Swim instructor (Summer seasonal)

About the role

Make a splash this summer while making a difference in kids’ lives! Join our aquatics team and help provide a safe, fun, and engaging experience for youth in our community. This summer position includes opportunities at two program locations, with consistent schedules that remain the same for the entire season once assigned. Staff may be scheduled at one or both sites, and double shifts may be available depending on availability.

Responsibilities

• Teaches YMCA swim lesson program classes while maintaining safe swimming conditions in the pool, deck, and surrounding areas.
• Creates a safe and positive atmosphere that promotes member safety and engagement in accordance with YMCA policies and procedures.
• Responsible for teaching YMCA swim lesson program classes of up to 12 children. Instructors must teach in the water for every class.
• Must be able to teach freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, elements of butterfly and elementary backstroke and sidestroke. Teach the correct skills for the level of class and evaluates student progress based on criteria.
• Make eye contact with students and communicate in terms of students understanding. Asks students questions to monitor their understanding and provide students with feedback on their activities. Use positive motivation.
• Use teachable moments to speak about character development and address behavior with appropriate techniques. Must be able to see all students at all times during lesson, never turns back on class. Must be skilled in observing the behavior of swimmers in the water and be ready at all times to stop dangerous behavior.
• Maintains effective, positive relationships with the members, participants and other staff. Use a variety of organizational patterns maximizing swim time for every student. Smoothly keep class moving from one activity to the other. Use teaching aids and equipment appropriately with activities and incorporate games in to classes.
• Balances working with students individually and allowing students to practice on their own. Keeps accurate attendance and all other class records current and organized. Clean area after every swim lesson class.
• Attends all staff meetings and training as required.

Qualifications

• Minimum age of 16 years.
• Proven knowledge of various swim strokes and teaching levels. Previous Experience Teaching Swim Lessons Preferred.
• Strong vocal ability to project instruction clearly during lessons. Excellent interpersonal communication and organizational skills. Strong problem-solving skills.
• Must achieve YSL or American Red Cross certification within 1st year of teaching swim lessons.

Physical Demands

• Ability to swim at least four laps (200 yards) of freestyle and be able to scissor kick (sidestroke) or breaststroke kick.
• Must be willing and able to teach in the water for each class. Must be able to enter and exit pool without assistance.
• Adequate ability to hear noises and distinguish distress signals.
• Able to lift up to 55 lbs.
• Able to communicate verbally, including projecting voice across distance in normal and loud situations.