SLC Swimmers

Starfish Aquatics Program Details

2013-05-20T22:45:00.002-07:00

The implementation of the Starfish program has two main components; the core competencies and the benchmarks. These explanations are meant for students or guardians of students, so that they can understand a bit more about the program.

Core Competencies
This is a list of skills that each student needs to master in a certain level. They build upon each other, so that skills in Red need to be learned before those in Yellow.

Benchmarks
This is the final "test", a specific skill that shows the student is able to preform all the core competencies. These are outlined in more detail in the specific level posts.

Safety Skill Benchmark
In addition to swimming skills, each level focuses on water safety as well. This includes life jackets, self-rescue, calling 911 and treading water. While each level has a specific safety benchmark, these skills are part of every lesson, teaching students how to stay safe in the water and react to emergencies.

Star Babies and Star Tots
This is equivalent to the Parent/Child class in Red Cross. The parent or caregiver is in the water with the child, and the instructor is there to show the parent skills and safety techniques to work on with the child. The color levels are the same, with similar goals to the Swim School in an age-appropriate way.

Swim School
The five levels of Swim School prepare the students to learn actual strokes. It starts with trust and submersion and moves through various body movements and positions.

Stroke School
This is where actual competitive swim strokes are taught. Each level takes one of the four; front crawl, backstroke, butterfly, and breast stroke. They focus on drills meant to make each stroke more efficient for competitive swimming.

Other Programs

Swim School for Teens and Adults
Starfish Swim Team
StarFun and Fitness

Home school and After school programs
Parties
Camps
Scout groups

AngelFish - special needs students

The Switch to Starfish Aquatics

2013-05-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

The facility I work for has decided to make the switch from Red Cross aquatics to Starfish Aquatics. http://www.starfishaquatics.org/

There are reasons for the change, but they're all at the administrative level. What this means on a practical level is that all the previously trained Red Cross lesson instructors have had to do "cross-over" classes to become re-certified. I've been teaching lessons for almost 15 years, and have done the "old" Red Cross, then YMCA lessons, and then the "new" Red Cross, and now Starfish. The adjustment was fairly easy, but I'm still using some of my teaching techniques from RC. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The Starfish Aquatic program might look a little different from the outside. Instead of numbered levels, SA does colors. The levels are also broken down into "Swim School" and "Stroke School". The goal of Swim School is to prepare students to learn competitive strokes in Stroke School.

The levels for both schools are white, red, yellow, blue, and green. Skills in Swim School are geared towards body position and movement, not on specific strokes. Stroke work is done in Stroke School, with each color level working on a specific competitive stroke, such as freestyle in White Stroke School, and butterfly in Yellow Stoke School.

The "lower" levels of Starfish look very similar to those in Red Cross; going under water, floating, blowing bubbles, etc. The main difference is that Starfish focuses only on skills that will eventually be competitive swim strokes. There is no sidestroke or elementary backstroke taught in Starfish. More time is spent on preparing swimmers for good technique, such as swimming on the side and body rotation.

I am still a certified Instructor Trainer for Red Cross, and will still be able to write about Red Cross lessons, but I will also be adding Starfish to this blog.

DIY Swimming Lessons

2011-06-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

It is my personal belief that teaching your children to swim is one of the most important life-skills you can give them. With any other sport, if they don't like it or can't do it well, it's not a big deal. No one ever died from being bad at soccer, right? But swimming is another matter. Yes, you could avoid situations in which you'd have to swim. But what happens if your child falls into a lake? Tips over in a boat? Heck, with all the flooding going on recently, what if your child has to swim for his/her life? I encourage every parent out there to start their kids out right when it comes to water safety and adjustment. Take them to a parent/tot class. Sign them up for swimming lessons as soon as they turn 4. Make them stick with it until they at least pass level 4 in the RC program, whether they like it or not.

I do understand, however, that not everyone has access to a good Red Cross swimming program, for geographical or financial reasons. Even without that resource, it's possible to start your child off on the right foot when it comes to learning to swim. You can teach your child to swim yourself in your own backyard or local pool by following the steps outlined in this article:

DIY Swim Lessons for Kids: A Guide For Parents

Keep in mind that all children will go at their own pace, but that motor-skill development is fairly predictable among children 0-5 years of age, so your child is probably physically capable of the skills mentioned in each section.

Have fun swimming!

Swimming Lessons: Passing to the Next Level

2011-05-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

In the past month, I've had two different cases of parents deciding to move their children up to the next level after the previous teacher had not passed them. They felt that there was no progress being made at the current level, and thought that the solution was just to sign them up for the next highest level. In both cases, the student was a Level 2 and ended up in my level 3 class.

In the first case, I was able to work with the student get her skill level to improve up to a level 3. The other student, however, was not progressing in level 2 because of her over-dramatic fear of drowning. This did not improve with a move to the "big pool". She became even more worried, and refused to try even those skills she had already mastered because she couldn't touch the bottom. In this case, her mother actually set back her progress by pushing too hard, too fast. I recommended private lessons to work through her fear of deep water and hopefully make some progress that she wasn't getting in regular lessons.

This article was written for all the parents who are tempted to push ahead even if their children are not ready for the next level of swimming lessons.

Swimming Lessons: Passing to the Next Level

It explains why it's not a good idea, and gives tips for what parents can do to ensure their children are progressing in the correct swimming lesson level.

Swimming Lessons: Private vs. Group Lessons

2011-04-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

When it comes time to enroll their child in swimming lessons, many parents are unsure what situation will lead to the best results. With so many programs out there, each with their own goals and strengths, how is a parent supposed to choose? One of the first decisions to make is between enrolling your child in private swimming lessons or group swimming lessons. Knowing the benefits and weaknesses of each approach will allow parents to choose the best swimming lesson for their child.

Group Lessons

When someone says “swimming lessons”, they are usually thinking of group lessons. In this set-up, there are multiple children per instructor. Numbers vary from 3-4 students for young children to 6-8 for older, more experienced swimmers. Red Cross and YMCA are two of the biggest providers of group swimming lessons in the US.

Advantages

Group lessons are often the cheapest option. Prices generally range from $20-$50 for about 8 lessons. They are also easy to find; most health clubs, community centers, and sports complexes offer some form of group swimming lesson.

