The International Swim Coaches Association (ISCA) has launched an online education program for swim coaches and teachers. The program offers evidence-based, sport-specific curriculum and a pathway for ISCA certification to recognize educational achievement.
“Coaches haven’t had access to an education program like this. It’s all online, it’s easy to use, and it provides the basic understanding of science needed by coaches to succeed,” said ISCA President Doug Fonder. According to Fonder, any coach who hopes to prepare swimmers for elite levels of competition must know and apply proven scientific principles. Fonder notes that many of today’s coaches entered the profession with little more than their personal swimming history. “Being a former swimmer – even an Olympian – is simply not enough preparation for elite coaching.”
ISCA’s education program offers courses in three core subjects (biomechanics, physiology, and psychology) taught by instructors that are professionals in their respective fields.
Psychology instructor Dr. John Heil works with swimmers and coaches and is a licensed psychologist at Roanoke Psychiatric Health.
Biomechanics instructor Dr. Rod Havriluk, President of Swimming Technology Research, based in Richmond, is a sport scientist and former swim coach currently consulting with coaches, teams, and swimmers internationally.
Physiology instructor, Dr. Joel Stager, is the Director at the Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming in Bloomington, IN. Stager has worked with many of the world’s top swimming organizations.
The ISCA Coach Education and Certification Program aims to establish an international standard of understanding and applying science for swim coaches and teachers. There are plans to expand the program to include science-based courses on subjects such as Dryland Training, Nutrition, and Injury Prevention, as well as to add additional levels of certification. The program is now available in English to any coach or prospective coach and will soon be available in Spanish. Plans are to translate the program to other languages as quickly as possible.
In a sport where winners and losers are separated by hundredths of a second, science plays a pivotal role in success at every level. ISCA’s Education Program will help prepare coaches to use science for overall success—for the athletes they work with and for themselves professionally.
— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with swimisca.org. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.