Perfect Practice Makes Perfect Part 2

The 30 Minute Splash and Dash Continued...

 

          To continue from my last homework blog post, practicing outside of class time will always benefit your swimmers skills.  The homework suggestions in this post include drills for kicking, armstrokes and side breathing.  I hope you find this useful to your child’s progression.

 

 

 

 

AVAC Swim School Level or Swim Skills	Homework Suggestions to help your child develop and advance at home
Octopus or Kickers
	-  Have your child lay down stomach first on their bed.  Make sure that your swimmers legs are hanging off the edge of the bed from about the knee down.  From this position the legs should have free motion to move up and down as to mimic a kicking motion.  Cue your child up to do "Kissing feet" and make sure that they are pointing their toes.  For girls you can tell them to show you their ballerina feet and for boys Spiderman or superman feet will sometimes produce better results.  Getting creative is up to you.  Next, Cue your child to do up and down kicks.  Make sure you are watching for any bend in the knee.  Legs should be completely straight. Your child should be using their entire leg from their hamstrings down and not kicking from the knees or ankles.  Remind them to practice small, fast and tight kickers.
	- A different variation to practice kicks can also be helpful.  Try having your child sit down on their bottom with their arms behind them for support.  Tell them to lean back on their arms and bring their feet up off the ground.  Again, cue up "kissing feet" and have them point their toes.  This type of practice is great to work on back kicking and prone glide kickers.  Very similar to the drill we practiced above have your child practice the motion of kicks.  Remember to keep an eye on wiggling toes, bent knee kicks and or ankle kicking.  This drill can also be done while they are laying down flat on their back with their hands underneath their bottoms.
Sea Turtles or Armstrokes
	-  Armstrokes are relatively easy to practice outside of the water.  This isn't quite as good as being in the water, but practicing the motion of an armstroke will definitely help your child to loosen up their shoulders and practice the proper motion of an armstroke.  Practicing in front of a mirror will help.  Cue your child to do their "Bunny Ears".  From here, walk them through the motions one arm at a time.  Slowly bring one arm down in a forward motion telling them to cup their hands.  This will get them ready to scoop the water behind them, which will propel them through the water.  Make sure those fingers and together. If fingers are apart then water will simply slip through their hands and they will lose any pull and will increase the amount of work they have to do.    With those hands cupped tell your child to lower their arms so that their thumb brushes up against their leg and their palm is facing behind your child. In this position one arm should still be up above their head and reaching for the sky. The other arm will be in the opposite
	position.  Tell your child to flip their wrist behind them and continue moving their arms in a big circle motion until it comes all the way back into the starting position.  Repeat with the other arm.
	- Make a fun game of it.  You can pretend that they are scooping ice cream to make sundaes or drawing circles.  The more creative you get the more fun your child will have and the more motivated they will be to practice their armstrokes.
	-  Practice right before class and at home.  The more you practice, the easier armstrokes will be.
Porpoise or Side Breathers
	- Have your child lye on their side on the floor with their arm closest to the ground above their head to mimic a sidebreath.  Your child should be able to rest their head on their arm in this position.
	- Have your child practice "Scissor Kicks".  Your child should watch their legs open and close.  Their knees should pass each other with each kick.  Your child should be kicking with their entire leg and not from the knee.  Remember to cue them up to point their toes.
	- Side kicks should be small, compact and quick.  The same kicks they practiced on their stomachs.

 

We have many great tips to help your child practice their swimming at home.  Looking for more?  Talk to our deck supervisors at any time.

 

Happy Holidays!!

 

From the desk and mind of Chris Cordova, be safe, respect water, and have fun!

     

Cold and Flu Tips

How to Beat This Years Cold and Flu Season

Welcome back to the AVAC Swim School blog.  I know that this is the not the continuation to my last blog, but I felt that this next post should cover an important issue that we will all face in the upcoming months. 

It is now October and it seems like the year is flying by.  Let’s all wave goodbye to summer as it goes into hibernation for the next several months and say hello to fall and winter!  What does this mean?  It means the cold and flu season is back to give us problems.  I can sit here and strongly tell you that I absolutely hate getting sick and I am sure that I am not the only person who feels this way.  Here is the good news. We can prevent ourselves and others from getting sick if we follow certain rules to help prevent the spread of germs. 

