What to expect in this course…
The certification program will educate interested individuals on everything from proper swimming techniques to race tactics. Individuals who pass the program will be able to safely coach young children in short introductory open water swims as well as escort marathon swimmers in the English Channel.

An Overview

Certification Levels

• Level 1 – a score of 75% correct answers on the WOWSA test .
• Level 2 – a score of 80% and coach 1 athlete who has completed a 5 KM swim in open water.
• Level 3 – A score of 85% and one athlete who has completed a 10KM Swim in open water.
• Level 4 – A score of 90% and coaching of one athlete who has completed a 25 KM swim, or competed in a national championship event.
• Level 5 – A score of 95% and coaching 1 athlete who has competed in the Olympic Games or an international championship event or completed a channel crossing.

Catherine Kase

Catherine Kase is a 4-time World Championship Head Open Water Coach for USA Swimming, (2009, 2013, 2015, 2019) and Head Olympic Coach for USA in 2016 and 2021. She coached Chip Peterson, a 2005 world 10km champion, as well as Olympic silver medalist Haley Anderson, and gold medalist, Oussama Mellouli. Both won World Championship Titles in the 5K as well. Catherine spent 12 years coaching at the University of Southern California Trojans with Dave Salo and was named Associate Head Coach from 2016-2020. Prior to joining USC, she coached at her alma mater-UNC-Chapel Hill from 2005-2008.

She served as assistant coach with the USA Swimming National Open Water Swimming Team at the 2008 World Open Water Swimming Championships in Seville, Spain and was also the head coach for USA Swimming National Open Water Swimming Team at the 2008 Open Water test event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics course. She was the head open water coach for USA at the 2006 and 2014 Pan Pacific Open Water Championships and led USA open water at the 2006 and 2011 Pan American Games. She was named as an assistant men’s swimming coach at the 2006 Pan Am Games where she became the first woman to be named to an American men’s team staff at an international competition. She also was an assistant coach at the 2005 World Swimming Championships and at the 2006 World Open Water Swimming Championships.

She has coached age group and senior swimmers that qualified and won medals at the World University Games, Open Water National Championships, World Open Water Swimming Championships, U.S. Senior National Championships, Junior Pan Pacific Games, World Championship Trials, and U.S. Olympic Trials. Prior to coaching at North Carolina, she coached at the Carteret Currents Swimming Club in North Carolina and club teams in Virginia and Mississippi. A former distance freestyle swimmer for North Carolina for four years from 1996-1999.

In addition to her coaching responsibilities over the years, Catherine Kase serves on both the USA Swimming Open Water and Pool Steering Committees and is a member of the FINA Coaches Committee. In 2020, she was the recipient of USA Swimming’s Women in Swimming Award.