This guide is designed to help you become a better Aquatics coach. Swimming is one of the most popular sports in the world. This Coaching Guide will assist the coach in teaching skills and strategy that will allow the Special Olympics athlete to become successful in this very popular sport, a sport of competition and fitness that can last a lifetime.
These links lead you to detailed information on Aquatics, including illustrations and video clips. Downloadable versions of the Aquatics materials are also available at right.
Acknowledgements
Special Olympics wishes to thank the professionals, volunteers, coaches and athletes who helped in the production of the Aquatics Coaching Guide. They have helped fulfill the mission of Special Olympics: to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for people 8 years of age and older with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
Special Olympics welcomes your ideas and comments for future revisions of this guide. We apologize if, for any reason, an acknowledgement has been inadvertently omitted.
Contributing Authors
Jenny Bombardieri, Special Olympics Australia
Venisha Bowler, Special Olympics, Inc.
Floyd Croxton, Special Olympics, Inc., athlete
Wanda S. Durden, Special Olympics, Inc.
Jan Hull, Special Olympics Oregon
Gordon Quinton, Special Olympics Great Britain
Dave Lenox, Special Olympics, Inc.
Shirley-Anne Milgate, Special Olympics Australia
Ellena Morris, Special Olympics Australia
Cindy Proell, Special Olympics Minnesota
Kellie Walls, Special Olympics, Inc.
Starring Athletes
Moira Brown, Special Olympics Ireland, Global Messenger
Kester Edwards, Special Olympics, Inc., former Special Olympics Board Member, former Special Olympics Trinidad & Tobago athlete, Global Messenger
Marina Frohlich, Special Olympics Malaysia, Global Messenger
Dina Galal, Special Olympics Egypt, Global Messenger
Paul Marretti, Special Olympics Virginia, Global Messenger
Florence Nabayinda, Special Olympics Uganda, Global Messenger
Victor Saavedra, Special Olympics Chile, Global Messenger
Yung Ying, Special Olympics China, Global Messenger
Special Olympics Texas, hosting the video filming
Sydney Brooksby
University of Texas A & M
Student Recreation Center Natatorium, filming venue
Recreation Center staff and volunteer students