Coaching at RSTA
RSTA is a wonderful employment opportunity for our swimmers. All of the league's coaches and lifeguards began as swimmers in the league years ago. In addition to earning a good paycheck, all employees work in a safe, supportive, and fun environment. Our many employees continue to apply and work for the league year after year. Their reasons include: obtaining valuable work experience; instilling self-confidence and leadership skills; developing problem solving, communication, and time management skills; improving conflict resolution and team building techniques; and inspiring individuals to be the very best they can.
Coaching applications for the summer season generally go out in mid-February and are due in early March.
RSTA endeavors to hire the best-qualified coaching staff possible following the guidelines established by the RSTA bylaws and those of the Personnel Committee. The Personnel Committee of the RSTA Board supervises the coaching staff. Coaching staff members are contracted to refine our swimmers’ skills and to teach competitive swimming.
The coaching staff’s duties include but are not limited to:
• Attendance at all meets and practices of the team to which they are assigned
• Maintaining safe practice, warm up, and competition conditions for all swimmers
• Knowledge and application of all rules and regulations as adopted by RSTA
• Taking attendance at practices
• Planning meet strategy and completing entry sheets for their own team for each meet
• Posting a Team Entry List at each meet so swimmers and parents know in what events each swimmer is entered in the meet
• Overall supervision of all team members during practices and meets, with constant direct supervision of swimmers
• Setting up and cleaning up team areas and pools for both practices and meets
• Setting up and cleaning up team areas and pool for Individual Medley and All Star meets
• Promoting team spirit
• Conducting two sets of Performance Reviews (mid-season & end-season) on the coaching staff of their team
• Attending one session of the “Rusty Guard” training conducted by Reston Association (RA) each year
• Maintaining current American Red Cross Lifeguarding certifications
• Recognizing and responding to emergencies within the scope of your training
• Participating in emergency rescues/care as required
• Providing first aid for any injuries sustained during practice and fully documenting incident for reporting to RA
• Ensuring proper use and care of equipment
• Abiding by and enforcing Fairfax County Health Department and RA rules
• Communicating concerns to team managers and RA staff
• Other duties as assigned by the Personnel Committee.
Questions, compliments, comments, or concerns about the coaching staff should be directed to the Personnel Committee, your team personnel representatives, or your team managers.
Coaching Positions
Head Coach
Qualifications
• Must be 18 by May 15 of the current year
• American Red Cross Lifeguard/CPR/AED certification
• Pool Operations License
• All required credentials are current as of May 15 through July 31 of the current year
Practice and Swim Meet Responsibilities
• Provide a safe and fun swimming environment for all team members
• Demonstrate and promote good sportsmanship at all times
• Perform pool operations prior to the beginning of each practice and record all necessary information for RA
• Develop activities for each practice
• Utilize the team’s white board to identify those daily practice activities
• Encourage all swimmers during practice and offer developmental feedback to swimmers as appropriate
• Ensure that all swimmers and coaching staff are treated with respect and fairness
• Schedule the weekly meet stroke selection meeting at a time when the entire coaching staff is available and enter selections into Team Unify
• Lead the weekly meet stroke selection meeting with the team’s coaching staff
• Participate in selecting the weekly meet theme
• Cheer for all swimmers during the weekly meet
• Lead team cheers during the swim meet
• Train all coaches
• Organize set-up for all home swim meets
• Ensure all chairs are returned to an orderly arrangement; all trash around the pool is collected and removed at the end of practice and after swim meets
• Complete assigned responsibilities for IM’s and All Stars assigned by the personnel chairperson
Administrative Responsibilities
• Notify the personnel committee representative for the pool immediately by e-mail if you are going to be late or unable to attend practice for whatever reason. The personnel committee rep will notify the managers.