The biggest advantage to group lessons is the social interaction between students. Kids benefit from being able to watch their peers try skills and accomplish tasks. It gives them the confidence that they might be able to do it too! Swimming is more fun for children when they get to play games and show off for their peers. Group lessons also allow kids to get some rest between activities, as other students take their turn. A swimming lesson can also teach kids good social skills such as taking turns, sharing, and playing fair. There is also the opportunity for students to learn how to encourage each other in a scary setting and be patient with other people.

Disadvantages

The main disadvantage to group lessons is lack on one-on-one time with each student. Even the best teacher can only spend so much time with each child on focused correction and feedback. She may have to spend time disciplining a challenging child or coaxing a fearful one, leaving the other children with lots of free time. As a result, kids in group lessons may not advance as fast as they would in a private lesson setting. Group lessons are also highly standardized and may not be a good fit for every child and skill level.

Private Lessons

Private lessons consist of one instructor and one student. Some parents may choose to have siblings of similar ages “share” a private lesson.

Advantages

In a private lesson, the student(s) get focused, one-on-one attention. Instructors are able to concentrate on the needs of the individual child. Drills can be customized to the skill level of the student. As a result, students tend to advance faster in a private lesson. Discipline can also be tailored to the student's challenges, leading to a better learning environment for both student and instructor. The lesson can also meet the personal goals of the student and parents, from water adjustment to safety skills to competitive swimming skills.

Disadvantages

Private lessons can be expensive, starting at $15 per lesson. It may also be more difficult to find a good private instructor. There is a lack of social interactions with peers, which may cause motivation challenges, as lessons may seem more like work than play. There is no opportunity for children to watch their peers try and master skills, which could benefit a nervous child. Private lessons also make it more challenging for an instructor to keep a child engaged for the entire session.

So which option should a parent choose?

Group lessons may be the best option for families in which cost is a major issue. It is also a good option for children who may be unsure of the water and slightly shy, where the social aspect of group lessons will allow them to observe their peers. While children will advance at an acceptable rate in group lessons, this option is best for parents who are less concerned with speedy results and want their children to learn to love the water and interact with their peers.

Private lessons may be the best option for parents who have a specific goal in mind. It might be to learn to swim in time for a vacation, or improve stroke performance for swim team. A private lesson is also a great option for those children who may have have had a traumatic experience with water and need to progress slowly. Students who may become distracted by other students or need specialized direction and discipline would also benefit from a private lesson.

Swimming Lessons Reduce the Risk of Drowning in Children

2011-03-26T22:32:00.000-07:00

The debate over swimming lessons for small children has been heated for a long time. There are those that maintain children should be in the water as soon as possible, learning self-rescue techniques. Critics of early swimming lessons feel that allowing young children to feel comfortable in the water actually increases the danger of drowning. Now there is finally a study that tackles this very debate.

The study was conducted by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. “Association between Swimming Lessons and Drowning in Childhood” was published by the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine in March of 2009. This is the first definitive study to show that taking your child to formal swimming lessons can reduce their risk of drowning. The study focused on case studies of 88 children who drowned between 2003 and 2005, and the families of 213 control children of the same age, gender, and location. The study revealed that among the 61 children between the ages of 1-4 who had drowned, only 3% of children had had formal swimming lessons, versus 26% of the control group. The risk of drowning in that age group was determined to be decreased by almost 88%.

I applaud this study as an excellent starting point for exploring the benefits of swimming lessons. But critics of the study, myself included, would like to see more. Swimming lessons programs vary greatly in the skills they prioritize. Some programs, such as Red Cross, focus on water adjustment, while others consider safety skills to be the main objective. In a response to the LA Times article reporting the results of the study, Dr. Harvey Barnett, Ph. D, founder of Infant Swimming Resource LLC outlines six approaches to swimming lessons; water adjustment, structured play, swimming readiness, swimming with devices, survival swimming, and modified adult strokes. He would like to see studies that break these categories up to discover which approaches are more beneficial to drowning reduction in small children. These studies would be incredibly complicated to undertake, as the samples sizes may not be large enough to give any conclusive data.

It is my personal belief that the main benefit of formal swimming lessons for children ages 1-4 is parental awareness. No swimming lesson can drown-proof a child, and only a select few concentrate on infant survival skills in which the child can “rescue” themselves. But the vast majority of swimming lessons for this age group rely heavily on safety information for parents. The Red Cross Parent/Infant classes involve safety tips in every lessons, from allowing children to enter the pool to the benefits of taking a CPR class. It is, of course, up to the parents to follow through with the safety techniques, but it is my personal opinion that the simple awareness of drowning dangers and prevention play a significant role in the drowning-risk reduction seen in the study. Dr. Barnett also credits parental awareness to reduced drowning risk. In the same letter:

“Regardless of whichever particular approach further research shows contributes most to the reduction of the risk of drowning, care giver and parent education must be a primary effort. Lessons for infants in the water whether formal or not must include comprehensive and effective adult education. The programs should aim to make the baby safer in the water and the family safer around it.”

So if the information given in a swimming class is the significant factor in drowning prevention, does it stand to reason that reading a book or doing an internet search would be just as effective? I believe the answer is no. Active instruction lets parents and children practice safety skills. Parents are able to receive answers to questions and get feedback from experienced instructors. And experiences in swimming lessons allow the parent and the child to remain much more calm in an emergency, making good decisions that can save lives.

Sources

Ruth A. Brenner, Associations Between Swimming Lessons and Drowning in Childhood, Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, March 2009, Vol. 163 No. 3

http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/163/3/203?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=swimming+lessons&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT

Shari Roan, Swimming Lessons Lower Drowning Risk In Toddlers, Los Angeles Times, March 2 2009

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/03/swimming-lesson.html

Speedo Vanquisher Goggles

2011-02-16T20:38:00.000-08:00

These are my favorite goggles. I used them for competitive swimming in college, and find them comfortable enough for recreational swimming now. Silicone eye gaskets have always been my preference over foam gaskets or Swedish goggles with no gaskets. I also have the added challenge of an eyebrow piercing. The Vanquisher goggle has a small enough eye piece that I can fit the goggle under my eyebrow ring with no leaking. These goggles also have a double strap which allows for a better fit, especially for block starts. I also like that the buckle is on the back of the strap, as opposed to being at the temple like most goggles. The nose piece is not adjustable, but the goggles come with three different sizes that can be switched out for personal comfort. I have two pairs, a dark, mirrored pair for outdoor swimming and a blue, non-mirrored pair for inside.

