Frequently asked questions

Our lesson program is based on the Station Method. Starting with Air Exchange, each station builds on the skills learned previously. 

• Students work in the same station until they have completed the required goals. Because of this, the students are always in a class with others working on the same skills. Students never feel left behind or frustrated by others' lack of skills. 
• Each class starts with a review of skills learned previously. This reinforces the importance of each foundational skill. 
• The goals for each station are simple to understand and not overwhelming. This makes it easier for the coaches to teach, the students to grasp, and the parents to appreciate. 
• We believe that good swimming is safe swimming. Because we are run by the American Swimming Coaches Association, SwimAmerica uses the most logical and up-to-date methods to get students swimming with good technique in the quickest way possible. 
• SwimAmerica rewards success. When a student moves to the next station, they are recognized by the community for a job well done. Many programs incorporate a hearty cheer for every student moving up at the end of each class. This can be highly motivating for the student – accelerating the learning process. 
• There is always a Program Director or Site Supervisor on deck during lessons. This assures the quality of every lesson with the person in this position helping the coaches when necessary, talking to parents, and making sure transitions between lessons are smooth and safe. 
  

Covers license ($2,500.00) and first year fee ($1,000.00).

When you purchase a license from SwimAmerica, you get a program in a box – ready to start in less than a month with all the training, materials needed, and support. 

• Zoom training for 1 Program Director.
• Zoom training for 1 Site Supervisor.
• Manuals for the Infant, School Age, and Adult Programs.
• Access to logo package.
• An Internationally respected and recognized brand.
• Monthly informational newsletters.

The yearly fee of $1,000.00 not only gets you all the following, it also goes to supporting the National program. 

• 400 SwimAmerica certificates & 2 rolls of stickers & unlimited level 10 stickers per agreement year.
• EX: If you sign up in March, the agreement year is March to March.
• Unlimited trainings for your Coaches.
• Unlimited support from staff and other Program Directors.
• Wholesale pricing for SwimAmerica equipment on our SwimOutlet sight.
• Listing on the Locator Map on the SwimAmerica website.
• Program promotion on National Social Media.
• Monthly Program Director Meetings.
• Access to a Program Director Idea Exchange Group on Facebook.
• Access to prior Program Director Meetings.
• Access to unlisted/private YouTube videos (currently under construction).

A SwimAmerica license can only be owned by a Level 2 certified ASCA Coach who is a member in good standing. This gives the coach leverage in many ways when negotiating with a facility and gives more control than had with other programs. When a Program Director leaves a facility, the license will leave with the Program Director. Therefore, the facility will have to find a new individual to become a Program Director to continue their program.

As long as you maintain your ASCA membership and continue with the monthly/yearly payment, your program will be in good standing and your license will be valid. These fees pay for the benefits listed above.

To keep your program compliant. If your program is no longer compliant, you will not receive any of the benefits outlined above.

The Program Director owns the SwimAmerica license and usually oversees all elements of the program. The Site Supervisor works with the Program Director and is on-deck during lessons. If you are a one-facility program running limited lessons, you might not need a Site Supervisor. This happens regularly.

Program Director & Site Supervisor

• They have many of the same responsibilities working with the coaches, students, and parents on deck, therefore, they will take the same course.
• The Zoom training is offered on the last Saturday or Sunday depending on the month and lasts 4 hours.
• The class gives an overview of the teaching methodology for each age group and tips on how to run your program successfully.
• Upon completion of the training the candidates must read through the children’s and adult manuals and take a test that should be completed within one month of taking the class.

Coaches

• The coaches watch a 4-hour online training that outlines the methodologies they will use in the classes they teach.
• The Program Director will use the PowerPoint program we provide and do another in-person training with their coaches to outline best practices and important information on how that specific program operates. 
• A coaches’ training is ongoing. The Program Director or Site Supervisor should take time at the beginning and end of each session to go over any issues or new tools for teaching they feel should be reviewed. These 5-to-10-minute gatherings can be very valuable to a coach’s development as a teacher.

Because these people are developing their ability to recognize the most technically correct strokes. We are not only teaching swimming, we are teaching great swimming and your coaches need to understand how to get your students to accomplish this.

SwimAmerica is flexible in many ways including the length of each lesson. Many of our programs use 30 minute lessons with others doing 45 minutes. One way to consider this is in stations 1-5, there are no more than 3 goals for each station, making it possible to review, offer instruction, and practice in a half hour. Students in stations 6-10 are working on longer distances and more advanced skills. Because of this, many of our programs use 45 minutes for these classes. In the end, you will determine what works for your program and the goals you have for the swimmers taking part.

This answer depends on your own situation. Do you have pool space available throughout the year on a weekly basis, taking payment from a credit card on file is much easier than having to re-register at the end of each session. Once again, the amount of water you have and the time you have it will guide this decision.

No, you will have to obtain your own, but our preferred vendor is Risk Management Services.

No, you can use whatever platform you would like, but our preferred partner is Captyn.

Please see our “What We Teach” pages for more information on each age group!