What Are the Requirements for Becoming a Swim Instructor?

Adopt a pastime or career that helps people get healthy and helps you stay in shape. Teaching an adult or child how to swim provides your students with a means to attain and maintain their health through exercise. A swimming teacher plays a leadership role in her community and makes a positive difference in people's lives. To become nationally certified to teach swimming lessons, you must first demonstrate specific swimming skills and proper lifesaving techniques.

Red Cross Certification: Each year swimming teachers certified by the American Red Cross teach over 2 million adults and children how to swim. Obtain a national certification to become a swim instructor when you complete the Red Cross Water Safety Instructor course. This course is commonly offered at local swimming facilities and qualifies you to teach learn-to-swim classes levels one through six, along with parent-child swimming lessons and provide water safety presentations.

Pre-Course Requirements: A qualified candidate for the Red Cross Water Safety Instructor course must be at least 17 years. You must first be an instructor for a different Red Cross course or have completed and hold a current Fundamentals of Instructor Training certification to qualify for the class. Aspiring swimming teachers are required to pass - with a grade of at least 80 percent - a performance based water skills test and a written multiple-choice exam.

The Pre-Test: You are expected to already possess strong swimming skills and have knowledge of several rescue techniques before you are permitted to sign-up for the Red Cross Water Safety Instructor course. Thirteen aquatic skills must be successfully executed during the performance portion of your pre-test. Come prepared to swim the butterfly, breast, elementary back and side strokes along with the front and back crawl for 50 yards. Expect the pre-test to also cover rescue skills including a reaching and throwing assist, as well as an armpit tow.

Course Objectives: When you complete the Red Cross Water Safety Instructor course you should be armed with the skills to prepare and conduct swimming lessons and water safety classes. You will possess the knowledge to create customized swimming classes to help your student reach his highest potential. A teacher-trainee is taught how to give corrective feedback and ensure the safety of her students. During the course, students practice stroke work peer coaching to perfect their swimming skills and engage in practice teaching. Additional information given in the course includes hydrodynamic principles, water games and fitness principles.

If you enjoyed this article on swimming, please feel free to place a link to this information in your blog or on your website.

Resources:

1 The Ohio State University: Water Safety Instructor
2 JCC of Greater Baltimore: American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor
3 Butler University: Swim Instructor Manual