• Attend the preseason coaches’ meeting
• Attend the “Rusty Guard Training” conducted by the RA
• Attend the mid-season coaches’ meeting
• Submit a mid-season evaluation of each team coaching staff member to your team personnel representative and personnel chairperson by the date determined by the league
• Submit new league employee and tax paperwork to your Team Personnel Rep no later than the date determined by the league
• Submit all coaches’ timesheets to your Team Personnel Rep and the personnel chairperson no later than 12 noon on the day they are due
• Facilitate the end-of-season awards preparation for their team
• Return the team white board to Team Managers at the end of season
Senior Assistant Coach
Qualifications
• Must be at least 18 years of age as of May 15 of the current year
• American Red Cross Lifeguard/CPR/AED certification
• Pool Operations License
• All required credentials are current as of May 15 through July 31 of the current year
Practice and Swim Meet Responsibilities
• Provide a safe and fun swimming environment for all team members
• Demonstrate and promote good sportsmanship at all times
• Perform pool operations in the absence of the head coach and record all necessary information as required by RA
• Assist the head coach in developing activities for each practice
• Assist the head coach in ensuring daily practice activities are posted on the white board
• Encourage all swimmers during practice and offer developmental feedback to swimmers, as appropriate
• Ensure that all swimmers and coaching staff are treated with respect and fairness
• Assist the head coach in leading the weekly meet stroke selection meeting with the team’s coaching staff
• Participate in selecting the weekly meet theme
• Cheer for all swimmers during the weekly meet
• Lead team cheers during swim meets
• Assist the head coach in training all coaches
• Assist in organizing the set-up for all home meets
• Ensure all chairs are returned to an orderly arrangement; all trash around the pool is collected and removed at the end of practice
• Complete assigned responsibilities for IMs and All Stars assigned by the personnel chairperson
Administrative Responsibilities
• Notify the head coach and personnel chairperson immediately by e-mail if you are going to be late or unable to attend practice for whatever reason
• Attend the preseason coaches’ meeting
• Attend the “Rusty Guard Training” conducted by the RA
• Attend the mid-season coaches’ meeting
• Submit a mid-season evaluation of each team coaching staff member to your team personnel representative and personnel chairperson by the date determined by the league
• Submit new league employee and tax paperwork to your Team Personnel Rep no later than the date determined by the league
• Submit their timesheet to the head coach by 11 AM on the date it is due
• Submit an end of season evaluation on each team coaching staff member to your team personnel representative and personnel chairperson by the date assigned by the personnel committee
• Participate in the end-of-season paper plate awards preparation for their team
Assistant Coach
Qualifications
• Must be 16 by May 15 of the current year
• American Red Cross Lifeguard/CPR/AED certification
• All required credentials are current as of May 15 through July 31 of the current year
Practice and Swim Meet Responsibilities
• Provide a safe and fun swimming environment for all team members
• Demonstrate and promote good sportsmanship at all times
• Help set up lane lines prior to practice and take lane lines down after practice
• Expected to assist swimmers assigned to their lane with stroke corrections and/or technique during both practices in whatever fashion deemed appropriate by the Head Coach
• Encourage all swimmers during practice
• Ensure that all swimmers and coaching staff are treated with respect and fairness
• Participate in the weekly meet stroke selection meeting
• Participate in selecting the weekly meet theme
• Ensure that members of relay teams are on time for their event(s) during the weekly meet
• Cheer for all swimmers during weekly meets
• Participate in team cheers during swim meets
• Assist in setting up for home swim meets
• Ensure all chairs are returned to an orderly arrangement; all trash around the pool is collected and removed at the end of practice and after swim meets
• Complete responsibilities for IMs and All Stars as assigned by the personnel chairperson
Administrative Responsibilities
• Notify the head coach and personnel chairperson immediately by e-mail if you are going to be late or unable to attend practice for whatever reason
• Attend the preseason coaches’ meeting
• Attend the “Rusty Guard Training” conducted by the RA
• Attend the mid-season coaches’ meeting
