Aquatics Guide - 2019 - 26

To have a team
of exceptional
leaders, aquatics
professionals must
train exceptionally!

Parks & Recreation

have already been hired. The first
of the three is the development of
a preseason training program. To
have a team of exceptional leaders,
aquatics professionals must train exceptionally! While a good aquatics
leader training program will include
the dos and don'ts of the job, such
as how to run an in-service, track
payroll, check chemicals and clean

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the aquatic facility, those items are
just the tip of the iceberg if an exceptional team is desired. It's important
for leaders to know what do to, but
it's even more important for them to
know why it matters.
It's imperative that aquatics leaders know how to exhibit the primary
leadership qualities of casting vision
for their team, communicating effectively with those around them,
displaying an exceptional work ethic
and always exhibiting character. A
great way to teach these qualities to
your team is to conduct an " Aquatics Leader Conference " at your facility, where you essentially conduct
a customized NRPA conference for
your team.
You probably can't take your
team to NRPA, so you must bring
NRPA to them! Supervisors should
put their years of experience, hours
of attending sessions at conferences and knowledge of all things
aquatics into developing and conducting their own conference for
their team. In addition to teaching
the primary tenants of leadership,
conduct sessions on creative ways
to keep team aquatic facility personnel hardworking and engaged
and the best ways to ensure the facility is as safe as possible. For a
seasonal aquatic center, this is best
done during the month of May so
that the information stays fresh for
the entire season: for a year-round
or indoor aquatic center, anytime
would be a great time.
Weekly Training
After conducting an " Aquatic Leader Conference, " don't forget to reinforce the information that was
shared during ongoing, weekly
training. A weekly in-service is for
lifeguards, as well as leaders! The

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Aquatics Guide - 2019

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