Speedo Endurance - My New Favorite Suit

2011-02-16T20:15:00.000-08:00

I spend 3 hours a day, four days a week in the pool. After having several suits fade in record time over the last six months, I finally broke down and dropped money on the Speedo Endurance. The suit fabric is 50% polyester/50% PBT, which resists chlorine and stretching/sagging. The Speedo website also advertises "new four-way stretch technology for added softness and mobility". I'm not sure what that means, but I do know that this suit is way more comfortable than my pure polyester suits. I have a long torso, so suit straps always dig into my shoulders, but this suit doesn't have that problem. I have noticed a bit of pilling in the butt of my suit, but I do spend an inordinate amount of time sitting on the rough bottom of the pool during swimming lessons. I have not noticed any stretching, fading, or bleaching of my suit in any of the usual areas. All in all, I'm a convert to the Speedo Endurance. If it lasts a year, it will be worth the $60.

Preparing Your Child For Swimming Lessons

2011-02-03T21:27:00.000-08:00

The Red Cross program is designed so that students can start with no previous swimming experience. Your child can be totally "green" when it comes to pools, water, and swimming. Instructors expect a certain number of first-time students to show up in our classes, and the objectives for Pre-School 1 and Level 1 contain pool orientation and safety information. All that being said, just because your child can start from scratch doesn't necessarily mean that there's nothing you can or should do to prepare them. The list below outlines some suggestions that will help your child feel more comfortable in swimming lessons.

1. Take your child swimming.
This one may seem obvious, but some families do not swim. Maybe there is a lack of facilities nearby, or one of the parents has had a bad swimming experience and is fearful of water. Whatever the case, if you decide to sign your child up for lessons, it might not be the best idea to have their first water experience be in a lesson. Swimming is a weird sensation. The the size of the pool area, the temperature of the pool water, the change in balance and buoyancy can all cause hesitation and anxiety at first. Let your child experience the water wherever is most convenient and comfortable for you, from a lake to a wading pool.

2. Swim without floatation devices.
Life jackets and suits with built-in floaties are great for initial introduction to the water, but are usually not allowed in a formal swim lesson. If your child is used to swimming with floatation, it may be best to have a few sessions without any of these devices to prepare them.

3. Read up!
Red Cross has published two books; Raffy Learns To Swim and Waddles In The Deep. Both are illustrated children's books about a brother and sister duck and their activities at swimming lessons. The advantage of using the Red Cross books is that the activities that Raffy and Waddles go through will closely correspond to those that will happen in your child's class. The books also offer safety information and skills checklists for the levels associated with each book. Raffy Learns To Swim deals with Pre-School levels 1/2 and Level 1. Waddles In The Deep correlates to Pre-School Level 2/3 and Level 3. While I recommend these books specifically, any book that can help your child understand what will happen at their lesson will make them feel more comfortable.

4. Visit the pool at which the lessons will take place.
Even if your child is familiar with swimming, the unknown of a new pool can still cause anxiety. Some children might fear that they cannot find the bathroom or won't know where to meet their teacher. A visit to the pool allows parents to point out lockers (we will put our stuff in here), parent areas (this is where I will sit and watch while you swim), bathrooms, etc. Swimming at the pool allows children the chance to test it out. How warm is the water? Which areas are shallow, and which are deep? Where are the ladders and stairs? When the child returns for the class, they feel more confident knowing their way around. The only "new" thing is the lesson its self.

5. Go over pool rules and safety.
Shower before swimming
No running anywhere
Lifeguards are here to help
No jumping in head-first in shallow water (diving)
Do not enter the water until given permission
There may be other rules at your specific facility that you will want to go over, but these five are pretty much standard at any pool you may go to.

6. Watch a swimming lesson.
If your facility has classes going continuously, such as mine does, you may be able to observe a lesson. You can point out to your child the rules of the class, and get feeling for the skills being taught. Kids can see where they will be swimming and what they will be doing. This is also a good idea if your child is older and you are unsure that they are in the right level. If you and your child observe a level 1 class, and your child's skills are more advanced, you may be able to move them to a level 2 before they even start classes.

7. Practice listening to the teacher and taking turns.
For some students, swimming lessons may be the first "formal" class they ever take. Children must be able to listen to the instructor, stay put when told, and take turns. If your child has not had much experience with formal instruction, practice with them. Hold a "pretend" lesson. Have your child sit on the side or hold the wall until you allow them to move, or count to three before jumping in. Play "Simon Says". Come swimming with friends and practice waiting their turn to hop across the pool or throw a ball. Talk to your child about following instructions. A good instructor will have many methods of class management, but it never hurts to plant a few seeds!

8. Take a Parent/Child Class.
If you would like to work on some actual swimming skills with your child, you can sign up for a Parent/Child class. The goal of a Parent/Tot class is to acclimate young children to the water, and to teach parents some skills they can work on with their child. Children up to age 5, with their adult partner, can participate in Parent/Child lessons. Read Red Cross Swimming Lessons: Parent Child for a brief overview of skills taught in this class. The class is loosely structured so that children experience following directions, and there is some instructor/child time to get the kids used to trusting other adults in the water. This may be a good option if your child is under 3 years of age, or you feel they are otherwise not quite ready for independent lessons.

These are simply my suggestions for ways to prepare your child for their first swimming lesson. Please share any others you may have found useful!

Pass or Hold?

2011-01-29T15:18:00.000-08:00

It's the end of the first swimming lessons session of the year today. It's the day to hand out report cards to my students (or their parents), letting them know if they will proceed to the next level or stay in the current level. This means, of course, that I have to decide whether they are ready for the next level (or not). Sometimes it's an easy yes, or an easy no. But often, there are students right on the edge...students who can do most of the skills well but have one weakness, or have worked very hard and improved a ton but still aren't quite up to snuff. So I have come up with a list of questions to ask myself when deciding whether or not to pass a student.

