Creating Local Coach Development and Mentoring Programs

Call to Action

1. Discuss Coach Support at your next LMSC meeting
2. Share this information with the clubs and workout groups in your LMSC and encourage them to support coaches
3. Add a line item to your 2026 LMSC Budget for Coach Scholarships

AM Session Notes:

Creating Local Coach Development & Mentoring Programs – Chad Durieux, Tim Waud

1. Create a Mentoring Program – bring people together to make things happen
2. Be open to help the people (coaches) in your area
3. Be honest with the feedback and tell them what they need to do to improve – don’t skirt around the issue

What are the qualities of a good coach?

              Engaging

              Open to feedback

              Flexible

              Challenging

              Interesting workouts

              Informative

              Knows the rules of USMS

Create a support network for your coaches – use USMS Community Forums for Coaches

              LMSC or Club reimburse coaches USMS Membership

              LMSC budget to send Coaches to NCC and possibly offer scholarships

              USMS to provide 15 minute coaching video to aid new coaches and show what it looks like to be the coach on-deck.

Creating Local Coach Development and Mentoring Programs

Chad Durieux and Tim Waud

Tim gave a background on his journey becoming a coach as a platform to talk about mentoring. He was fortunate to be asked by an older experienced coach to be a coach on deck at a swim camp where he was guided in the best practices on deck with the swimmers. This led him to apply to be a coach at the Stanford swim camp where he was under the guidance of Richard Quick and Skip Kenny. After a time coaching age group and high school, he took a break and then went into Masters coaching. Bill Brenner, and his training courses, were key to teaching him about planning and coaching.

Key points: Ask questions. Watch and learn. Network with other coaches and take advantage of mentoring programs.

Tim took advantage of the USMS mentor program and was a mentor to a coach from Colorado who flew out for three days to be on deck with him. Tim went over writing workouts, technique and general coaching. He then followed up with going to meet her at her program in Colorado and being on deck with her. The relationship continues and gives them both opp0rtunities to share and learn.

Chad – LMSCs SHOULD be creating mentorship programs within their LMSC. Look for opportunities to support and connect YOUR coaches.

Chad himself benefited from an established mentorship program as a young coach in Canada. During this he had to write workouts, training plans, etc and send them to his mentor for review and comment. This gave him the knowledge and confidence to be a coach and mentor himself.  Key thing is for younger, less experienced coaches to be paired with older more experienced coaches as an ongoing program.

On the LMSC level, LMSC should be:

1. Providing financial support to their coaches for education, stipends for running clinics after getting certified, other educational opportunities.
2. Provide a mentor platform/program locally
3. Identify local mentor coaches and coaches needing/wanting mentoring
4. Train mentors in feedback and support. Honest, direct communication is the best.
5. Encourage shadowing opportunities.
6. Build financial support for all of this into LMSC budget.
7. Recognize/reward mentors and mentees in social media, newsletters, website.
8. Share success stories
9. Rotate mentors to keep program fresh.

LMSCs/Mentors and Coaches Chairs should

1. Set clear goals, objectives and assignments for mentees and mentors
2. Host regularly scheduled round table calls

Some sites with good training videos for coaches are Professional Swim Training in Oceanside | The Race Club and GoSwim

These are the notes I took - Nicole