Swim lessons

Sorry for the break from posts. I have been doing private Learn to Swim Lessons this last week for 6 to 7 hours back to back 30 minutes at a time. It is exhausting, but once started in with the lessons it is a lot of fun. I am teaching kids that range from 11 months old to 7 years old. The levels are all below what could make our bottom group, except one is just about ready. It is all basics, it is coming up with tricks to get the kids to do what seem so easy to do. Having designed a Swim School Curriculum this may come a little easier as I have thought about tricks to accomplish certain basics.

The 7 year old is about at the level that she could join our team if she so desired. It is fun as I was able to get it across to her that relaxing is a key aspect to swimming. She had basics down, and now it is learning the strokes. We are starting with her by relaxing and going to positions that you want a swimmer to be comfortable with and be able to float in. Once I got the swimmer to completely relax learning skills became much easier, and now learning is happening fast. No need for speed. everything is methodical. There is no reason to rush as there is no expectation of racing yet.

I really hope she does join the team because I'd be curious to see how she then does with stroke instruction with the foundation of relaxation. I am sure there are other swim programs that emphasize relaxing, but here I'd know where she began, and how the development goes.

Again, I emphasize the relaxation aspect. I think learning it early makes it easier later on. Once the skills are in place then the emphasis to sprinting should be applied, and then strength (body weight), and then finally endurance.