Why teaching swimming is a great option for students

Teaching swimming can be the perfect accompaniment to life in higher education.

Flexible working hours, competitive rates of pay and the confidence gained from running classes are just some of the benefits.

As a result, thousands of students complete Swim England Qualifications’ Level 1 Swimming Assistant (Teaching) and Level 2 Teaching Swimming courses every year.

Twenty-two-year-old Abi Watson is a student and swimming teacher. Working at the University of Birmingham Sports and Fitness Centre around her studies, she has been teaching for almost seven years.

“Because of the flexible working hours, it fits in really well with my university degree and with what I want to do in the future,” Abi said. “It’s always going to be something I want to keep doing.

“Having been a swimmer growing up, it seemed like a very natural progression to want to give something back to others and stay involved in the sport.

“Teaching swimming is also something I really enjoy and, having watched other teachers throughout my swimming career, it was always something that I wanted to get involved with.”

Abi is among the swimming teachers and assistants featured in Swim England Qualifications’ ‘Training To Become A Swimming Teacher’ video. Here, she outlines her favourite things about her job and advice to aspiring swimming teachers.

Best thing about teaching swimming

“For me, it’s when you see the little children come in when they’re aged three or four and then you see them again five or six years later and they are absolutely loving life in the swimming pool and full of confidence.

“The skills that I’ve been able to give them will stay with them for the rest of their lives and they are going to carry on swimming.”

Most memorable moment

“That was when I was involved in disability learn to swim.

“We had a little autistic boy, who had never been in the water before and was absolutely terrified of that environment.

“After a lot of hard work we managed to help him get his five-metre badge so he was able to swim.

“That gave him the skills then to carry on and he had a big smile on his face when he was doing it!”

Advice to budding swimming teachers

“If someone is considering going into swimming teaching for the first time, just do it and enjoy it!

“You’re not going to regret it at all. There’s so much support around from the other swimming teachers and support staff.

“They will really help you and you’ll become more confident as a result.”

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