Coaches Education

A swimmer’s favorite words to hear from a coach are “Good job.” But nothing compares to hearing, “We are starting our taper.” That moment feels like the first breath after the final turn in a 200-meter backstroke. The grind of a swim season is hard, and swimmers feel it all year. The work is necessa...

5 Drills to Improve Your Underwaters: Improving a Key Aspect of Racing Underwaters are one of the most important parts of a race. That fact is confirmed by watching any elite-level swim. The fastest swimmers stay underwater for an extended period, using strong, powerful kicks to propel themselves fa...

The Power of a Positive Mindset: How Your Thoughts Can Change Your Swimming  You can train harder than anyone else in the pool, but if you don’t believe in yourself, it’s tough to reach your full potential. The truth is, your mindset matters just as much as your physical strength. What you tell your...

The American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) will kick off 2026 with one of its most popular regional events — the Pacific Swim Coaches Clinic, returning January 9–11, 2026, at the Napa Valley Marriott in Napa, California. This year’s lineup features coaching legend Bob Bowman of the University ...

The Fifth Stroke: Dolphin Kick Drills That Can Improve Performance By Mark McCluskey, Swimming World College Intern In recent years, we have consistently watched the sport of swimming develop and grow as we discover ways to become faster. One of the biggest discoveries is the importance of dolphin k...

Beyond the First Second: Mastering the Underwater Start The first second of a race begins on the block, but it does not end there. It may start the race, but the following factors write the story. A clean entry can give a swimmer the lead, yet it is only one piece of the equation. A swimming race is...

New Awards for Age Group Swimmers Coming in 2026 Every sport has its marquee night. For USA Swimming, that spotlight has long belonged to this weekend’s Golden Goggles, where Olympians and National Team stars are celebrated. What about the next generation building the sport from the bottom up? That’...

Dean Boxall Honored at SWIM Coaches & Teachers Australia Awards Gala (Full List of Winners) Swim School of the year Metro – iSwim @ Immanuel; Swim School of the Year Regional Prouse Swim School Coach of the Year Michael Sage Teacher of the Year Liz Corr Master Coach award to Michael Bohl and Dean Bo...

What Your Favorite Piece of Equipment Says About You  Every swimmer knows the feeling of digging through their mesh bag during practice. The fins are wedged under the paddles, the snorkel is somehow twisted into the straps of the mesh bag, and the pull buoy is always missing when you need it most. S...

Dick Shoulberg Honored with ISHOF Lifetime Achievement Award A multi-time Olympic coach and the man behind the powerhouse Foxcatcher/Germantown Academy program, Richard "Dick" Shoulberg was honored on Saturday night by the International Swimming Hall of Fame. At ISHOF's annual awards ceremony, Shoul...

The Importance of Qualitative Measures in Swim Coaching By Brad Jones In modern swim coaching, it is easy to become enamored with numbers. Stroke counts, power outputs, lactate levels, and spreadsheets can give the impression that performance can be fully captured in data. These tools are valuable, ...

Todd DeSorbo Leads List of ASCA Coach of the Year Winners The American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA), holding its World Clinic in Reno, has announced the names of its Coach of the Year recipients. The announcement revealed that the University of Virginia's Todd DeSorbo has been named the 2025 ...

Dave Durden: Running Toward the Fire, Building Efficiency and Finding Joy in Coaching Dave Durden, the head coach of the University of California men’s and women's swimming programs and a U.S. Olympic coach, has built his career on resilience, precision, and an unwavering commitment to learning. In ...

ASCA Coaches Receive Timely Updates on Leadership, Coaching and Performance At the ASCA World Clinic in Reno, coaches are receiving timely insights on leadership changes, international performance, and a shared vision for the future of the sport. Swimming World continues to provide the most up-to-da...

Will USRPT Grow Through Group Training? Coach Peter Andrew Begins Hawaii Experiment In sports, evolution is essential. New science and research lead to constant growth, as we find new methods to create greater performance. It’s a movement that has touched swimming time and time again, from the emerg...

Inside USA Artistic Swimming’s Plans for the Swim Jet USA Artistic Swimming has partnered with aquatic innovators iGarden, unveiling the Swim Jet P Series—a cutting-edge solution designed to transform pools into elite-level training environments. [caption id="attachment_621583" align="alignleft" wi....

[caption id="attachment_621577" align="alignleft" width="217"] Coronado Swim Team Elite[/caption] Coronado Swim Team Elite (CSTE) has announced the hiring of Sam Hoekstra as its new Head Coach, following a nationwide search led by International Swimming Hall of Fame inductee and four-time U.S. Olymp...

The Professional Swim Coach Course Book: How to Develop a Successful Team Culture The following is the second in a two-part series highlighting the impactful coursework offered in The Professional Swim Coach, a manual from The World Swimming Coaches Association. This content addresses the all-import...

ASCA Announces Finalists for George Haines Coach of the Year Award The American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) has announced the five finalists for its annual George Haines Coach of the Year Award. All five coaches guided athletes to medals at the World Championships in Singapore. The finalists...

How Swimmers and Coaches Can Collaboratively Use Information at Their Fingertips We’ve all seen the sports movie. Darkness surrounds our hero, as he studies the greatest athletes in the sport late at night. How can he improve? Will he rise to their level and win it all? It can be applied to almost a...