Making the Coaching Profession Better
Interview Reveal with Survey Findings via Doug Cornish
Coaching Without Security: The Hidden Costs Driving Talent Away from Pools
In episode #111 of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, we do a video refresh with an interview conducted with Doug Cornish. His ground-breaking survey exposes many of the hidden cracks threatening swim coaches today. We begin to unpack and reveal why the sport’s “passion‑first” model is no longer sustainable. Doug comes to the discussion with hard data that shine a light on the underlying causes, and he has concrete steps clubs must take to keep good coaches on the deck.
Survey results: 38% of coaches lack a current contract, 38% have no health insurance, and 70% are on single‑year agreements.
Why it’s happening: a clash between the old “grind” culture and modern coaches/parents, plus boards that misuse nonprofit status and ignore reserve building.
The financial fallout: no retirement plans, zero COLA (Cost Of Living Adjustments) adjustments, and coaches paying out‑of‑pocket for travel and basic expenses.
Real‑world impact: personal stories like Doug Cornish’s breakdown, career switches, and the growing exodus from the profession.
Actionable blueprint: 3‑5‑year contracts, 2‑3% annual COLA, full health/retirement benefits, paid parental leave, meet‑day compensation, protected supplemental income, and dual‑purpose life insurance.
This episode presents an invite to the course, C.Y.A. as part of the Learning Management System of the International Swim Coaches Association. Check out all the results of the survey in the PDF in that lesson.
“Loving the sport isn’t enough when you’re coaching without a contract, health insurance, or a retirement plan—coach Doug Cornish’s has a wake‑up call swimming can’t afford to ignore.”
Do you agree that today’s coaches reject the “grind culture” that demands weekends, evenings, and family sacrifice? Modern parents and athletes want balance, not a career built on relentless self‑sacrifice.
swim coaching crisis, coach compensation, contract insecurity, health insurance, retirement benefits, cost of living adjustments, coach retention, board financial stewardship, parental leave, travel reimbursement, coach burnout, Doug Cornish, coach survey, nonprofit club finance, generational shift, professional standards, 3‑5 year contracts, supplemental income, life insurance, Read.swimISCA.org course
We ask an incredible amount of youth coaches, many of whom are volunteers, and then give them surprisingly little support for the hardest part of the job: leading kids and navigating parents. Better-supported coaches ultimately means a better experience for athletes.
The current ASCA Fellows class put together something on this very subject that really builds upon Doug’s work as well as the 2022 Fellows class’s research. I hope it’ll be available for publication or distribution. The evidence is there, it’s time for action from the right organizations now