Ridgefield Aquatic Club Announces Full-Time Assistant Coach Recruitment with Competitive Salary Up to $55,000

Ridgefield Aquatic Club (RAC) has officially announced the recruitment of a full-time assistant coach position, marking a strategic step in the club's plan to expand its coaching staff and enhance training quality at this private nonprofit swimming club. According to the announcement, RAC is seeking a candidate with positive energy, solid technical knowledge, sound judgment, and a long-term commitment to athlete development. This is not an ordinary coaching position — it is an opportunity for a young coach to enter the premier competitive swimming system in the United States, where the training program is built on USA Swimming's American Development Model. Ridgefield Aquatic Club operates year-round as a USA Swimming club, serving athletes from pre-competitive development through national-level training. The club competes within Connecticut Swimming, one of the most competitive swimming federations in the Northeast United States. The annual base salary is listed from $49,000 to $55,000, depending on the candidate's experience and qualifications. Additionally, selected candidates have the opportunity to earn performance bonuses up to $5,000, an annual health insurance stipend of $5,250, phone allowance of $1,200, retirement contribution of $1,000, and 14 paid vacation days. Total actual compensation can exceed $60,000 per year when all benefits are included. This compensation package positions RAC among the most competitive private swimming clubs in the Connecticut region, surpassing the average salary of $40,000-$45,000 that many clubs of similar level are paying for assistant coach positions. The work schedule includes afternoon and evening practices, weekends, meets, travel, and regular administrative hours. The start date is set as soon as mutually agreed. Regarding professional responsibilities, recruited candidates will be responsible for leading assigned competitive and/or Olympic Way squads while supporting other groups as needed. Building seasonal and daily training plans with emphasis on stroke technique, age-appropriate progression, racing skills, physical literacy, and USA Swimming's American Development Model is a mandatory requirement. An important aspect is creating a safe, positive, disciplined, and inspiring training environment for athletes of various ages and abilities. This requires candidates not only to excel in technical expertise but also to have excellent communication skills with minors and their families. During meets, assistant coaches will participate in athlete selection, eligibility review, entries, relay assignments, travel planning, deck assignments, and post-meet follow-up. Tracking attendance, athlete progress, personal goals, and coach observations are also within the scope of responsibilities. Safety and compliance are top priorities at RAC. Candidates must comply with USA Swimming Safe Sport requirements, MAAPP, the USA Swimming Safe Sport Code, and the club's internal policies. These are strict regulations designed to protect young athletes in the sports environment. Regarding mandatory requirements, candidates need prior competitive swimming coaching experience and the ability to demonstrate teaching competence in stroke technique and racing skills. USA Swimming coach membership in good standing, or the ability to meet all applicable membership and safety requirements before athlete contact, is a prerequisite. Strong written, verbal, organizational, and interpersonal skills are non-negotiable requirements. Candidates must have the ability to work collaboratively, accept feedback, exercise sound judgment, and communicate appropriately with minors and families. Availability for evenings, weekends, championship meets, and occasional travel is also mandatory. Preferred qualifications include experience leading age-group or senior training groups within a USA Swimming club, USA Swimming University education, American Development Model education, ASCA coursework or equivalent professional development. Experience with meet-entry and team-management systems, athlete tracking, and parent communications are also highly valued. A college degree in coaching, education, kinesiology, or sports management is an added advantage. Ridgefield Aquatic Club affirms it is an equal opportunity employer. Reasonable accommodations for the application and interview process are available upon request. Interested candidates should send their resume and cover letter via email to Head Coach/CEO Emmanuel Lanzo at the published email address. This is an opportunity for young Vietnamese coaches working or planning to develop careers in the U.S. swimming market to access a high-quality position within the USA Swimming system. According to industry experts, the swimming coaching market in the United States is experiencing a significant shortage of quality human resources, especially after the pandemic period when many experienced coaches switched to other industries. This creates a rare opportunity for young, passionate candidates with solid technical foundations. With the announced salary and benefits, RAC is sending a clear message to the market: the club is ready to invest in coaching talent to build a superior training program where every athlete has the opportunity to maximize their potential from pre-competitive stages through national-level competition. Detailed information about this recruitment round will be updated in subsequent RAC newsletters.