About IFSCA
The International Federation of Swim Coaches Associations (IFSCA) was founded in 2024 by the American, Australian, Canadian and British Swimming Coaches Associations, to:
- provide support, sharing, information and collaboration opportunities for representative leaders from National Coaches Associations; and
- support the formation and development of National Swim Coaches Associations.
Our vision is to enable National Swim Coaches Associations to grow and thrive.
Our mission is to support, inspire, inform, and collaborate with representative leaders of National Swim Coaches Associations globally.
What we do
We provide opportunities for National Swim Coach Associations to share issues, challenges, opportunities, and resources to better serve and represent their respective members. We do this through meetings, on-line channels (website etc.), direct communications and collegial support. Future initiatives may include reciprocal recognition of qualifications, providing professional development opportunities, establishing international policies/standards (e.g. coach code of conduct).
We support the establishment of National Swim Coaches Associations by providing resources, tools, templates and advice. We assist in developing the skills and knowledge relevant to their needs. There are opportunities to collaborate with other International Federations to achieve this.
Our values
We stand for equality, fairness and justice, and for dignity and respect for all swim coaches.
We believe and support that the sport of swimming should be free from all forms of abuse, harassment and maltreatment.
We believe in solidarity: that swimming coaches can achieve more by acting together than they can do on their own.
We are global acting with partners and associates around the world to promote the interests and development of National Swim Coaches Associations on the premise that this will directly and indirectly benefit swimming coaches.
Guiding Principles
- Secretariat: There will be an annual revolving secretariat based on a calendar year. Australia will perform the secretariat role in 2024.
- Membership: Any National (or Regional) Swim Coaches Association may apply to be a member of IFSCA. Applications should be submitted to the secretariat for consideration by all members. A simple majority of voting members is required to admit or remove a member. There will be no membership fees.
- Council: Members form the IFSCA council and may have up to two representative leaders on the IFSCA Council. Representatives should include one person from a governance role (i.e. President/Chair) and one managerial executive (i.e. CEO/General Manager). Council meetings will be held at least annually. Each member association has one vote for any decision making by the IFSCA Council. Each member will disclose who will vote on their behalf.
- Resourcing: Any required resourcing (financial, human etc.) will be shared amongst the members as required and will be based on what is fair and reasonable for each member at the time.
- Rules: There is no initial requirement for a legal entity to be established (i.e. no constitution, bank account, Board/Management hierarchy etc.).