In order of importance:
1. Can the student do all the individual skills on the checklist?
Most of the time, if the answer is no, then the student should not move on to the next level. I do sometimes make an exception, depending on the skill. For example, I have had students in level 4 that are great swimmers, and easily complete all skills for stroke performance and endurance. But they cannot dive. To me, diving is not one of the most important skills in the program. I have passed students into level 5 if they cannot dive.

2. Can the student do the assessment skills?
Even if the student can do all the skills individually, they still have to do the skills assessment. This is a requirement for Red Cross, and a good indication of success in the next level. It is there to test the student's endurance, and ability to link skills together.

3. Would I want to teach this student in the next level?
If the answer is no, then I don't pass them.

4. Is this the student's first time in this level?
If it is, that may help me decide to keep them in the current level to solidify the skills they have worked on.

5. Has the student reached a plateau, or do I feel the student can keep up their improvement?
Sometimes, a student needs the challenge of a new level to push them to keep improving. They may have to stay in that level for a few sessions, but their skills will evolve more quickly than if held to the current level.

Goggles

2010-12-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

I love goggles. I'm one of those people that does not care to even go underwater without them. My eyes are sensitive to chlorine, or just sensitive. I even kick with my goggles on, on the off chance that someone splashing will get in my eye. I would even wear goggles while I teach, but they tend to fog up above the water which makes watching a group of 8-year-olds harder than it needs to be. I do carry them with me and put them on to watch strokes underwater.

I've run into lots of parents over the years that are hesitant to let their kids wear goggles for swimming lessons. I guess I get the sentiment: kids should learn to put their faces in the water without any "crutches" (although why this philosophy doesn't extend to nose-pinching I will never understand). I do think there is something to be said for this, as you aren't always going to have your goggles with you. When you fall out of a boat or get pushed into a pond, it helps not to panic if your eyes get wet without protection. There are even tasks in Level 2 that need to be done with eyes open underwater, preferably without goggles. Lifeguards are not allowed to use goggles during training, as they need to be able to complete rescues without them.

When it's time to start learning actual swimming strokes, however, I am very pro-goggle. They keep eyes from being irritated as students spend more and more time with their faces in the water. It also helps to be able to see underwater when working on surface dives and flip turns. If students don't already have goggles by level 4 or 5, I write it on their report card that goggles are recommended for upper levels. If parents are hesitant, I remind them that even Olympic swimmers wear goggles; it is a piece of sports equipment, not a weakness.

The problem with goggles is that many times, students or parents pick the wrong goggle. Goggles that leak are actually more distracting than no goggles at all. Here is a list of goggle pointers:

1. No snorkel masks. Snorkel masks cover the eyes and the nose. Swimmers should be exhaling out of their noses during lap swimming, which is impossible to do with a snorkel mask. They are also large and unwieldy, and can be dangerous to dive in.

2. Get the proper size. There is a difference between goggles made for children and adult goggles. Children's goggles have smaller eye cups, and the cups are closer together to fit faces with smaller nose bridges. Adult goggles on a small child's face leave gaps around the out corners of the eye, causing leaks. By about ten years of age, kids can start wearing adult-sized goggles. If you are getting them for your four-year-old, go for the children's size. Speedo Junior Goggles

3. Double straps. Find goggles with a split strap, especially if the wearer will have a ponytail. The double strap gives more stability if you are going to be doing any head-first entries (dives or block starts)

4. Spend some money. You don't have to drop a huge amount of money on goggles, but dollar store goggles are not going to last very long, and probably won't work well. Spring for the Speedos or Nikes.

5. Tight! Goggles should be tight. The suction cups can only do so much to hold water...the rest is all in the straps. Goggles should feel snug on the face, and may leave marks under the eyes if worn for an extended period of time. You will get used to the feeling. Loose goggles are leaky goggles.

6. Strap placement. The straps should be above the ears, around the widest part of the head. Teach your kids to place their goggles on their foreheads when not on their eyes, rather than pull them down around their necks. It is safer and makes then easier to put on.

7. Test the goggles. Before you send your child off to lessons in their new goggles, test them. Have them swim with them to make sure they actually keep water out of the eyes, and adjust the tightness accordingly. Have them do bobs, swim, flip, dive in with them on to see how they work. Make sure they stay together, that the straps won't slip out of place. Adjust the nose piece. Teach your kids how to put them on. I can't tell you how many hours I've wasted over the course of my career "fixing" goggles.

Go goggles!

Adult Swimming Lessons

2010-12-13T19:45:00.000-08:00

I filled in for another instructor Saturday morning, for an adult swimming class. It's been a while since I've taught adults in a formal setting, and I was struck by how different, and yet how similar adult lessons can be to children's lessons.

The two adults I had in the class were a married couple. They signed their kids up for lessons...and then signed themselves up for lessons as well!  Their goals were simple; they just wanted to get better at swimming. While that give me a lot of flexibility as an instructor, it also gives me a challenge. Where to focus? What does "better" mean? Better at distance swimming? Better at strokes? Able to swim to shore if they fall out of a boat? The nice thing about adults is that you can ask them these questions. Why are you here? Do you want to learn all six strokes, or just focus on a few? Unfortunately, sometimes they don't have specific goals; it's up to you as the instructor to structure the class.

Running an adult class is very much the same as running a class for kids. The main difference is in your communication. You can talk to your students as peers. You can explain the hydrodynamics behind stokes. You can start a drill and not have to repeat yourself six times. There are also few, if any, class management issues with adults. Most are there to learn, as as such will focus on the teacher and preform the drills to the best of their ability without too much disruption.

The psychological difference between kids and adults can also make the class more challenging. Generally, kids are more daring, and only a few will have had previous bad experiences with swimming. Adults, on the other hand, can be very cautious. They may be at lessons because of a negative experience in the past, and may be paralysed by their fears.   Adults may also be "patterned", meaning that they have been doing things the same way for so long that it will take a lot of time for them to change their routines.   The woman I taught on Saturday told me that she has never put her face in the water without plugging her nose. EVER. For 35 years. That's not something you're going to come across with a ten-year-old.

