• Maintains accurate records of attendance and progress as required.
• Performs daily equipment checks and ensures appropriate equipment is available.
• Coordinates and executes swim competitions and meet registrations if participants compete.
• Attends all staff meetings and trainings as required.
• Provides guidance through effective, consistent, and timely communication.
• May conduct stroke booster clinics.

YMCA Culture & Cause Expectations

Our mission and core values are brought to life by our culture. As a cause-driven leader, you are expected to be:

• Welcoming – Accept neighbors eagerly, warmly, hospitably, and as equal participants.
• Nurturing – Care for, support, and help develop through encouragement.
• Hopeful – Take an optimistic or positive view of future outcomes.
• Determined – Devote full strength and concentrated attention to the cause.
• Genuine – Be honest and open in relationships with others.

YMCA Competencies

• Mission Advancement – Accepts and demonstrates the Y’s values. Demonstrates a desire to serve others and fulfill community needs. Recruits volunteers and builds effective supportive working relationships with them. Supports fund-raising.
• Collaboration – Works effectively with people of different backgrounds, abilities, opinions, and perceptions. Builds rapport and relates well to others. Seeks first to understand the other person’s point of view and remains calm in challenging situations. Listens for understanding and meaning; speaks and writes effectively. Takes initiative to assist in developing others.
• Operational Effectiveness – Makes sound judgments and transfers learning from one situation to another. Embraces new approaches and discovers ideas to create a better member experience. Establishes goals, clarifies tasks, plans work, and actively participates in meetings. Follows budgeting policies and procedures and reports all financial irregularities immediately. Strives to meet or exceed goals and deliver a high-value experience.
• Personal Growth – Pursues self-development that enhances job performance. Demonstrates an openness to change and seeks opportunities in the change process. Accurately assesses personal feelings, strengths, and limitations and how they impact relationships. Has the functional and technical knowledge and skills required to perform well; uses best practices and demonstrates up-to-date knowledge and skills in technology.

Requirements

• Minimum age of 18 years.
• Minimum 2 years of competitive swim experience preferred.
• Demonstrate proficiency in Swim Instructor skills in accordance with YMCA standards, policies, and procedures.
• Current or must obtain prior to first scheduled class: YMCA Principles of Competitive Swim and Diving, American Red Cross’s Safety Training for Swim Coaches or YMCA Lifeguard certification with proof of successful completion of the ARC’s Safety Training for Swim Coaches. All Master Swim Coaches without a current Lifeguard task must attend a minimum of 2 hours of in-service training with the Aquatics Director each year.
• Current or must obtain prior to first scheduled practice: ASHI certification for CPR for the Professional Rescuer, Basic First Aid and Emergency Oxygen, and YOTS Child Abuse Prevention Training, Information Security and Awareness, Workplace Harassment and Bullying, Universal Precautions, and New Staff Orientation.
• Ability to relate effectively to diverse groups of people from all social and economic segments of the community.

Skills

• Language Skills – Ability to read, interpret, retain, and teach safety rules, maintenance instructions, and aquatics education manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of children, parents, members, and other staff, as well as in one-on-one situations.
• Mathematical Skills – Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Reasoning Ability – Ability to apply common sense, understanding, and sound judgment to carry out instructions in written, verbal, or diagram form, including assisting with curriculum learning. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations. Ability to maintain confidentiality. Ability to be sensitive and alert to the needs, feelings, and safety of others. Ability to follow YMCA policies and procedures and state health department code requirements.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Regularly required to stand, walk, talk, and hear.
• Frequently required to use hands to handle and/or feel objects, tools, and/or controls; climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, and/or crawl.
• Frequently required to reach with hands and arms and taste and smell.
• Must frequently move and/or lift up to 50 pounds.
• Possess adequate vision and hearing to safely monitor an aquatic environment and children.
• Ability to remain alert, continuously scan all areas of the pool with clear vision, and perform strenuous physical tasks necessary for a water rescue.
• Ability to hear voices, distinguish distress signals, and communicate verbally, including projecting voice across distance in both normal and loud situations.