What do you have to do to teach swimming lessons?

Question

My little sister and her friend are 12 and they want to teach swimming lessons. They both know haw to swim and they know how to do CPR just in case something bad happens and they both went to a swimming course with their school and my sister has been in swimming lessons since she was 4 or 5 and as she was in swimming lessons she got badges and she knows how to swim perfectly but she wants to know if her and her friend can teach swimming lessons around town and they dont know if they need a license. I said (not knowing anything) Ya they could since my little sister has the badges to prove it, but i dont know if im right so that is why im asking on Yahoo and i am really wanting to know if they can do it for some extra summer money. and i went to the same lessons that my sister went to and i got the same amount of badges as she did and im 13 so i want to know if i can do it with them for some money, and my sis' friend teaches her neighbors kid but i dont know if its leagle. Help Me Please

Answer 1

You don't necessarily have to be certified, but it's best to be hired by someone else to teach the lessons for legal and insurance reasons. That way the company or pool you work for will be able to handle any situations that may arise (though hopefully that doesn't happen).

However, 12 and 13 is too young to be legally paid by a company. Plus, if your sister and her friend have never had any experience on a swim team or teaching lessons before, they might have a hard time getting business.

I would say go to a place that teaches private lessons and offer to assist the teacher so you can learn how to teach by experience. You won't get paid, but you can probably count the hours as community service. By the time you are old enough to be paid (15 I think), you'll have some teaching experience already. You also might be able to find other jobs that you can be paid for through assisting swim lessons. Jobs like babysitting or dog walking.

Answer 2

You need to go and get certified to teach swimming lessons (at least in Canada you do).  Call the local pool or YMCA to see how you can get certified...there's usually a course you have to take.