Swim England Para-Swimming Coach Pathway

The Swim England Para-Swimming Talent team recognises that in order to create a leading talent development system that assists the progression of talented para-swimmers within Swim England clubs along the Para-Swimming Pathway, the role of a coach is key.

Our Para-Swimming Coach Pathway aims to provide coaches with opportunities to further develop their knowledge, skills, tools for reflection, behaviours and experience of working with Para-Swimmers.

The role of the coach is key in assisting the progression of talented para-swimmers within Swim England clubs.

At each stage of the pathway there is an opportunity to work with swimmers who have a range of impairments.

Each stage also offers progressive and interactive coach development in varying forms such as poolside and land training observation and delivery, coach workshops, presentations, bespoke 1-1 coach development, para-swimming ROCK podcasts, para-swimming resources and access to specialists.

Regional Training

All coaches and teachers can access Regional Training within their home region to gain experience of working with swimmers who have different impairments and learn from experienced coaches.

Coaches with experience of working with para-swimmers will be selected as a skills or development coach at regional training sessions. Each training session will have swimmers from a variety of classifications attending.

Skills and development coaches will also take part in a number of workshops to further develop their knowledge base of para-swimming.

Regional Para-Swimming Lead Coach

Regional lead coaches work closely with Swim England’s Para-Swimming Talent Coach (PSTC) to lead the delivery of the training programme across all training sessions. The lead coach will lead a team of skills and development coaches during the sessions and deliver the land-based elements of the sessions.

The lead coach(es) will be trained and supported by the PSTC to assess swimmers for them to be placed on the classification waiting list.

National Para-Swimming Coach Development Programme

Coaches with a para-swimmer at their home club who is competing at a national level (British Summer Champs or Swim England Summer Meet) can apply to be on the National Coach Development Programme. A coach should express their interest to one of the Para-Swimming Talent Coaches in the first instance.

Coaches will gain access to England Para-Swimming Talent camps, ROCK podcasts, coach scheme of work and interactive workshops.

Coaches selected for the National Para-Swimming Coach Development Programme Level 1 and 2 will gain additional support from the Para-Swimming Talent Coaches and complete a coaches scheme of work.

The National Coach Development Programme will equip the coach with more skills and behaviours to enable them to deliver high quality training sessions within a positive learning environment for the benefit of all swimmers.

England Para-Swimming Programme Coach

Para-Swimming Talent Coaches will select coaches who live and breathe the ROCK values to become assistant coaches to the Para-Swimming Talent Coaches at national training camps and competitions within the England Para-Swimming Programme.

Further information

If you are interested in these opportunities please contact Tom McManus on [email protected].