Purpose:The purpose ofthis study was to formulate and prioritize development strategies for children’s swimming inIraq through acomprehensive SWOT analysis.Given the country’s young age structure,the role of swimming in health,motor development and drowning prevention,and the absence ofa dedicated strategy in this field,a comprehensive roadmap was required.
Methods:The study was applied and descriptive-analytical,using a mixed-methods design.Inthe quantitative phase,196of roughly400key stakeholders in children’s swimming(federation members,ministerial experts,coaches and center managers)were selected by simple random sampling and completed a researcher-designed35-item(9items assessing strengths,10items assessing weaknesses,8items assessing opportunities,and8items assessing threats)SWOT questionnaire on afive-point Likert scale.Face and content validity were confirmed by10experts and reliability was supported with aCronbach’s alpha of0.73.Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics andthe Friedman test inSPSS,followed by internal and external factor evaluation matrices and aDelphi panel(senior officials from the Iraqi Swimming Federation(n=4),experienced children’s swimming coaches(n=5),ministerial experts from Youth and Sports and Education(n=4),and university professors insport management(n=2))to derive and rank strategies.
Results:Results indicated good status in management and human resources,coaching,education and talent identification;moderate status in facilities,refereeing and cultural promotion;and weak to unacceptable status in finance,research,information technology and especially marketing. Overall,the SWOT analysis showed that,despite important strengths,substantial structural and financial weaknesses and several environmental threats persist.
Conclusion:The study concludes that phased,realistic planning is needed to strengthen infrastructure,diversify funding and expand school-based aquatic literacy.It recommends development ofa National Children’s Swimming Program in collaboration with relevant ministries and empirical evaluation ofthe proposed strategies in different provinces.The study proposes10prioritized strategies, notably a national talent identification system and enhanced marketing management, operationalized into 20 programs to advance infrastructure and aquatic literacy.
Nadoush Nasir, A. , Azizian Kohan, N. , Naghizadeh Baghi, A. and Moharramzadeh, M. (2026). Developing a Strategic Plan for Children’s Swimming in Iraq Using the SWOT Model. Research in Sport Management and Marketing, (), -. doi: 10.22098/rsmm.2026.19027.1529
MLA
Nadoush Nasir, A. , , Azizian Kohan, N. , , Naghizadeh Baghi, A. , and Moharramzadeh, M. . "Developing a Strategic Plan for Children’s Swimming in Iraq Using the SWOT Model", Research in Sport Management and Marketing, , , 2026, -. doi: 10.22098/rsmm.2026.19027.1529
HARVARD
Nadoush Nasir, A., Azizian Kohan, N., Naghizadeh Baghi, A., Moharramzadeh, M. (2026). 'Developing a Strategic Plan for Children’s Swimming in Iraq Using the SWOT Model', Research in Sport Management and Marketing, (), pp. -. doi: 10.22098/rsmm.2026.19027.1529
CHICAGO
A. Nadoush Nasir , N. Azizian Kohan , A. Naghizadeh Baghi and M. Moharramzadeh, "Developing a Strategic Plan for Children’s Swimming in Iraq Using the SWOT Model," Research in Sport Management and Marketing, (2026): -, doi: 10.22098/rsmm.2026.19027.1529
VANCOUVER
Nadoush Nasir, A., Azizian Kohan, N., Naghizadeh Baghi, A., Moharramzadeh, M. Developing a Strategic Plan for Children’s Swimming in Iraq Using the SWOT Model. Research in Sport Management and Marketing, 2026; (): -. doi: 10.22098/rsmm.2026.19027.1529
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