Character First
Our motto: the better the person, the better the athlete, the better the swimmer, and the better the team. The pool is a life classroom where integrity, humility and service form the foundation for athletic excellence, and every swimmer becomes a stakeholder in their own growth.
35+
Years teaching it
350
Page coaches' guidebook
5
Continents it's been taught on
Ethical coaching
People over times. Coaches prioritize individual care and unconditional mutual respect as the foundation of every coach-athlete relationship.
Humility over ego. An environment built on ego is toxic; ours isn't built that way.
Team over individual. The team always comes first, and teamwork is created by you, not for you.
Owner, not renter. Swimmers are accountable stakeholders in the program's culture, and leadership is built from day one — we reject hazing as counterproductive to real leadership.
Integrity in the details. Ethics and character are black and white; there's no middle ground. And gratitude, we believe, is the mother of all virtues.
The Character Library
Don and Ron Heidary have written and taught on character and culture in swimming for over three decades, including the foundational Character First Coaches' Manual, donated to ASCA. Coach education pieces on culture, ethical coaching and team travel live on our Articles, Presentations and WSCA Course Book pages.
See it in the coaches' own words
Articles, conference presentations and podcast appearances on building a character-first program.