The last few weeks I’ve been teaching a parent at class while training new staff. It’s giving me some insight into why we do the things we do. Why are we spending so much time on body position and how to hold the child? During swim lessons why do we spend the majority of the …
This is another drill I picked up from the ASCA Level 2 class. Sit on a kickboard and scull. Here is a decent quick video. A few rules:– Arms must remain in front of your body. No pulling.– Press with your palms and move in circular motions. For most beginners they’ll have a hard time …
Using a kickboard, have your swimmers do 25’s or short distances (from the wall to 1/2 way). Start in position 11, holding the bottom of the board. Breathe: take a breath. Put your head back in the water. Kick: do a breaststroke kick. Glide: using the strength of the BR kick glide through the water …
Why they work and how to adapt your fun games to incite excitement and determination in veteran swimmers. Last night I did the above challenge with some advanced swimmers. These were kids that have been swimming for about 6 years on the team; since they were 5 or 6 and are now 11. I know. …
Warmup: 1 x 100 IM Kick1 x 100 BK SwimReview Streamline and Position 111 x 50 Position 11 Question of the Day: What strokes are you allowed to do a flip turn in during a 50 swim? Correct: Do 4 front flips and 1 back flip (in a ball)Wrong: Swim Free to 1/2 way, flip, …
Our USA Swimming team is starting swimming practices again starting this week, June 18th. We’ve been paying attention to the guidelines put forth by our state, Illinois, and have worked with our risk management agency to implement safe protocols for users and staff. My wife is immune compromised and I’ve been taking the social isolation …
I sincerely hope that you and your loved ones are healthy, happy, and safe. All of us are struggling with either stay at home orders or a reduction in hours and livelihood. Our businesses hinge on having people in the water. If we get more people we’re more successful. Moving forward the suggestion is that large …
This afternoon you might be at a super bowl party or at your home nuzzling the chili cheese hotdogs you eat once a year. Maybe you’re suffering through the gameplay to see the commercials or maybe you’re a diehard fan. Personally I want San Francisco to win. Not because I know anything about them but …
Aquatic professionals have a love hate relationship with lap swimmers. They show up at 5am thirty minutes before the pool opens. When you’re covering the morning shift for a guard that called in the night before at 11pm you’re not happy to see their expectant faces and scowls when you rub the sleep from your …
I’ve always felt that one of the biggest impediment to using technology on the pool deck was getting it to work quickly. swimminglessonsideas.com has been an excellent resource and tool I frequent when I’m running swim lessons or training new staff. Recently I purchased a television and mounted it on wheels so that I could …
I recently published the book, “How to create fun and effective Developmental swim practices.” I thought I could show you exactly how I write practices on a daily basis. It is super easy from my end and I’m curious if any would like to have access to the same bank of skills and software on …
When you do streamline like a thousand times, a hundred thousand, then you forget that it can be difficult for beginners to do well. I work with kids that are transitioning from swim lessons into swim team. They don’t know how to push off in streamline. What comes naturally for me, now, is totally foreign …
Introduce the “Flow” 2 x 25 1= FREE 2 = BK Question of the Day: What strokes use “flutter kick?” Y = 1 jump off block N = 4 spins with nothing touching in the shallow end. 1 x 25 FR with side breathing
Warmup Jump in and run or swim to 1/2 way in Mini lane as fast as possible. Get out. On deck, review “setting up your lane:” Get in and set up your lane. 3 x do a streamline off the wall. When you stop, or take a breath, move over and set up your lane. …
I get the feeling sometimes when I’m coaching or teaching a swim lesson that I’m wasting time. Sometimes I feel like when parents see me doing “floats” with their advanced swimmers, or doing a challenge where they do a front float, flip, then do a handstand we’re playing games without a purpose. If you’ve followed …
Warmup 100 IM Kick 2 x 25 Position 11 Split up into two groups: Group 1: 3 x streamline Set up your lane, and do a streamline. Lock your thumb Squeeze your ears Look Down Group 2: Get back together into one group 4 x 25 Free / Back kick x 25 Challenges: Belly button, …
Warmup 100 IM Kick 100 BK Question of the Day: How long is Deerspring pool, the big one? 50 meters.Y = 50 Choice, fly, bk, br, or frN = 50 FLY K no board 4 x 25 on 1:00 FR K w/ boad Split up into two groups: Group 1: Group 2: Get back together …
Category: Distance swimming, Group Core Skill: Coach’s Choice, Reading the board. Name: Swim Subtraction WHO This game is for swim teams that know how to read the board a little bit. Some ability to read your shorthand, your practices, or some familiarity with your program is important. Do not play this game with beginners. We …
Category: Group activity, Social Core Skill: Coach’s choice Name: Valentine’s Day Practice I like to do different things for the holidays. Most of the kids that participate on our swim team are in grade school or middle school. They’re somewhere between 5 years old and 13 on the developmental swim team. For Valentine’s Day I …