Physically, adults may be more challenging to teach than children. Some are out of shape, some have joints and body parts that don't move as easily as they used to. Adults are also less plastic in their motor skill development, meaning they may need more practice time to allow their muscles to move correctly and effortlessly.

The husband and wife duo were at two different skill levels. The husband was comfortable in the water, but had very little finesse. Like many athletes unfamiliar with swimming, he tried to muscle his way through the water, with stiff muscles and lots of splashing. The challenge with his was to slow down and relax, focusing on smooth technique over speed. I gave him a few pointers, and then started him on doing slow laps with both front crawl and back crawl. If a student has a good flutter kick, crawl strokes are the easiest place to start, and familiar to the student.

With the wife, I had a bit more of a challenge. She could do a front crawl stroke with her face out of the water, but was very unsure of putting her face in. I was able to explain why it is necessary to submerge the face while swimming, and give her a focus for practicing her breathing. As with a child, I had her exhale out of her nose, and practice while standing in chest deep water before attempting it while swimming. Unlike with a child, I was able to give her logical reason to overcome her fear. I explained that if she would like to swim for fitness, holding her head up would cause fatigue in the neck and shoulder muscles and could lead to injuries in the neck, shoulders, and upper back.

Both adults could swim the crawl strokes passably well, but I wanted to give them other options. I decided to teach them breaststroke. The kick and stroke technique was exactly the same as I would have done with kids. The difference is that I could add hydrodynamic principles to my explanation. I told them at which point in the kick they should catch the water, why it was more efficient to keep the feet outside of the knees (even though it feels really awkward at first), and reassure them that this is a resting stroke and so is meant to be sloooooooow.

Both of them now have more swimming options than just crawl strokes. They have specific drills and skills to practice on their own. As an added bonus, the wife actually felt more comfortable putting her face in the water on breaststroke, and so is one step closer to overcoming her fear. And sometimes, that's the most you can ask for, with adults or with kids.

Power Struggles

2010-11-16T22:04:00.000-08:00

It's the first day of a new session of swimming lessons.

Staring at me from the deck is an angry 10-year-old with his arms crossed.

He's not getting in the lap pool.

The facility I teach at has two pools; a lap pool and a leisure pool. The leisure pool is shallow, with a zero-depth area and a 3-foot maximum at all other points. It's also significantly warmer than the lap pool. Preschool lessons and Levels 1 and 2 are taught in the leisure pool. Levels 3 and up are taught in the lap pool. This can cause some anxiety when a student levels up from 2 to 3. The lap pool is big, it's deep, and it's cold! Some students need to re-learn their skills in the "big pool", and gain confidence in the fact that swimming is swimming, whether you can touch the bottom or not. Most of the time, the transition can start in level 2, with an "adventure" to the big pool sometime during the session. Level 3 teachers understand that they may encounter hesitance or fear of the lap pool and can plan the first few lessons accordingly.

This is the situation I found myself in on the first day of lessons. My level 3 class consisted of three students, only one of which had ever been in the lap pool. The other two students, brothers, were not excited about getting into the water. In situations like this, it's good to take it slow but still push students to get over their initial apprehension. So I asked the students to climb in the water. And two of them did.

But not Zach.

He said no. There was no hesitation, no 'I'll try it but so slowly that we waste half the lesson', nothing. It was simply not going to happen. If he was a younger student, I may have chosen at that moment to pick him up and put him (slowly) in the water. Being 10 years old, I didn't feel like that would be helpful or appropriate. So what to do?

Eventually his mom stepped in with some word of encouragement (or a threat, I couldn't be sure) and he started to s-lo-w-l-y get into the pool. Great....progress. Now onto floats. Another emphatic no. At this point, I decided to play hardball. I stated my rule "everyone takes a turn", and moved him into a front float. I asked him to blow bubbles. He refused. I said "Ok, we can float until you blow bubbles". And I held him in a front float while I watched the other two students do their back floats. Then I asked him again to blow bubbles. "Fine" and he did. Victory! Only problem was, at that point the lesson was almost over, and all I had accomplished with the class was floats. This is not the way I would like to handle my lessons.

So after the lesson, I decided I needed a new game plan. I was not going to allow a 10 year old to power-trip me, but at the same time I realize that forcing someone to do something is not the most productive way to make progress.

So, what is this student's motivation? He wants to swim in the leisure pool. How can I use that to my advantage?

The next day, I wrote a list of tasks that I wanted to complete in this lesson, and stuck it to a kick board. When my students showed up, I made a deal with them. If we can complete all the tasks on this list, then we can spend the rest of the lesson in the other pool. If we all take our turn and try hard without stalling, we will have more time in the warm pool. If we can't finish all the things on the list, then we will not have time to swim in the warm pool.

Zach looked at the list, looked at me, and said "I'll do it". Huh? This from the kid who refused to do a float yesterday? But he did. He got in, he did the activities...and at the end of the lesson, he was smiling. And I kept my word....we spent the last five minutes in the leisure pool.

I'm now at the point with this class that I am actually working on skills. Zach is cheerful, excited to come to class, and improving every day. Whenever anyone in the class starts to hesitate in participation, all I have to do is pull out the "threat" of no time in the warm pool, and suddenly we have a renewed vigour for swimming!

This strategy works because it is a balance of teacher control and student control. As the instructor, I set the agenda and decide which pool we swim in. This is not up for debate by the students. But the students have control over how much time we spend in the leisure pool. Do the tasks when I ask, and we have more time in the warm pool. Stall or screw around, and we won't have any time left. This means I have to keep my word as well. I can't all of a sudden decide at the end of the lesson to add more tasks. I have to plan ahead and give students the reward they earned.

This class, with these students, has made me a better teacher even after 10 years of teaching. Lesson learned.

Class Managment

2010-11-04T22:13:00.001-07:00

Class management is one of the most important and most challenging aspects of teaching swimming lessons. How an instructor organizes class and responds to participant behavior can make or break the class, and either facilitate or sabotage progress in swimming skills. You can be the best instructor in the world, but if you can't control your class, you are not going to be able to teach a damn thing.

Some instructors are inexperienced, timid, or lazy. They allow the students to get away with just about anything. Classes may seem to be confusing and scattered, with kids in every direction. Students do not progress very much because they are given little instruction or challenge.

