Trainees: Swim Fins Certification

What is it?

Before you can teach a permanent shift on your own, you must pass a Swim Fins Certification (SFC). This is the final test where you will show everything that you've learned to a different trainer/mentor coach from the one who trained you. This new trainer/mentor will evaluate your performance and determine if you have passed your training.

Because this requires a different trainer/mentor, there is a chance that we may ask you to travel to a different school that you may not normally work at just this one time in order to complete your SFC. We thank you in advance for your flexibility in accommodating this request (if it's needed) as SFC opportunities can be limited.

When will you do it?

We schedule SFCs in the second half of the session, depending on when we are working on the following session's schedule. We aim to have all new coaches complete their SFCs by the time we make the new schedule (there are some exceptions to this for coaches who train during the summer).

Summer Trainees:

Coaches training during our Summer PREP session, or during August Summer Camps: The schedule for the following session may already be complete before you are ready for your SFC. If this happens, you will still complete your SFC near the end of your training, and we will shortlist you for a permanent shift as soon as one becomes available (it is common for shifts to become available at the beginning of the session each session).

Be prepared:

We strongly recommend that you prepare to be evaluated. You can do this by reading the Week 1 Weekly Summary and refreshing your memory on the following items, on which you will be tested:

1. First Day Procedures

2. Assessments

3. Report Card Chart

4. Open House Lesson Plans, etc. 

What does a SFC look like?

The SFC will be authentic. You will be given three classes and pretend it’s the first day of lessons. Just like any coach would on the first day, you will:

1. Execute first day procedures (to the trainer/mentor, pretending they are the parent)

2. Do Assessments

3. Create Open House Lesson Plans

4. Fill in the Report Card Chart

While you are teaching, the mentor will also be watching your safety, scanning, and protecting hotel contract.

When the SFC is over:

At the end of the SFC, your trainer/mentor will fill out an evaluation form that goes to the office informing us of whether they feel you have passed your SFC and are ready to teach a shift on your own.

If your evaluation does not come back strong enough:

You will need to do some additional volunteering to get your skills where we need them to be and try your SFC again on a voluntary basis.