Most, if not all, of our coaches have a background in competitive swimming. Many of us had our first exposure to coaching by watching our own coaches and then adopting the coaching practices that worked. The swimming program at PNSC is derived from the principles of the Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) program set out by Swimming Canada to promote an active and healthy lifestyle. As PNSC coaches, we regularly attend coaching meetings to share ideas, provide feedback and constructive criticism. There is so much about each stroke that there are always something new to share at each practice!

We’ve designed our warmup program with three goals in mind: injury prevention, aerobic warm-up, and strength training. Each of the activities we do have been selected to fulfill at least one, if not more, of these goals. The warmup portion complements our swim program by making sure our swimmers are physically ready for the pool and also decreases the risk of injuries such as cramps. We highlight technique correction and provide modifications for each activity to accommodate the age and physical ability of our swimmers. Under the mentorship of our head coaches, our junior leaders and/or assistant coaches are responsible for leading warmup to help them develop their leadership and coaching skills.

In addition to a competitive background in swimming, our coaching staff have taken NCCP coaching courses, lifeguard courses and in-house training provided by our senior coaches. On occasion, we have also had workshops and meetings with professional coaches to further improve the skills of our staff. Currently, we are collaborating with a PNSC parent and former swim coach, who has provided some useful insight and suggestions with us already.

The mandate for Red Cross Swim lessons is focused on learning to swim for survival and being safe in the water, which is crucial for every single child to know. For those that are interested in more, the next step is swimming with a club. A typical swim club focuses on teaching techniques that emphasize speed and enhancing efficiency in the water, increasing fitness levels with a more training-orientated swim program, and introducing skills that are not a part of swim lessons such as flip turns and the butterfly stroke.