Some instructors are control freaks. Any minor infraction on the part of the student can reap heavy consequences. While these teachers often get good results in skill progression, this strategy can sometimes backfire with fearful students. It can also cause rebellion and attention-getting behavior.

In the spirit of the middle ground, I will share my class rules and the theory behind them. Some of these strategies were collected from teaching lessons over the years, figuring out what worked and collaborating with other teachers. Other strategies came from my "other job" as an animal trainer. What works with monkeys works surprisingly well with small children as well!

My Rules:
1. Follow the pool rules
2. Everyone must stay with the class
This rule has two purposes. The first is obviously safety. When properly enforced, this rule assures that no student wanders off outside of the supervision of the instructor. I also use the rule with fearful or reluctant children. "Staying with the class" may mean sitting on Mom's lap and watching the lesson. The child is allowed to stay in a safe zone, but is also realizes that this isn't going away...crying and fussing isn't going to get Mom to take me home, or let me play elsewhere in the pool. Gradually the fearful child graduates to sitting on the side with the class, even if they do not participate in activities. This leads me to my next rule:
3. Everyone takes a turn
No matter what skill or activity we are working on, every student in my class has to attempt the skill. What actually occurs during that "turn" depends on the student's comfort level. I have been known to take a crying child and mold them into a back float before placing them back on the side. I also find this rule useful for diving, which can be scary for some students.
4. "Ears up, eyes up" or "When the teacher is talking, your whole head must be above the water"
This prevents students from going underwater while you are giving instructions or doing demonstrations. I do allow students freedom to do bobs, etc when I am not directly instructing them, IE during another student's turn. Kids are much more likely to focus on you when you really need them to if they are allowed to relax when it is not vital.
5. You may not jump or dive in without permission
Primarily for safety, this also helps my sanity.
6. Keep your hand on the wall when it is not your turn
With classes of younger students, this is my hard and fast rule. Holding on to the wall with one hand keeps the kids safe, and in one place! If I return to the class after instructing a child to find someone with their hand off the wall, I will either redirect them "Where is your hand supposed to be?" and I do not allow them to take their turn until that hand has touched the wall again. With older students, I may make them keep a hand on the wall, or give them an area in which they must stay "Do not go past the ladder" "Do not cross the black line on the bottom of the pool" Again, if they are out of place, they are redirected and do not get a turn until they are in the proper place.
In any level, I try to keep one-on-one instruction to a minimum to reduce the amount of time a child has to wait around with their hand on the wall. This technique is most successful when you put effort into it initially, and then relax as the students start to catch on.
7. Respect other students
This generally manifests its self as "Keep your hands to yourself" but can also fend off heckling, teasing, bullying, and too much talking. The best method for dealing with heckling is to cut it off as soon as it happens "We do not say those things in this class" and then drop it. In many cases, the heckler is looking for attention from other students or the teacher, and will knock it off if they aren't getting any feedback, positive or negative.

These are my rules, for my classes, at my facility. Each teacher has to figure out what works best for them. For example, I always choose the order in which my students go. This keeps kids from asking "Can I go first?" "Can I go next" over and over and over....which for some reason annoys the crap out of me. Other teachers may not have a problem with this, and so may not make this a rule.

Here are some general tips for managing behavior:
1. Tell your students what you WANT them to do. "No running" says what NOT to do. "Walk please" gives them an actual correct behavior to do.
2. Have an undesirable behavior? Figure out an incompatible behavior. For example, it is physically impossible to wander away from the class while simultaneously keeping your butt on the stairs. Kids can't be in two places at once.
3.Be specific. "Stay here" is not specific, and is open to interpretation. "Keep you bottom on the stair between these two railings" leaves little wiggle room.
4. Be consistent! Once you decide on the rules, enforce them for all students, all the time. Obviously there will be exceptions due to extemporaneous circumstances, but in general, consistency is key!
5. Figure out what your students find rewarding, and use it to shape their behavior. Your kids love jumping off the diving board? Use that activity as a reward for following the rules...and let them know that their good behavior earned them this treat! "Because you guys did such a good job following directions today, we can all jump off the board one time!" In many cases, simply thanking or praising students for good behavior is reward enough, and can increase compliance in the future.
6. Address attention-seeking behavior with as little attention as possible. If it is a safety issue, time outs work well. "I asked you to stay with the class. Because you did not, you need to sit on the side." Do not give any attention until the time-out is complete (30 seconds is sufficient).

Last but not least, remember: kids will be kids. They will forget rules, get bored and distracted, fight and argue with each other, get scared, etc. Don't expect perfection. Give kids time to be silly, to play, and to relax a bit between activities. HAVE FUN! Kids who are interested and engaged in your lesson, and know what to expect from you, are much less likely to misbehave in the first place!

I'm always open to new and creative ways to effectively manage my classes. Feel free to chime in!

Level One: The Begining

2010-10-03T20:52:00.000-07:00

The Learn-to-Swim program through Red Cross officially begins with Level 1. Whether the student is a six-year-old or an adult, the skills taught in Level 1 are the foundations of future swimming skills. Some students may breeze through this level quickly, and some students may take a while to master the skills.

This level is officially called "Water Exploration". Students will not necessarily learn to "swim" by the end of level 1. However, the skills they do master set them up for technique and locomotion in later levels. There are three very important skills that need to be mastered before someone can learn to swim properly, and level one focuses on these skills through different activities.

The first is breath control. This starts with holding the breath, and exhaling into the water or "blowing bubbles". It is also important to work on submerging the face at this stage so that students can experiment with exhaling through the nose as well. I do not allow students to hold or pinch their nose in any of my classes. While this may work to keep water out of the nose doing basic skills, it is completely impractical to swim with one hand holding the nose, to say nothing of jumping or diving in. Instead we practice "nose bubbles" to keep the water from getting into the nose. There may be lots of coughing, sputtering, and blowing snot into the pool at first, but once it becomes a habit, the student will have a much easier time with future swimming endeavors. Please, please, please parents, unless there is a physical reason that your child absolutely cannot get a drop of water up their nose, do not even teach them that pinching their nose is an option. Go for nose bubbles....good habits last a lifetime!

