Coaches are more than just sports-focused leaders who see their student-athletes a few hours every week. They play a vital role in athletes lives — as role models, as teachers, as someone to talk to and as mentors. A swim coach’s influence is felt well beyond practices and meets and can shape their student-athletes lives. That’s why it’s vital that coaches understand their impact and use it to foster a positive learning experience both in and out of the pool.

Character-based coaches provide and create important life lessons into their programs, with less of a spotlight on the concept of winning and losing. A character coach emphasizes the importance of the journey rather than the first place medal, successfully balancing both.