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!