Not only do students need to be able to hold their breath and put their faces in the water, they also need to learn rhythmic breathing. Rhythmic breathing is essential for any strokes in which the face is in the water, such as front crawl and breaststroke. At the basic level, students must learn to breath in while the face is above the water, and exhale underwater. This is why "bobs" or "bob-ups" are so important in the lower levels. Bobs teach rhythmic breathing, but focusing only on submersion and breathing rhythms. Sometimes I see students hold their breath, go under 3 or 4 times in quick succession, stop, catch their breath, and do more bobs without exhaling under water. While the student is "doing bobs", they are not really meeting the objective, which is to learn to control their breathing. I always make sure to teach students to "blow bubbles" underwater and "big breath" when they come up.

The second major skill needed for swimming is body position. The correct body position can make or break a stroke. Floating is the core basic skill for future body positioning. Most small children will float well if they can relax (which is no small task, believe me!). The key is to mold their bodies into the proper position, and them make them feel secure so that they can relax their muscles. Students who are still unable to put their faces in the water cannot float independently on their front, as the act of holding their head up will sink the feet and cause the body to go vertical in the water. These students may be more comfortable doing back floats, as their faces will not go underwater when done properly. Students who are comfortable putting their face in the water will likely learn to float on their front very quickly. As a general rule, back floats are harder for students because they need to learn to trust that the water will hold them up. Many children are also uncomfortable with water going in their ears, which it will in a proper back float.

The third basic skill is a good flutter kick. Small children will instinctively do a "frog kick" where the legs move simultaneously up to the butt and back out. Flutter kicks require the feet to move alternatively, in an up and down motion. This is a learned behavior. I often see students who have had no formal swimming instruction do a bicycle kick, in which the legs move alternatively, but in a circular motion, similar to pedaling a bike. This kick may move them forward, but uses a lot more energy than is required. It is inefficient. Proper flutter kick requires that the legs be straight with only a slight bend in the knees. It uses the whole leg from the hip, not just the lower leg from the knee. Feet should be "floppy" with toes pointed. The motion is similar to kicking a soccer ball. The feet should be just underneath the water, creating a small splash. If you see a teacher spending what looks like a disproportionate amount of time on kicking, it is because this is a not only a tricky skill to learn, but also a vital part of future swimming abilities.

In a level 1 class held for children, much of the class will be taken up with safety information. Children this age are at a great place to learn about how to stay safe, how to ask for help, and how to help others in the water. The Red Cross places a huge emphasis on safety skills along with stroke development. Wonder why the teacher is having the kids jump in the water and climb back out? Getting yourself out of the water is a safety skill. Why are the kids playing around in life jackets? Being comfortable in a life jacket can keep kids from panicking in the event of an emergency. Teacher walking around on deck with the kids? She might be pointing out safety equipment and where the lifeguards are. One of my favorite "games" to play with kids in all levels is to let them pull each other out of the pool with noodles. While the kids are having a blast, they are learning to help someone in trouble without getting themselves in trouble at the same time.

Here is a basic skills list for Level 1: Water Exploration
- Entering and exiting the water through stairs or a ladder
- Submerge face for 3 seconds
- Blowing bubbles
- Bob five times (do not need to completely submerge whole head)
- Front and Back Floats with support
-Alternating leg action on front and back (flutter kick) with support
-Alternating arm action on front with support
-Simultaneous arm action on back with support (elementary backstroke arms)
-Explore other arm and leg actions on front and back with support (breaststroke arms and legs, scissors kick, etc.)
-Safety information

A word on "with support". Many parents and teachers consider this to mean that the teacher holds the student while they demonstrate the skill. While this is a great option for children who are nervous or "green" when it come to swimming, it is not the only option. I try to use floatation devices as often as possible in level 1. To a child, there is a big difference between floating with the teacher holding you, and floating with a noodle or kick board. I may not pass a student out of level 1 if they are very uncomfortable with the teacher letting go of them for any amount of time. The next level of Learn-to-Swim requires students to start doing skills independently, which may be too large of a jump for students who have never experienced a skill without the teacher.

Swimming Lessons for Pre-Schoolers

2010-09-27T21:13:00.000-07:00

When I say "pre-schoolers" I am generally talking about children between 2 1/2 and 5 years of age. There has been some debate among pediatricians, child development experts and swimming instructors as to the goals and effectiveness of swimming lessons for this age group. Some experts claim that children are not developmentally ready to "swim" until age 5, and so do not see the point of formal lessons for pre-schoolers.

I highly encourage parents to enroll their children in pre-school lessons. Even if your child is not physically ready to "swim", there are many advantages to introducing them to formal lessons as this age. As they grow and mature, their muscles will learn the "correct" way to move. This is especially true of flutter kicking, the basis for a good front crawl stroke. It is much easier to introduce the swimming motions and mold the muscles into proper form as they age. This doesn't mean that older kids with no formal lessons cannot learn to swim well, but in many cases they have to re-teach their muscles how to move properly, which can take more time and cause some frustrations. Early exposure to lessons and water in general will also help children feel relaxed and confident in the water. This is especially helpful with floating, treading water, and diving skills, which require relaxed muscles for maximum performance.

Red Cross has three levels of swimming lessons for pre-schoolers. If you've never heard of a pre-school option, it's because RC just added them in 2009. There was a lot of crowding in the lower levels of traditional Learn-to-Swim, with classes that lumped 3-year-olds in with 8-year-olds. Anyone who knows anything about kids knows that you can't use the same teaching strategies with those two age groups. The YMCA has been splitting kids up into pre-school and school-aged lessons for years. Having taught two years of YMCA lessons, I was excited to see the Red Cross add a pre-school option.

Generally, pre-school lessons are different from parent/child lessons in that the kids are in the water with the instructor: no parents. The goals of a pre-school class ranges from water adjustment to actual swimming skills. As a parent, you can tell if your child is ready for formal swimming lessons if they can follow verbal instructions, can focus on the instructor for half an hour, and are comfortable (or can become comfortable) with adults who are strangers. At this stage, it is not necessary that they are comfortable in the water, as the first level of pre-school aquatics is basic water adjustment. What makes or breaks a lesson is the child's reaction to the instructor. If your child still has strong stranger-danger, a formal pre-school lesson may not be the best option yet.

