Becoming an accredited swimming coach is the first step to developing the skills and confidence to assist swimmers to become the best they can be.
Holding current Swimming Australia coach accreditation is the minimum requirement for coaching competitive squads within swimming clubs or other facilities and to be able to coach on pool deck at swim meets.
The Coach Accreditation Pathway
Australian swimming coaches gain their accreditation through a multi-level competency-based training system that helps the coach develop knowledge and practical skills to improve their coaching ability over their career. The 3-tier coaching accreditation framework comprise the following levels: Development, Advanced and Performance.
Gaining Accreditation as a Swimming Coach
Achieving accreditation as a swimming coach ensures coaches meet the minimum standards required to be able to run or oversee competitive squads or coach at competitive meets.
Gaining accreditation as a swimming coach
- New accreditation
- Development Coach certificate
- Working with Children Check
- First Aid (HLTAID003)
- CPR (HLTAID001)
- Safe Sport
- ASADA Level 1
- Advanced Coach certificate
- Working with Children Check
- First Aid (HLTAID003)
- CPR (HLTAID001)
- Safe Sport
- ASADA Level 1
- ASADA Level 2
- ASADA Coaching course
- Matchfixing
- Performance Coach certificate
- Working with Children Check
- First Aid (HLTAID003)
- CPR (HLTAID001)
- Safe Sport
- ASADA Level 1
- ASADA Level 2
- ASADA Coaching course
- Matchfixing
- How to apply for accreditation
- Login to Swim Central
- Go to My Accreditations
- Click on What’s Available
- Search for 'Swimming Aus’ and select the accreditation you wish to obtain.
- Click on the Accreditation Type of your choice in the list to see the document requirements for that accreditation
- Check to see you meet the document requirements (you will see a green tick next to each validated document)
- If you are missing any of document requirements for the accreditation, upload your evidence by clicking Upload or by going to My Documents
- Once all document requirements have been met and validated, you will be eligible to apply for that accreditation. Click Apply
- Renew your accreditation
- Insurance
The following document requirements are to be met for a coach to be eligible for coach accreditation at each level:
Development Accreditation
Advanced Accreditation
Performance Accreditation
ASCTA membership is also required to be maintained at each level.
Accreditation is administered within our membership and events system, Swim Central. Once the document requirements are met, you can request accreditation by following these steps:
Reaccreditation must be completed on Swim Central. Download the Application form and then follow the steps in the document Instructions for reaccrediting.
Being insured as a swimming coach is an important step in ensuring you protect your livelihood and reputation. The Australian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association provide access to Swim Insurance products tailored to your needs.
Click here to find out more.
FAQ's
- How long does my accreditation last?
- What is a Document Requirement for accreditation?
- What should I do with my documents?
- If one of my documents expires (eg WWCC or First Aid), does my whole accreditation expire?
- How do I renew my accreditation?
- What age do I have to be before I can become an accredited swimming coach?
- Can I enrol in a coaching course or attend a course workshop when I am 16, and then wait until I am 17 to gain my accreditation?
- What is the minimum accreditation level to be able to coach?
- When does the new First Aid requirement come into place?
Coach accreditation is valid for 3 years.
A Document Requirement for accreditation is a component qualification or standard required to be met for each accreditation level. Each accreditation level has a bundle of Document Requirements which must all be met for the coach to be eligible for that accreditation. The Document Requirements for each accreditation can be found under Gaining Accreditation as a swimming coach > New accreditation.
All documents need to be scanned and uploaded into your profile in Swim Central under My Documents. Once uploaded, all documents will be verified by either your State Association, Swimming Australia or ASCTA (depending on the document).
If successfully verified, your document will show with a green tick within any product or accreditation which has that document as a requirement.
Yes. You must keep all documents required within your accreditation valid. If any one of the document requirements of your accreditation expires, your accreditation will become invalid until that document is updated.
Details on how to renew your accreditation can be found in the section, Renew my accreditation, under the Coach Accreditation page.
The minimum age for becoming an accredited swimming coach is 17. However, you also need to meet other prerequisite requirements for coaching course enrolment to be eligible for accreditation.
No. There is a prerequisite requirement for enrolment in the Development Coaching Course that you have held Swim Australia Teacher of Competitive Swimming or AUSTSWIM Teacher of Towards Competitive Strokes certification for a minimum of 6 months. The minimum age for obtaining certification as a Swim Teacher is 17 therefore you cannot enrol in the Development Coaching Course before you are 17.
Coaches and swim teachers must only instruct to the level which their qualification dictates. Development Coach Accreditation is the minimum standard for coaches to be running / overseeing competitive squads or coaching at competitive meets.
From 1 July 2019 onwards, any coach applying for new accreditation at any level (first time accreditation or upgrading accreditation to a higher level) or renewing their accreditation will require First Aid HLTAID003.