Suggestion 1:  Take the time to get you and your family their flu vaccines.  This is most important step to protecting you and your family against flu viruses.  The flu vaccine will protect you from the three most common flu viruses that research suggests to be most common this year.  This link will provide you with some information regarding those common viruses, http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/vaccine-selection.htm.

Anyone in your family 6 months and older should get their flu vaccination as it becomes available.  Also those who are at high risk should get their vaccination to decrease the risk of severe flu illness.  Those that are at high risk include anyone over the age of 65 years, children under 5, pregnant women and anyone with chronic health problems such as asthma, diabetes, or heart and lung disease.

Suggestion 2:  Take everyday precautions to help stop the spread of unwanted germs.  Cover your mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and remember to throw the tissue in the garbage right away.  If a tissue isn’t readily available, use the crook of your arm as to not sneeze into your hand where you might touch a door knob or community property afterwards.  Avoid rubbing your eyes, nose and mouth as this is the fastest way to spread germs.   

Wash your hands as often as possible with soap or dry rub alcohol solution.  When washing with soap, remember to do a thorough job.  One suggestion is to sing the happy birthday song while scrubbing your hands.  This will give you plenty of time to scrub away those unwanted germs. 

The last suggestions I can leave you all with is if you feel like you or one of your family members is coming down with a cold or the flu try and limit contact with others to prevent spreading the infection.  Also remember that eating right and staying fit will keep your body healthy and boost your immune system.  

For those of you who have been following my posts thank you!  Please feel free to comment or leave any suggestions for upcoming topics.

 

From the desk and mind of Chris Cordova, be safe, respect water, and have fun!

Perfect Practice Makes Perfect

The 30 minute Splash and Dash

So, you have just signed your little swimmer up for some swim lessons.  Congratulations, you have made the right decision!  This is the correct move. Especially living in California where we are surrounded by pools, lakes, the ocean, and more.   Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury and death in the United States for children ages 1-14 years and fifth leading cause for people of all ages, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  With proper swimming instruction and water safety awareness, we can prevent these tragedies from happening.    

You might be thinking to yourself that the 30 minutes spent in the water with your instructor is clearly not enough time to watch your swimmer progress at the speed that you may like.  What can we do about this?  Without adding extra swimming lessons throughout the week, there are a couple different options that will help your swimmer progress faster without having to be in a swim class.  One option involves having access to another pool where you can practice the skills learned in class.  However, this option is limited to the warmer months of the year. 

What else could we do to help them practice outside of the water?  There are many techniques and exercises that your child can do at home.  Here are some homework suggestions for you or your child.    

 

