Work for Tsunami

The Learn to Swim (LTS) program takes place on Sunday afternoons during the school year over the course of five 6-week sessions with 40-minute classes. All school year classes are held at St. Michaels pool in Spotsylvania. Over the Summer, LTS is held outdoors at Ferry Farm pool in Stafford between 10am and Noon for three 2-week sessions, each consisting of eight 30-minute classes. Tsunami’s LTS program seeks to prepare swimmers for eventual participation in competitive swimming. With this goal in mind, all instructors are required to use competitive swimming terminology when instructing students on the basics of swimming and stroke technique (ie, freestyle instead of front crawl, bilateral breathing instead of rotary breathing).

The Swim & Stay Fit (SSF) program takes place during the school year in 6-week sessions, with hour-long classes either one or two days per week. Over the Summer, we offer two 3-week sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. SSF is for all ages, children through adult, and encourages fitness and good stroke technique. Many RSL swimmers use SSF to stay in shape throughout the school year. Participants are instructed in all four competitive strokes, starts, turns, and are timed in each stroke on their last day of class.

Applicants must be comfortable working with swimmers of all ages, from 4 through adult. Certifications for LTS and SSF are not required and on-the-job training can be provided. Lifeguards must have current certification, including CPR and First Aid. Assistant Coaches for the competitive team must be USA Swimming certified prior to being on deck with the team.

Responsibilities:

• Provides swim instruction based on the Tsunami Swimming LTS & SSF curriculum
• Enforces pool safety rules and regulations to prevent accidents
• Continually evaluates swimmers’ progress and completes required skills checklists on a regular basis
• Uses creative ideas and techniques to identify and resolve challenges that swimmers face
• Attends all scheduled classes and trainings, arriving at least 10 minutes ahead of the class each week
• In cases of a known planned absence, notifies Tsunami staff at least 2 weeks in advance
• Please note: If instructors cannot attend more than 65% of the scheduled classes during a particular 6-week session, they may be taken off the schedule for that session as a primary instructor and serve as a substitute instead. Regular attendance is critical to gaining the swimmers’ trust and evaluating progress.

Qualifications:

• Knowledge and/or prior experience with competitive swimming, including all 4 competitive strokes, starts and turns, and related drills
• Previous teaching/coaching experience is encouraged, but not required
• Friendly and approachable demeanor with swimmers, parents, and Tsunami staff
• Ability to follow verbal and written instructions and lesson plans, and make adjustments as needed to meet the needs of the swimmers
• Professional work-related practices of alertness, dependability, and courteousness
• Adult applicants (18+) must register with USA Swimming & pass a background check

Pay & Benefits:

• Pay starts at $14/hour, commensurate with experience
• This is a W-4, part-time hourly position offering tax withholding but no paid benefits
• Adults (18+) that work a minimum of 2 hours per week may swim free of charge with the Tsunami US Masters team
• On-the-job training and certification reimbursement (with prior approval)
• Opportunity for advancement