USA SWIMMING
COACH & JUNIOR COACH MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS
Click here to viiew USAS Coaches Requirement LIst
Before becoming a USA Swimming certified coach, you must complete the following. Please forward the KY Swimming office all certificates.
USA Swimming Rules: “Anyone who coaches athletes at a USA Swimming practice or competition must be a coach member of USA Swimming and must have satisfactorily completed safety training, criminal background check and other coaches’ education as required by USA Swimming.”
Requirements must be kept current at all times. There is no grace period; coach membership is not valid if any of the requirements lapse or expire. A coach does not have USA Swimming insurance coverage if his/her membership is not valid. To help coaches manage their membership requirements, the date that each requirement expires is printed on their USA Swimming coach membership card, as well as being available on the Deck Pass app and through the Club Portal. Additional information and links for each requirement can be found at https://www.usaswimming.org/coaches/coaching-membership-requirements-checklist
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION (2023 - $85)
- UNATTACHED COACHES - Contact the KY Swimming office for registrtion procedures [email protected]
- Contact your club registrar or admin for link to register with USAS
CONCUSSION PROTOCOL TRAINING (no fee)
- Coaches can take the training through the Centers for Disease Control or the National Federation of State High School Associations.
- Certificates of completion must be sent to the Kentucky Swimming office for documentation.
SAFETY TRAINING FOR SWIM COACHES (fees vary based on provider and location)
The STSC requirement consists of two components:
- American Red Cross online course and test: go directly to http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class and complete the instructions on ARC web page.
All coaches must complete the online course and test. When the course is completed, save/print the Online Content Only certificate and forward it to the Kentucky Swimming office.The certificate will have a QR code that can be traced on ARC website. The course should take 2-3 hours to complete. Coaches can exit the course at any time and log back in to resume where they left off but once they start the final exam, they need to complete it in one session. - Safety Training for Coaches in-water skills session.
There are three options for completing the in-water skills session. Find the option that works best for you and then click on the button for additional information about that option:
- STSC Option 1: COACHES WHO USE THE GENERIC IN-WATER SKILLS CHECKLIST
Print the generic STSC In-Water Skills Checklist (STSC Skills Test) and review the skills with an instructor certified by one of the organizations on the checklist - STSC Option 2: COACHES WHO HAVE AN ACCEPTABLE LIFEGUARD CERTIFICATION
- Maintain a valid lifeguard certification from an approved agency
- STSC Option 3: COACHES WHO HAVE ACCESS TO AN AMERICAN RED CROSS INSTRUCTOR
- Take the full in-water skills session from an American Red Cross instructor.
CPR/AED CERTIFICATION (fees vary based on provider and location)
- Not all CPR courses are accepted. Before taking a course, refer to the USAS accepted courses list.
- Obtain USA Swimming-approved adult & pediatric CPR/AED certification. Certification must be kept current at all times.
- Coaches who do not have access to an acceptable CPR/AED course or have taken a course that is not on this list can call their local American Red Cross chapter to challenge one of their Adult and Pediatric CPR/AED courses. The challenge involves passing the skills assessment with an ARC instructor without having to take the entire course. The ARC will charge a fee for each challenge. Call your local ARC chapter to set up a challenge.
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK ($38)
All non-athlete members must pass a criminal background check every 24 months. Please visit www.usaswimming.org/backgroundcheck for additional information and to initiate the background check.
ATHLETE PROTECTION TRAINING (no fee)
Athlete Protection Training: All non-athlete members must complete the online Athlete Protection Training course annually. The core course takes approximately 90 minutes to complete and is offered at no charge. The renewal course, offered in alternate years, is about 45 minutes long.
- Go to www.usaswimming.org/Learn for additional information and to access the course. When the course has been completed, the membership database is updated and the LSC is notified automatically.
- New members must register with Kentucky Swimming first. New members cannot initiate this course until their membership application has been processed.
USADA COACH'S ADVANTAGE TUTORIAL (no fee)
Current and previous members can access the course at any time. New members cannot begin the course until their membership applications have been processed.
- All coaches must complete the online USADA Coach’s Advantage Tutorial annually.
- The course takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and is offered at no charge.
- Go to www.usaswimming.org/learn to access the course. Results are automatically reported into the USA Swimming database upon successful completion.
JUNIOR COACH INFORMATION
What age can a junior coach be?
Junior coaches can ONLY be 16 or 17 years of age.
Can a junior coach member be designated as a head coach for a USA Swimming club member?
No, a Jr. Coach cannot be designated as a head coach of USA Swimming club member.
Is a junior coach allowed to be on deck without another non-athlete coach member on deck?
No, there must be present another non-athlete coach member who is in good standing.
If a current athlete member becomes a junior coach member, do they have to pay a second membership fee?
No. If the athlete is registered as a Premium member (not a Flex or Outreach member) for the current registration period, the second USA Swimming membership fee is waived if both memberships are under the same LSC. NOTE: LSCs are not obligated to waive their LSC membership fees that are in addition to USA Swimming membership fees.
Once a junior coach turns 18 years of age, how long do they have to complete a background check?
The junior coach has 30 days from the time they turn 18 to complete a background check. They will receive an email notification 30 days prior and another one 15 days prior to turning 18, letting them know that they must complete the background check within 30 days after turning 18.
Do junior coaches need to complete all the non-athlete coaching requirements?
Yes. Junior coaches are required to complete everything but a background check (CPR, Athlete Protection Training, Online and In-Water Safety Training and Foundations of Coaching 101 (1st year coaches) and FOC 201 & Rules and Regulations (2nd year coaching)
Memberships are processed by the KY Swimming office [email protected].
QUESTIONS - CALL 859 539-9091 or email [email protected]