AVAC Swim School Level or Swim Skills	Homework Suggestions to help your child develop and advance at home
Polliwogs or Toddlers
	- Play with buckets and watering cans in the bathtub.  This will help
	your toddlers get used to the feeling of water over their face,
	shoulders, neck and body.
	- Practice "Chipmunk cheeks"…NOT blowing bubbles.  We want your
	swimmer to practice holding their breath rather than letting their air
	out.  "Chipmunk cheeks" is a cue word used to cue up your swimmer
	to take a big breath in and hold the air in their cheeks.  This can
	be practiced anywhere! In the car on the way to swim class at red lights or going through tunnels, in the bathtub above the water, at home...
	you name it.  Once "chipmunk cheeks" have been mastered out of
	the water, you can practice placing the chin in the water, the mouth,
	nose and eventually eyes.  This can all be done in the bathtub.
	- Another great way to get your swimmer comfortable with water over
	their face is to place some toys at the bottom of the shower.
	As they reach for the toys, they will be getting their face wet.
	- Try to avoid using visors or anything that covers their face from
	the water when rinsing.  Also try to avoid wiping the water out of their face and eyes.  This can send the message that water on their faces is a bad or harmful thing.
Guppies, Sea Horses and Timid first time swimmers
	- Practice "Chipmunk cheeks" to establish a breath control number.
	Once you know how long your swimmer holds his breath, start
	practicing those "chipmunk cheeks" for a longer period of time to build
	up their lung capacity.  This can be done outside of the pool or in the
	bathtub.  For timid swimmers start with increments.  Have your
	swimmer start off by placing their chin in the water, ears, mouth, nose
	and eventually their eyes.
	- Look to see if your swimmer is breathing out of their mouth or nose.
	If they are a nose breather, teach them to breath out of their mouth.
	Practice panting like a puppy.  Show them first and then practice.
Jellyfish or Floaters
	- Your swimmer is comfortable and is able to put his/her own face
	underwater and hold their breath.  Now lets work on their body
	position.  We want to build a strong foundation that will allow your
	swimmer to add on kicks and arms later down the road.
	- Lets practice!  You can have your swimmer lie down on their bed in a
	laid out prone float position.  Tell your child to stretch their arms out above their head or what we like to call "Bunny ears".  You can also describe them as superman arms.  Make sure that their spine is in
	line and in a neutral position.  Have your child tuck their chin into their chest or "Chin hole".  Legs should be stretched out and adjacent to
	each other.  Make sure their toes are pointed, this is called "kissing feet".  Now that they are a streamline position we can also practice holding their breath at the same time.
	- Lets practice a strong "push foot".  This is how your swimmer pushes off steps or a wall.  Have your swimmer stand up tall.  Cue them up to do their "Bunny ears" followed by chin in their "Chin hole".  Next have them do their "kissing feet".  Now that your child is in a streamline position have them bend their knees and jump straight up.  This will work on teaching your swimmer to push with their legs similar to the way they push off the wall in the pool.
Back work and safety skills
	-  Talking to your child about being safe around water is important.  Topics such as what to wear in the pool, who should get into the pool first, pool rules, never swimming alone, and who to call in case of an emergency are things that can and should be discussed with your swimmer on a regular basis.
	- Back floating is one of the most important safety skills for a child to learn and master.  The ability to float on their back and get a breath can make all the difference.  For most children, being on their backs can be an uncomfortable skill to practice, especially when water is involved.  Practice outside of the pool could help get them ready to work on these skills in class.
	- Lets practice an introduction to back floats.  Have your swimmer lie down on the floor, place a small pillow or rolled up towel under their lower back.  Tell your swimmer to lift their back off of the pillow or towel to strengthen their back muscles.  This will help your swimmer practice popping their hips up to ensure a flat body position at the surface.
	- After your dry land work try these skills in the bathtub.  Have your swimmer lie down in the tub.  Use mirrors or toys to capture their focus towards this sky.  Make sure that their ears are fully submerged to work on comfort in the water.
	- Just a reminder, not everyone floats the same in the water.  Some swimmers will float flat on top of the water, others will float diagonally and for your thin muscular swimmers a float might just be their head and face out of the water and feet pointing down to the bottom of the pool (more of a survival float).  The main thing to work on is comfort and the ability to breathe while floating.

 

To be continued...

From the desk and mind of Chris Cordova, be safe, respect water, and have fun! 

Welcome!

Welcome to Almaden Valley Athletic Club Swim School's blog 

   I would like to be the first to welcome you to AVAC Swim School's first ever blog.  The mission of this blog is to build a community with you, our families, and to continue to communicate on many levels the importance of water safety while giving tips, ideas and information that we have to share.  I aim to share our knowledge and love of swimming with all of you.   

   For those of you who do not know me, my name is Chris Cordova.  I have worked in the swim school for the past 8 years and have loved water all my life.  My passion for water safety and teaching is something I get to convey at work every day and would love to pass on to you, the readers and our families.  Watching the progression of our students and teachers is something that makes my job so enjoyable.  So much so, that I have changed my perspective on what I would like to do when I grow up.  I bet some of you are wondering what I mean by "when I grow up". I am already an adult, but working with children has made me feel like a kid.  Teaching life skills has sparked a passion inside of me that I didn't know existed.  I have expanded my knowledge from teaching people of all ages to swim to becoming a certified RedCross Lifeguard/CPR/AED/First aid instructor.  My focus is to keep patrons safe by teaching people how to swim and how to prevent injuries in and around water.  I guess you could call me the modern day "Aqua Man".

   Stay tuned for our next blog where I will offer up tips and ideas to help your swimmer improve their swim strokes without having to step foot in a pool. 

From the desk and mind of Chris Cordova, Be safe, respect water and have fun!