Helping Swim Coaches to Cope with Stress

Last Updated on May 18, 2024 by admin

**Swim coaches are often at risk from increased stress levels**

In this article, we will provide advice, hacks and tips on helping swim coaches to cope with stress and the pressure of the job.

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Contents

The lifestyles of a swim coach

Swim coaches spend a great deal of their time and energy taking good care of the athletes in their charge.

However, it’s common for them not to take the same care of themselves

Although being a swim coach can be a particularly rewarding profession, they are often at risk from increased stress levels.

Having to regularly deal with emotional and pressurised situations, such as,
- Working long and unsociable hours, including
  - Early mornings, late nights and weekends
  - Large volumes of admin/paperwork
- Staying away from home
  - To attend meets, championships and educational courses
- A poor work-life balance
  - Missing out on a normal family and social life
  - Strained relationships
- Dealings with committee, swimmer and parent issues
- Financial pressures
  - Most swim coaching jobs are not greatly paid

These instances can become increasingly frequent the more senior a swim coach becomes,
- Often leading to even greater stress levels and eventual burnout
- Which left unchecked could result in poor mental and physical health

Therefore, for a swimming programme to be successful
- Swim coaches should adopt stress-coping strategies to ensure that they stay fit and healthy, not just physically, but psychologically.

Stress

A definition of stress by the World Health Organisation

Stress can be defined as any type of change that causes physical, emotional or psychological strain.
Stress is your body’s response to anything that requires attention or action.
Everyone experiences stress to some degree.
The way you respond to stress, however, makes a big difference to your overall well-being.

The symptoms of stress

The symptoms of stress can be physical or psychological, they can include,

Feeling unwell, which could include headaches and skin rashes
- A reduced immune system
- Worsening existing medical conditions
Frequent mood swings
- Which could include feelings such as anxiety, disbelief, fear, frustration, outrage, sadness, shock and worry,
Eating non-healthy foods
- Often leading to weight gain
Low energy levels
- Feeling lethargic
- Reluctance to exercise
Disturbed and poor-quality sleep
Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
Increased use of alcohol and tobacco

Ways of helping swim coaches cope with stress

Listed below are ways of helping swim coaches to cope with stress

When experiencing stressful situations, many swim coaches find themselves overwhelmed and find it difficult to start finding ways of bringing the situation under control

Therefore, we suggest taking the following steps

Work at managing your stress levels at your own pace
Give yourself enough time to figure out what works best for you
Take small manageable steps
Choose one or two stress management strategies, including those listed below, that you feel most comfortable with, before moving on to any other suggestions

Possible factors and coping strategies for helping swim coaches to cope with stress

A great way to start coping with stress is to analyse the things that are contributing to this pressure

Listed below are some ways a swim coach can deal with stress,

Identify the main contributing stress factors

A great way to start coping with stress is to analyse the things that are contributing to this pressure.

Focus on making detailed notes and producing a list of possible solutions.
For example,
- The problem – financial pressures
  - Possible solutions
    - Take on extra coaching shifts
    - Offer private lessons
    - Look to reduce expenditure

Workload

For many coaches, the sheer volume of work can be a major contributor to their increased stress levels.

Possible ways to reduce stress could include,

Planning and prioritising tasks
- Including setting achievable deadlines
- Helping to focus on what’s important
Get help
- Look to find a poolside assistant coach
Look to delegate
- Try to find someone who could help with the administrative duties.

Work-life balance

Swim coaches should make time to care for and look after their family and friends

Coaches should find the time to balance their swimming commitments with the other important things in their lives.

This can help to significantly reduce their stress levels

Possible ways to improve a coach’s work-life balance could include,

Planning some ‘you’ time
Doing something regularly that they enjoy.
Making time to care for and look after their family and friends

Boredom/demotivated

Coaching the same sets, in the same way, can lead to boredom and demotivation not just for the swimmers but for the coach

To counter this, swim coaches should look to freshen up their training sessions
- Find new ways and methods of coaching
Continue to learn,
- Read books, surf the net or network with other coaches
- Attend workshops, seminars, training, continuing education courses, or other professional development opportunities.