Teaching strategies for pre-school lessons rely heavily on play, pretending and imagination, and repetition. Some parents watch a class playing games the whole time and wonder "What is my child actually learning?" If you have a good instructor, your child is learning the foundations for future swimming skills, but in a way that is cognitively appropriate for their age group. Just because the children are not doing traditional drills does not mean they are not learning and improving. The driving force for creating pre-school lessons was to address the differences in learning between pre-school aged children and school-aged children. It places kids in classes appropriate not just to their skill level but also their level of cognitive and motor skill development.

As a swim instructor, I will be honest: most kids aren't going to be able to swim a real stroke until they are 4 or 5 years old. Anything that resembles front crawl, back crawl, or breaststroke is too complex for most small children, both physically and cognitively. There are teachers and programs that can teach your three-year-old to "swim", but it takes focused, one-on-one attention over a long period of time. And at that point, are you sure your child learned to swim because of the instruction, or just the fact that they are now a year older and more coordinated than when they started?

The three pre-school levels in the Red Cross program teach the same skills as Levels 1 and 2 in regular Learn-to-Swim program. The criteria for these levels are not actual strokes, but you will recognize the beginning of formal strokes in the lessons. The report card will read "combined arm and leg action on front alternating". Most teachers will interpret, and teach, a rudimentary front crawl. "Combined arm and leg action on back alternating" is the beginning of a back crawl. "Combined arm and leg action on back simultaneous" is the beginning of elementary backstroke, but your child may know it as "monkey, airplane, soldier". The point is to introduce children to the variety of arm and leg motions that will become actual swimming strokes in the upper levels.

Level 1: Water Adjustment
Skills at this level include entering and exiting the water, pool rules, blowing bubbles, floating with assistance on front and back, exploring leg and arm movements in the water, experimenting with locomotion, and submerging mouth, nose and eyes. This level is all about getting comfortable with the water, with the format of lessons, and foundations of skills for future swimming.

Level 2:
Builds on the skills in level 1. In addition, students will learn to completely submerge head, and start breath control with bobs. They will also be challenged to float independently. More specific kicking motions will be taught, and exploration with "front crawl" and "breaststroke" arm motions. Kids will be encouraged to try skills on their own, but do not need to do them independently to pass the level.

Level 3:
Builds on the skills in level 2. Students should be able to hold a front or back float for five seconds, and swim about 5 body lengths independently. A lot of time will be spent on building skill and endurance. If a child passes pre-school level 3 by the time they turn 5 or 6 years old, that child can move on to Level 3 in the regular Learn-to-Swim program.

Welcome to SLC Swimmers

2010-09-25T21:20:00.000-07:00

My name is Ellen. I've been teaching swimming lessons at a couple of Salt Lake County pools for the last three years. I started teaching lessons in 1998, as a summer job during high school. The nice thing about this job is that it was easy to keep doing it part time as I went through college, did internships, and looked for a "real" job. The result is 12 year of experience at facilities in Wisconsin and Utah, teaching Red Cross and YMCA lessons. In January of 2010, I became a Red Cross Water Safety Instructor Trainer, which means I now teach new instructors how to teach swimming lessons. I am not an official Red Cross spokesperson. This blog is an attempt to give information to people who are interested in or have questions about swimming lessons in general, and Red Cross programs in the county parks system in the valley. Feel free to ask questions, suggest topics or tell me I'm wrong...I'm always willing to learn new techniques and philosophy!

Happy Swimming

Red Cross Swim Lesson Levels - Parent/Child

2010-09-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

Red Cross has one of the most widely used learn-to-swim programs in the country. Most public pools, and a lot of private ones, use Red Cross swimming programs. The great part about Red Cross is the consistancy; a Water Safety Instructor (as swim teachers are officially called) recieve the same training across the country. A level 3 in Utah is the same as a level 3 in Wisconsin, in Florida, and in New York. But what exactly will a swimmer learn in level 3? Or any of the levels for that matter? Some aquatic centers do a fantastic job informing parents just what their kids will be learning. Other pools shuffle kids into lessons on the first day and leave it up to the teachers to explain (or not) what the goals are for the class and their students. Many parents I interact with as a swimming teacher don't have a clear understanding of just what their kids are actually doing during that 1/2 hour session. I hope to clarify some of the confusion so parents have a realistic idea of the goals of each level of the Learn-to-Swim program. This post will deal specifically with Parent/Child classes. Keep in mind that this is not an official Red Cross explaination, just a seasoned teacher trying to make sense of swimming lessons.

Parent/Child
Parent Child classes are sometimes called Parent/Infant or Parent/Tot. There are two levels of PC in the Red Cross program, but many pools just hold one general class for all adult/child pairs. The goal of the class is WATER ADAPTION. There are swimming programs out there that teach safety swimming to babies and toddlers...THIS IS NOT THAT CLASS. Safety topics will be dicussed, but the majority of the class will be spent getting babies and toddlers used to the water, with the security of a trusted adult. The pace will be set by the children themselves.
This class is meant for children 6 months to 3 years old, although children up to the age of 5 are welcome in the class.

Skills in the PC class include:
Entering and exiting the water
Holds (ways to position your child to teach different skills)
Kicking
Hand motions
Breath control (blowing bubbles, holding breath)
Floating on front and back
Grabbing and holding onto the side of the pool
Submerging mouth, nose, and eyes
Jumping in

Safety Topics Include:
Cueing (letting the child know what is coming)
Water entry and exit
Submersion
Grabbing/holding onto the side of the pool
Choosing and putting on lifejackets

While classes vary greatly based on the instructor you have, PC classes are generally not highly structured. Typically there will be a period of adjustment at the begining of every class in which parents and children can enter and get used to the water. There may be toys to play with or a song to sing to get everyone in a good mood to swim. The instructor will teach the adult, who will then practice the skill with the child. Some skills will require the instructor to hold the child, such as passing back and forth. Generally class will end with more songs, games, or toys. This keeps the last memories of class happy and fun so both child and adult will carry a positive memory into the next lesson.

The overall goal of the Parent/Child class is to introduce children to the water and to the body motions that will become the foundation of future swimming skills. It also helps parents feel more confident enjoying the water with their child.