Do you need to be an excellent swimmer to teach swimming classes?

Question

I mean, the teachers are usually not in the swimming pool while teaching, so maybe it is more about knowing how to explain the techniques??

Answer 1

You should be able to swim, and know the four basic strokes (freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and the butterfly). But no, you do not need to be an excellent swimmer. You need to have a good attitude... and lots of patience! Have fun!

Answer 2

no you dont...i dont even know if my coach ever even swam competatively, but hes the most knowlegable person on the subject that i know...he watches a lot of technique films and stuff like that, and fixes, or tries to fix, some problems with my strokes that i didnt even know i was doing...it helps if you can get in the pool at give an example, but its not a necessary part of being a coach

Answer 3

That all depends on what level you want to teach and who you're teaching for.  If you enjoy teaching little kids 3-7, and the whole purpose of the class is water introduction or basic water skills (floating, skulling, begining stroke developement) then no you need to have a good attitude and great patientce to work with young kids.  If you're teaching upper level classes then being a proficent swimmer is ideal as you should show proper technique not only in land drills but also in the water, and you have great understanding of the strokes and how to explain them.  If you're teaching swim team then again you have to have great knowledge of stroke development and be able to explain what to do properly but you don't need to be a great swimmer just proficent, my high school coach couldn't swim a l**k but he knew what he was doing.

Answer 4

it would be better if you were an excellent swimmer, but you should know how to dive off a block and do the four strokes correctly (freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, and breaststroke) and that basic swim team stuff. But you need to know what you're talking about. Like don't tell kids when they're swimming backstroke to keep their head up because you're supposed to lie it back lol. Be friendly and make it fun

good luck

Answer 5

You don't necessarily need to be "excellent" (although that would be ideal) but at minimum you should be proficient. If you have doubt's about your ability then you really shouldn't be teaching.

Answer 6

Nope, in fact some of the teachers that will teach butterfly can't actually do it themselves.