Weeknights
After 4 PMMonday to Thursday
Evening shifts, after school and after work. Tell us which nights you can do.
Where: Gallaudet University
- an hour to start
- $30an hour to start
- the swimmers you teach
- Ages 3–12the swimmers you teach
- afternoons a month, 4 to 6 PM, required
- 2 Sundaysafternoons a month, 4 to 6 PM, required
- ahead: when Sunday classes are scheduled
- 3 weeksahead: when Sunday classes are scheduled
The job
In the water, teaching kids to swim
30-minute lessons, small groups, the same swimmers every week. Most start afraid to put their face in. A few months later they ring the bell on the pool deck and the whole place stops to cheer.
What you will do
- Teach in the water as one of a team of coaches, working with children ages 3 to 12 in our Learn-to-Swim program.
- Build a good relationship with every swimmer, new or experienced, and look after the ones who are nervous.
- Teach each level’s skills to its written standard, one-on-one and in small groups.
- Keep the pool safe: the safety rules, the Swimmer Code of Conduct, and the emergency action plan if it is ever needed.
- Tell your Site Supervisor how each swimmer is doing, so the next lesson starts in the right place.
- Phones and other devices stay put away for the whole shift.
The schedule
Evenings and weekends. Tell us which shifts fit.
This is part-time work around school, a day job or a family. You are in the water for up to three and a half hours at a time. The one fixed commitment is two Sunday afternoons a month.
Weekend mornings
8:30 AM to noonSaturday and Sunday starts
Morning shifts start between 8:30 AM and 12 PM. Work some Saturdays, some Sundays, or both.
Where: Gallaudet University on Saturdays, Catholic University on Sundays
Sunday afternoons
Two a month required4 to 6 PMSundays
Every coach works two Sunday afternoons a month. Sunday classes are scheduled three weeks ahead.
Where: Catholic University, DuFour Center
On top of the hourly rate
What you get
- Free certification courses
- Opportunities to take lifeguarding and first aid certification courses at no cost to you.
- Free fitness classes
- Earn passes for swim-for-fitness classes and other fitness classes, for you or for members of your family.
- Paid orientation
- You start alongside a named buddy coach, and you are paid for those shifts.
- A summer job, if you want one
- Our day camp, Old City Kids, hires swim coaches first for June through August.
What it takes
You swim well and you are good with kids
You need
- At least two years of swimming, with all four strokes and basic water safety.
- Confident working with small groups of children ages 3 to 12.
- A clear voice with one swimmer or a whole group, while you teach and demonstrate.
- Willing to try more than one way of teaching to get a child past a fear or a stuck skill.
- Able to learn and demonstrate Levels 1 through 8 of the SwimAmerica and Old City curriculum.
- Able to work in the water, in an indoor pool, for up to three and a half hours at a time.
- Two Sunday afternoon shifts a month, 4 to 6 PM.
- Your own way to the pool, on time, every time.
- A basic background check.
A plus, not a must
- Competitive swimming, or experience as a swim instructor or coach.
- A Lifeguard or Water Safety Instructor certification.
- Experience with young first-time swimmers or children with special needs.
You do not need to be 18, and you do not need a high school diploma or GED. If you swim well and want to teach, apply.
Before you are hired
The swim test
- Swim 50 meters of freestyle without stopping, face in the water, with rotary breathing.
- Swim 25 meters each of backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly.
- Jump into 12 feet of water and tread for 2 minutes using only your legs.
- In 1 minute 40 seconds: swim 20 meters, surface dive 7 to 10 feet for a 10-pound object, swim 20 meters back with it, then lift it and yourself out of the pool without a ladder or steps.
Who it fits
Evenings and weekends suit more people than you would think
College swimmers and ex-swimmers
You already swim, and evening and weekend shifts fit around classes. $30 an hour to start.
Teachers and school staff
Out at 3:30 and on deck by evening, with summer work at camp if you want it.
Masters swimmers and triathletes
Coach the sport you love, a few evenings a week, and get paid properly for it.
Lifeguards and swim instructors
Summer hours dry up in September. Ours run right through the winter, and your lifeguard certification moves you up faster.
Old City parents
You know the program and you are at the pool anyway. Coach the classes before or after your own swimmer’s.
Military, veterans and spouses
Our founder served as a Navy submarine officer. The schedule is a watch bill. You will understand it in a day.
How hiring works
From application to your first shift
Apply
A few minutes
Apply through our posting on Indeed. We reply within one business day.
Phone call
Within two days
Fifteen minutes. Which shifts you can work, the two Sunday afternoons a month, and when you can come to the pool.
Swim test and tryout
Within the week
You take the swim test, then shadow a beginner group with a Site Supervisor during a live shift and teach one skill.
Offer in writing
Within 48 hours
Your shifts, your rate and the raise path. Your background check starts when you accept.
Paid orientation
Your first shifts
You work alongside a buddy coach, then you are confirmed at Level C and coaching your own groups.
Why coaches stay
There is a bell on the pool deck
When a swimmer passes a level, they ring it. Every coach, every parent and every kid in the water stops and cheers. The child who could not put their face in the water in September gets to tell the whole room in December.
You taught them that. It is a good way to spend an evening.
Apply
Ready to coach?
Applications go through our posting on Indeed. Tell us how you swim and which shifts you can work, and we will reply within one business day.
Apply on IndeedOpens Indeed in a new tab.
Where we teach
Weeknights and Saturdays
Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002
Sundays
Catholic University, DuFour Center, Washington, DC 20064
Questions first?
Questions coaches ask
Do I need teaching experience?
No. It helps, but what you need is at least two years of swimming, all four strokes, and confidence with children. We teach you how to teach, and you start alongside a buddy coach.
What certifications do I need before I apply?
None are required. A Lifeguard or Water Safety Instructor certification is a plus, and once you are on the team there are opportunities to take lifeguarding and first aid courses for free.
When are the shifts?
Weeknight shifts run Monday to Thursday and start after 4 PM. Saturday and Sunday morning shifts start between 8:30 AM and 12 PM. Sunday afternoon shifts run 4 to 6 PM, and every coach works two of those a month. You are in the water for up to three and a half hours at a time.
Do I have to work Sundays?
Two Sunday afternoons a month, 4 to 6 PM, are required for every coach. Sunday classes are scheduled three weeks ahead, so you know which ones are yours.
What is the swim test?
You take it before you are hired: 50 meters of freestyle, 25 meters each of backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, a two-minute tread in deep water using only your legs, and a timed swim to retrieve a 10-pound object from 7 to 10 feet down. The full list is on this page.
I am in high school. Can I apply?
Yes. You do not need to be 18 or have a high school diploma to apply. Coaches under 18 are paid on a separate training scale.
What happens in the summer?
Lessons keep running, and our day camp, Old City Kids, hires swim coaches first for June through August.
Where do you teach?
Weeknights and Saturdays on the Gallaudet University campus at 800 Florida Ave NE, a short walk from the NoMa-Gallaudet U Metro station. Sundays at the Catholic University of America’s DuFour Center in Northeast DC.