Description

Send us a text

This week on Navigating Neva, we’re joined by Beth—an aquatics and PE professional whose work spans Physical Education & Aquatics, Driver Education, coaching Women’s Varsity Swimming, Men’s Varsity Swimming, Women’s Water Polo, supporting Special Olympics Swimming, and serving as an American Red Cross LGIT/CPRIT.

We get practical about what it takes to run a high-functioning high school aquatics program—the structure, the roles, the culture, and the non-negotiables that keep athletes safe while helping them grow.

In this episode, we cover:

• High school aquatics program structure
  • Program model: teams, classes, and community use (when applicable)
• Staffing, supervision, and deck roles
  • Who does what, when it matters, and how to prevent “coverage gaps”
• Safety culture
  • Beth’s true non-negotiables and how they show up daily on deck
• Special Olympics swimming
  • Inclusion, communication, and dignity on deck
  • What good support actually looks like (staffing, pacing, environment)
  • Success metrics beyond “times”
• Instructor/trainer lens (ARC LGIT/CPRIT)
  • How Beth approaches training lifeguards and instructors
  • Common gaps she sees—and how she fixes them
  • Maintaining readiness and consistency across the season

If you’re a school aquatic director, coach, lifeguard supervisor, PE teacher, or facility leader, this one is a playbook episode—clear expectations, strong systems, and athlete-centered outcomes.

Beth—thanks for being here.

You can find Beth on insta 

Instagram: @hornetaquatics

Support the show

🔴 Follow Your Host on TikTok: Stay connected and see behind-the-scenes content by following me on TikTok at @NicoleFairfield.

💬 Find Wesley King on Facebook: Get expert insights and connect with Wesley at Wesley King Consulting on Facebook.

❓ Got Questions?: Have questions about today’s episode or upcoming topics? Reach out to me at navigatingneva@gmail.com.

📚 Check Out My Books: As an author, I have books available on Amazon under Nicole Fairfield.

📲 Follow Me on TikTok: You can also find me on TikTok at @NicoleFairfield for more content!

🔔 Show Support: Enjoy the podcast? Please come back each week, or add Lifeguard Life: Certifications, Careers, and More to your favorites so you never miss an episode!