Written By: Jamie Bloom
Happy Women’s History Month and here’s to March Madness, now also for women!
NCAA Swimming & Diving championships are among the many championship events during the month of March. It’s a great time to be a swim coach, and as Greg Earhart wrote in his latest CSCAA newsletter, “that’s coach, not female coach.”
The months of March and April are also when we see lots of job movement. Coaches retire or move to different programs, teams grow and need more staff and summer league is about to get started. It’s time to fight your fears and apply for that (next) job!
We often hear that women do not apply for jobs because we feel we may not be qualified “enough” to be considered for a position. We also hear that men will go ahead and apply for a job even if they may only meet 1 or 2 of the requirements. Our (women) top reasons for not taking a chance seem to be due to these common fears: fear of the unknown, the “imposter syndrome,” and fear of rejections.
I’m here to remind us that we can and should be hired into top coaching positions. We need to give ourselves permission to apply for jobs- even if we don’t have ALL of the qualifications listed in the job description. Remember that squad I’ve encouraged you to develop? Now is a great time to collaborate and support each other. Call on them to write references, make phone calls and remind you that you CAN DO IT!
Be determined. Take a deep breath and go for it! You’ve got this!
If you are interested in learning more about resume writing, interview best practices, and building your network in preparation for the job market as a female coach, come join us at the Women In Coaching Event on March 9, 2022 at 1:00 EST! This event will be moderated by Jamie Bloom, Streamline Teams Women's Leadership Director!
Women's Leadership Director at
Streamline Teams
Head Senior/National Team Coach YOTA Swim Team, Raleigh NC
Associate Head Coach, Director of Operations William Peace University,
Raleigh NC
2005-2015 Head Coach/Director of Aquatics, Westfield YMCA, Westfield MA
2000-2005 Assistant Women’s Swim Coach, University of Tennessee
1982-2000 Head Coach James Buchanan HS/Mercersburg Area Swim Club,
Mercersburg PA.
1980-1982 Head Coach Slippery Rock Eels Swim Team, Slippery Rock PA
Education:
Slippery Rock State College 1982, BS-HPERD, Specialty in Aquatics
Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College) 1986 MS Athletic
Administration
Committees, Team, Camps:
Secretary-North Carolina Swimming Board of Directors
Member- YMCA Swimming Operations Council
USA Swimming Chair- Convention Education Committee
Head Coach- National Diversity Select Camp, rescheduled for May 2021
Head Manager- National Diversity Select Camp, May 2019
Head Manager- FINA World Jr. Championships, Indianapolis August 2017
Assistant Manager- FINA World Jr Championships, Singapore August 2015
Assistant Manager- Duel in the Pool, Scotland, December 2103