Hello: I am on the board of a swim team in CA and we are trying to find out what the average pay per month and or hour is for coaches. I am sure it would go by experience. We have a WSI working with our Jr. swimmers and an asst. coach with 4 years high school swimming and 2 years coaching. Our head coach swam Jr. Nationals, went to college on a full scholarship and left before graduating. Has coached High School and USS swim teams for 6 years. We are constantly being told they don't make enough. Our head coach is on deck 11 hours a week with 2 groups of adv. swimmers totaling 25 swimmers. She is required to attend 1 USS meet per month. Our asst. coach works 8 hrs. per week on deck and is not required to attend 1 meet per month. Our Jr. Coach is on deck 6 hrs. per week with no meets. I have searched high and low to try to find out what a team is expected to pay their coaches. Thank you for your help.

Cindy Baarstad

-- Cindy Baarstad (baar@genesisnetwork.net), September 19, 1998

Answers

I am not a coach for a swim team but I am a swimmer on the Brunswick Y Swim Team,in Brunswick Georgia. This note is a special thanks to Coach Buddy Baarcke for all of his hard work and dedication to make his swimmers be the best that they can be. For more info. on him go to http://www.thebest.net/waterdawg. Thanks coach.-Abby Strang and Deanna Shutt-Wood

-- Abby Strang (snazzyswimmer@hotmail.com), November 27, 1998.

Well, first you need to put into persective how much time your coach spends working when you aren't there. Our season ended in November yet I put in on average 10 hours per week preparing for next season. Everything from coaching training to designing team suits. As head coach for a high school swim team I put in 20 hours per week not including weekend meets, which as you know take up the entire weekend. For all this work I get paid an outstanding $1500! As a low figure, I spend 420 hrs per year on the job for which I average $3.57/hour. Coaching is a part time job that I do because I love it--not for the money.

-- Coach April (aprylwuv@aol.com), March 19, 1999.

Hello, I am a BA(Hons) Sport and Recreation at the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, and the going rate for swim coaches here is approx. Stg.#12-#25 per hour, but Sports Teachers at schools may earn less than this.

I am conducting research into the effects on swimmers by inspirational versus 'other' coaches. This is qualitative research so if any noe has any views/opinions about this topic please email me at wickhamgp@hotmail.com. Thank you, Gerry

-- Gerald Peter Wickham (wickhamgp@ulst.ac.uk), March 30, 1999.

Salary varies tremendously, from club to club. In Indiana I know coaches making well under $10,000 a year to a high of over $100,000. The American Swim Coaches Association has done some research to try and find out what is typical salary based on the size of the club. You can find them on line, I'm sure they will be more than willing to help you.

-- dave green (d.m.green@worldnet.att.net), January 21, 2000.

Well the real question is how much would you want to get paid if you were in their shoes. Swim coaches true dont do it for the money but many have to leave coaching because of the trmendus time put in and the low salary. Coaches got to pay the bills to. How much is one of the largest role models in a childs life worth? Also How much training do they have or experience. also How good are they as a coach.

-- Coach Ben (swiftswims@cona.net), December 22, 2004.