Coaches Education

ASCA and Fitter & Faster Announce Top-25 Age Group Coaches of the Year The American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) and Fitter & Faster are pleased to announce the 2025 Top 25 Age-Group Coaches of the Year for small, medium and large teams. The results were compiled using a dataset provided by U...

Fun and Effective Kickboard Drills to Enhance Your Swimming Kickboard exercises are a fun way to improve your swimming skills, as well as your strength and endurance in the water as a whole. At first glance, swimmers may get the impression that the only way to use kickboards is for traditional kick ...

Scientific Research Says Music Benefits Athletic Performance Swimmers who listen to music before a race aren’t participating in a mindless task, they are utilizing a scientifically proven method to enhance their performance. Significant research has been conducted to further understand the impact th...

A Letter to Swim Coaches Everywhere: Thank You From the Archive Dear Coach, I would like to begin this letter by asking you a question. A simple, one-word question: Why? Why did you pursue this career? Why do you wake up at the most ungodly hours every day, just to inevitably scream at your swimmers...

It's mid-summer and everyone is in the pool! Now is the time to consider getting your child confident in the water. Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1–4 in the United States, and the second leading cause for kids under 14. That’s why the American Academy of Pedia.....

In this exclusive Q&A, Swimming World Publisher Jack Hallahan speaks with TYR CEO Matt DiLorenzo about the company’s landmark partnership with World Aquatics, the evolving structure of swimming, and where storytelling, sprint formats, and NIL intersect in shaping the sport’s future. For more on NCA....

Dryland Training: Six Exercises to Maintain Fitness During a Break By J.R. Rosania In this article, I have illustrated six exercises that will help both recovery and spark fun. After a season, it’s sensible to take your training down a level, but continue to do enough to maintain fitness. These exer...

Once Largely Dismissed, Data Usage is Taking Swimming Into the Future Russell Mark knew the look before coaches even had to open their mouths.  It was the early 2000s, and Mark had worked his way from a research assistant to a biomechanics analyst with USA Swimming. Using video technology, he prepar...

Winning By a Tenth: Why Starts Matter More Than Ever In swimming, just tenths or even hundredths of a second often separate medalists from non-medalists. The difference between winning and losing, standing on the podium or missing it, or qualifying for a championship final often comes down to a razo...

Whether you swim laps, play water polo, or just enjoy a dip, chlorine can leave you with red eyes, itchy skin, and dry, brittle hair. Meet TRISWIM (10% Discount for SW Readers) TRISWIM’s chlorine removal shampoo is the only personal care line made for all ages and types of swimmers. Formulated to .....

Backstroke to Breaststroke: Which Turn is Right For You? The transition from backstroke to breaststroke in the individual medley has become a major topic of discussion in the swimming world over the past decade. The crossover turn has largely dominated the competitive scene, favored almost unanimous...

New Book 'Get Going! With Competitive Swimming' Offers Insights for All Ages Just in time for the next swim season, author Mike O’Hare is set to launch “Get Going! With Competitive Swimming” — a visual, technique-packed book now available for pre-order, with shipping set to begin May 29. About the B...

Event Specialization and the Case for Varied Training: What Do Coaches Think? As a complement to an article from earlier this week, The Science Behind Specialization, by By Dr. Donald Lee Aivalotis, II, Swimming World runs this piece, which features commentary from several coaches on the topic of yo...

The Science Behind Specialization: When Should Young Swimmers Focus on Specific Events? By Dr. Donald Lee Aivalotis, II - Guest Editorial newswimmer.com As young swimmers progress through their training, a common question arises: when  should they begin specializing in specific strokes or events? Wh...

By Katie Lively, Swimming World College Intern There are a small handful of swimmers who truly dream of a career in coaching. The majority of us cringe slightly when we find out we need to figure out a way to teach our sport to an outsider. However, my own experience has shown me just how powerful t...

Applications are now being accepted for the ASCA Timothy Welsh Fellows Program. In its 23nd year, this excellent career development program aims to identify and foster future swimming coach leaders. Annually, ASCA selects a group of coaches to spend a year of research, education, and career exposure...

By Dr. G. John Mullen No two people are alike, nor are two swimmers. Look at the NCAA championships or the various conference championships and you'll see similar body types at the pool, but no two are identical. Look around your high school conference meet and you'll see a greater variance in body ...

6 Ways To Improve Your Flip Turn By Annie Grevers How many times have you been told to be quicker on your walls? Not to hesitate before flipping? Get your feet around faster? Probably quite a few times. Turns are not merely a fun accessory in swimming. They're a crucial part of our sport. How many t...

Underwater Dolphin Kicking: 5 Scientific Technique Tips By Katie Wingert, Swimming World College Intern (From the Archive) Swimmers and coaches alike love to talk about the importance of the fifth stroke: underwater dolphin kicking. But it can be overwhelming at times to understand just how to impro...

Central States Clinic Approaching with Stacked Lineup of Coaches and Olympians The 43rd Annual Central States Swim Clinic, hosted by the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA), is set to take place April 25-27, 2025, at the Hilton Oak Brook Hills in Oak Brook, Illinois. This premier event will...