September 2009

Coaching Requirements

To become a registered USA-S coach, the two steps below must be completed—the order in which they are completed is not important.  After they are completed, the coach registers through the MS Office by mailing copies of the safety certifications (both sides of the card are required), a completed non-athlete application and the membership fee.  Do not submit originals of the safety certifications.

·        Safety Certifications:  Prior to registering, a coach must have current acceptable safety certifications in the following courses:  CPR, First Aid (FA) and Safety Training for Swim Coaches (STSC), or the equivalent.  The list of currently acceptable courses “Requirements and Equivalents” is available on the MS and on the USA-S websites.  Only courses on the current list are acceptable so be sure to review the list carefully.

·        Background Screening:  All coaches are required to successfully complete a Background Screening through the USA-S background screen provider.  It is the coach’s responsibility to renew their Background Screening every two years.  See the information on the MS website for instructions on how to complete this screen.

Educational Requirement:  Before the coach registers for the second year, s/he must successfully complete the Foundations of Coaching test.  This test includes basic swimming coaching knowledge as well as the rules and regulations of USA-S.  This test is provided online at the USA-S website (www.usaswimming.org).  There is no fee for this course and it may be taken until it is successfully passed.  Once a coach has met the exam requirements, USA-S will notify the MS Office.

Length of Coach Memberships:  Coach memberships will be valid until 31 December of the registration year or until one of the safety certifications or the BG screen expires, whichever occurs first.  The expiration dates for each safety credential and the BG screen, as well as the expiration date of the coach membership, are always printed on the coach card which is mailed to each coach member.  An updated coach card will be issued to the coach whenever s/he submits a new CPR, FA, STSC card or updates the BG screen. 

Best Practice:  If coaches renew all safety certifications which are set to expire during the upcoming swim year and the BG Screen during August or September and then renew the USA-S membership in September/October, they will not risk having their coach membership expire during the middle of the swim year.