Today, the entire staff at Coulter Swimming took part in the Annual Staff Training Day. From the fundamentals of body position to different techniques for teaching tumble turns, the whole team seized the opportunity to sharpen their skills and pick up new tricks of the trade.
Across three rotations, our instructors built on their existing knowledge:
Rotation I: Body Position
Starting off in the recently opened 25 metre pool at Coulter Swimming Annangrove, Brett Winkworth, who has over 20 years in the Australian swim industry, spoke about why body position is the fundamental building block of swimming technique.
“Most of daily life is spent vertical: walking, playing sport, standing around. For most kids in class, the only time they’re horizontal is sleeping or the 30 minutes of swim class each week. This makes horizontal body control a genuinely unfamiliar skill that needs to be taught, not assumed.”
Brett went on to outline the four key positioning checkpoints: Hands, Head, Hips, Heels, before turning to the importance of the kick. Getting the kick right first is what allows a swimmer to progress into full stroke technique.
Rotation II: Turns
Upstairs, our staff covered every turn your child needs to know, along with tips for students who might be struggling with technique. The session also covered how to spot and fix common problems, with the focus firmly on troubleshooting rather than simply demonstrating, giving instructors practical fixes they can use every day in the pool.
Rotation III: Safety and Evacuation
Just a short swim away, our teachers moved out of the pool and into full safety mode, as management staff took them through evacuation protocols and procedures, including a step by step on how to safely execute an evacuation to the nearest exit point. The rotation wrapped up with broader water safety protocols, including how to teach a rescue using a flotation aid, bringing a swimmer in safely without putting the rescuer at risk.
As Corrinne G, Operations Manager, put it: “Staff Training Day is one of the best days on our calendar. Our team comes in genuinely excited to learn, new techniques, new ways to spot what a student needs, and new tools to bring back to the pool deck.”
Days like this are what set our instructors apart, not just knowing how to swim, but knowing how to teach it, spot it, and keep every student safe in the water. Because at Coulter Swimming, we never forget: learning to swim is a lifesaving skill.