Becoming a Swimming Australia accredited swimming coach is the first step to developing the skills and confidence to assist competitive 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.
Achieving Swimming Australia coach accreditation ensures coaches meet the minimum standards required to be able to run or oversee competitive squads or coach at competitive meets.
The first step to gaining accreditation at any level, is to complete the coaching course related to the accreditation level. Details of the Swimming Australia Coach Education courses can be found here.
Gaining accreditation as a swimming coach
- Accreditation levels and requirements
- Development Coaching Course Statement of Attainment
- Working with Children Check
- First Aid (HLTAID003 or HLTAID011)
- CPR (HLTAID001 or HLTAID009)
- Swimming Australia Safe Sport course
- Sport Integrity Australia Anti-Doping Fundamentals Course
- Advanced Coaching Course Statement of Attainment
- Working with Children Check
- First Aid (HLTAID003 or HLTAID011)
- CPR (HLTAID001 or HLTAID009)
- Swimming Australia Safe Sport course
- Sport Integrity Australia Annual Update 2022 certificate (formerly Level 2 anti-doping)
- Sport Integrity Australia Coach Course certificate
- Sport Integrity Australia Whereabouts certificate
- Sport Integrity Australia Competition Manipulation and Sports Betting certificate
- Performance Coaching Course Statement of Attainment
- Working with Children Check
- First Aid (HLTAID003 or HLTAID011)
- CPR (HLTAID001 or HLTAID009)
- Swimming Australia Safe Sport course
- Sport Integrity Australia Annual Update 2022 certificate (formerly Level 2 anti-doping)
- Sport Integrity Australia Coach Course certificate
- Sport Integrity Australia Whereabouts certificate
- Sport Integrity Australia Competition Manipulation and Sports Betting certificate
- How to check my accreditation details
- Login to Swim Central
- Go to Profiles > Accreditations
- Your current accreditations can be found under Current Status
- Click on the accreditation you want to check
- The expiry of your accreditation is found via the expiry of your Coaching ID
- All other document requirements must be maintained and remain valid (should have a green tick)
- If you see a red cross against any document, action is required
- If you see a grey question mark against any document, verification by Swimming Australia is required
- Renew your accreditation
- Insurance
Swimming Australia issues your coach accreditation within our membership and events system, Swim Central. The following document requirements are to be met for a coach to be eligible for coach accreditation at each level:
Swimming Aus Development Coach Accreditation
Swimming Aus Advanced Coach Accreditation
Swimming Aus Performance Coach Accreditation
ASCTA membership is also required to be maintained at each level.
Your accreditation is managed within Swim Central. To check your accreditation details, including expiry dates and required documents:
Reaccreditation must be completed every 3 years via Swim Central. Download the Application form. Instructions for completing Reaccreditation are provided in the Help Guide for Reaccreditation.
As a Swimming Australia Accredited Coach, you are covered for insurance by Marsh. This cover applies whilst coaching swimming activities within your scope of practice, as dictated by your level of accreditation during either; Swim club activities made up predominately of Swimming Australia Members; or Coaching for a club affiliated with a Swimming Australia State or Territory Swimming Association. For more information, visit the Marsh website here.
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?
Swimming Australia coach accreditation is valid for 3 years.
A Document Requirement for accreditation is a component 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 Profiles > Documents. Once uploaded, all documents will be verified by Swimming Australia. If successfully verified, your document will show with a green tick.
Yes. You must keep ALL documents required within your accreditation valid. If any one of the document requirements within 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 Your 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.
From 30 April 2021, every accredited coach must provide a valid First Aid (HLTAID003) and a valid CPR (HLTAID001) certificate in Swim Central for their Swimming Australia Coach Accreditation to be valid. For more information on integrity and safe sport requirements for coaches, see this page.