• Submit a mid-season evaluation of each team coaching staff member to your team personnel representative and personnel chairperson by the date determined by the league
• Submit new league employee and tax paperwork to your Team Personnel Rep no later than the date determined by the league
• Submit their timesheet to the head coach by 11 AM on the date it is due
• Submit an end of season evaluation on each team coaching staff member to your team personnel representative and personnel chairperson by the date assigned by the personnel committee
• Participate in the end-of-season paper plate awards preparation for their team
Age Group Coach
Qualifications
• Must be 16 by May 15 of the current year
• American Red Cross Lifeguard/CPR/AED certification
• All required credentials are current as of May 15 through July 31 of the current year
Practice and Swim Meet Responsibilities
• Provide a safe and fun swimming environment for all team members
• Demonstrate and promote good sportsmanship at all times
• Help set up lane lines prior to practice and take lane lines down after practice
• Expected to assist swimmers assigned to their lane with implementing practice and stroke corrections during the first practice and participating as a swimmer during the second practice
• Encourage all swimmers during practice
• Ensure that all swimmers and coaching staff are treated with respect and fairness
• Participate in the weekly meet stroke selection meeting
• Participate in selecting the weekly meet theme
• Ensure that members of relay teams are on time for their event(s) during the weekly meet
• Cheer for all swimmers during weekly meets
• Participate in team cheers during swim meets
• Assist in setting up for home swim meets
• Ensure all chairs are returned to an orderly arrangement; all trash around the pool is collected and removed at the end of practice and after swim meets
• Complete responsibilities for IM’s and All Stars as assigned by the personnel chairperson
Administrative Responsibilities
• Notify the head coach and personnel representative immediately by e-mail if you are going to be late or unable to attend practice for whatever reason
• Attend the preseason coaches’ meeting
• Attend the “Rusty Guard Training” conducted by the RA
• Attend the mid-season coaches’ meeting
• Submit a mid-season evaluation of each team coaching staff member to your team personnel representative and personnel chairperson by the date determined by the league
• Submit new league employee and tax paperwork to your Team Personnel Rep no later than the date determined by the league
• Submit their timesheet to the head coach by 11 AM on the date it is due
• Submit an end of season evaluation on each team coaching staff member to your team personnel representative and personnel chairperson by the date assigned by the personnel committee
• Participate in the end-of-season paper plate awards preparation for their team
Coach-in-Training
Qualifications
• Must be 15 by May 15 of the current year
• American Red Cross Lifeguard/CPR/AED certification
• If applicant is 15 years of age they must have obtained Virginia Working Papers dated by May 15 of the current year
• All required credentials are current as of May 15 through July 31 of the current year
Practice and Swim Meet Responsibilities
The following duties will be completed with a full-time Coach:
• Provide a safe and fun swimming environment for all team members
• Demonstrate and promote good sportsmanship at all times
• Help set up lane lines prior to practice and take lane lines down after practice
• Expected to assist swimmers assigned to their lane with implementing practice and stroke corrections during the first practice as established by the Head Coach and participating as a swimmer during the second practice
• Encourage all swimmers during practice
• Ensure that all swimmers and coaching staff are treated with respect and fairness
• Participate in selecting the weekly meet theme
Administrative Responsibilities
• Notify the head coach and your team personnel representative immediately by e-mail if you are going to be late or unable to attend practice for whatever reason
• Attend the preseason coaches’ meeting
• Attend the “Rusty Guard Training” conducted by the RA
• Attend the mid-season coaches’ meeting
• Submit a mid-season evaluation of each team coaching staff member to your team personnel representative and personnel chairperson by the date determined by the league
• Submit new league employee and tax paperwork to your Team Personnel Rep no later than the date determined by the league
• Submit their timesheet to the head coach by 11 AM on the date it is due
• Submit an end of season evaluation on each team coaching staff member to your team personnel representative and personnel chairperson by the date assigned by the personnel committee