Swimmer and parent issues

Relationships with swimmers and their parents can be emotional and stressful

Many of these situations are caused by poor communication
Often resulting in a misunderstanding of the other party’s point of view.
Therefore, swim coaches should find ways of effectively communicating with swimmers and parents,
This is not always an easy task and should involve a multi-channel approach, such as,
- Arranging squad meetings to explain your goals for the coming season
- Arranging face-to-face meetings with swimmers and parents
- Post information regularly on the club’s website
- Regularly post email and social media communications

Remind yourself why you love to coach

A simple way for swim coaches to reduce their stress levels is to make a list of all the reasons why they love to coach

Maybe they could use a favourite motivational quotation to help
- Many coaches display their favourite quotes prominently (on the fridge!) so that they can view them regularly

Further ways of helping swim coaches to cope with stress

There are many ways that coaches can help themselves cope with stress

Listed below are some further ways of helping swim coaches to cope with stress,

Talking about it

Talking to someone you trust like a family member, friend or swimming colleague, about stress issues can be a great way of sharing and gaining support for these situations

Many find that talking can help to clarify the situation, put the problem into perspective and help to formulate possible solutions

Seeking a mentor

Having a mentor, usually, someone who is a more experienced coach, to consult and seek advice on certain issues can be a great way to reduce stress levels

Maintaining a healthy diet

Coaches should maintain a healthy diet

Not only does it help to develop and improve their immune systems
But it also helps to reduce stress levels, improving their mood and helping their ability to focus

However, many coaches find it difficult to maintain a healthy diet

Often working long and irregular hours, many turn to fast or convenience foods

Ideally, they need to plan their nutritional intake to help ensure they make healthy choices.

As well as avoiding increasing their consumption of alcohol and tobacco

Staying hydrated

Being well-hydrated can help to improve sleep quality, concentration, and mood.

Swimming pools can be very warm and stuffy environments
- Therefore, swim coaches should ensure they stay well-hydrated throughout the day

Being more active and exercising regularly

Regularly exercising and being more active can significantly help reduce stress levels and improve a swim coach’s mood.

They should find an exercise that they enjoy and with a little adjustment, can fit into their lifestyle.

This can include

Going for a walk, a jog or a run
Spending time outdoors
Cycling
Gardening
Dancing

Getting enough sleep and relaxing

Sleep is one of the most important ways to help our body and mind to rest, repair and rebuild from the rigours of day-to-day living.

A good night’s sleep can also help to improve a coach’s general health.
Most medical professionals recommend getting between 8 to 9 hours of sleep per night.
Believing that getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night is insufficient.

Swim coaches in generally good health can usually cope with insufficient sleep for a day or two,
However, a prolonged lack of sleep can harm their performance.
- Making them feel tired, lethargic and fatigued.
- It can make it difficult for them to control their appetite.
- It can also make it more difficult for them to concentrate.

Insufficient sleep is often caused by poor sleeping habits and a poor sleeping environment.

Listed below are some suggested sleeping habits that may help a coach to get a better night’s sleep.

However, this can often be a case of some trial and error to find the habits that can help improve the quality of their sleep.

Establishing a bedtime routine

Establishing a bedtime routine can significantly help to improve the quality of a coach’s sleep. These include,

Going to bed at the same time every night

Getting into a routine of going to bed at the same time every night, can help to train their mind and body that it’s time to relax and go to sleep.

They should adjust the time they go to bed to when they start to feel tired, even if that’s earlier than they are used to.
Getting up at the same time, even during the weekends, can further help reinforce this good habit.

Relaxing before going to bed

Learning to relax can help to reduce any self-doubts, worries or anxieties while increasing concentration levels.

Learning to relax before going to bed can be an effective way of ensuring coaches get a good night’s sleep.

The best ways to relax include,

Not using phones, computers or watching television within half an hour of going to bed.
These tend to excite and stimulate the mind which is not conducive to relaxing and getting a good night’s sleep.
Many swim coaches find having a warm shower before they go to bed, which is a natural sedative, very relaxing.
Reading a book (but not a thriller) for 30 minutes is one of the best and fastest ways to relax.
- It can help to clear the mind, slow down the heart rate and can help to ease tension.
Listening to music with a slower tempo can also be a great way to relax.
Some find listening to specialist sleep or calming music very beneficial.
Others find that practising relaxation, deep breathing and meditation techniques can be very effective.

Maintaining preventative health measures

Swim coaches should ensure that they maintain a routine of preventive healthcare measures.

Such as co-vid and flu vaccinations, regular check-ups and screenings as recommended by your healthcare professionals.

Seeking professional help

If their stress-related problems persist swim coaches should seek advice from their healthcare professional