YOUNG SWIMMER RESOURCES
THE INFORMATION BELOW HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO HELP PARENTS AND SWIM STUDENTS PRACTICE WATER SAFETY SKILLS WHILE AT HOME
Improve your swimming skills at home!
Blowing Bubbles + Breathing
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Blow bubbles using a straw
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Practice breathing just through the mouth
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Practice breathing just through the nose
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Blow bubbles in the bath or in a bowl
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Practice breathing every night before bed
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Practice by kicking a ball in the yard
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With the ball placed behind the child's legs, practice kicking the ball backwards
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Hollow hold kicks
Kicking
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Practice "floating" when lying down on a bed, a trampoline, in the sand, etc.
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Practice breathing techniques while lying down.
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Place pillows under the child's body so that they are lifted 6 inches off the ground, then practice breathing
Floating
Frequently
Asked
Questions
How long will it take until my child can swim?
Consistency is the most important factor in learning any new skill. To set your kids up for success, develop a regular schedule to ensure the techniques are being reinforced, they are learning in a similar environment, and they are seeing progress. With proper consistency, your child will gain water safety competency and forward movement in as little as a season, but more advanced skills like prolonged stamina, swim skills like different strokes or skills used on competitive swim teams can take significantly longer to develop.
What is the importance of goggles?
Not only do goggles keep the water out of your swimmers eyes, they may provide more confidence in seeing where they are going, look and reach for objects underwater, see their bubbles or stroke development, and a sense of security to avoid hazards such as running into friends while swimming. We recommend not buying cheap goggles as they can be uncomfortable or leak.
How do I know if my child has a good instructor?
A good instructor is right in the water with your child, demonstrating the same skill they are asking your child to, while providing support and feedback after each demonstration. They engage the group as a whole while also taking brief moments to work individually with each participant.
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Instructors should be able to provide alternative strategies for teaching the same skill. If your child is struggling to complete a skill, not engaged or having difficulty understanding the prompts, it's the instructors responsibility to find an alternative way to practice that skill.
Most importantly, your child will be more successful if their comfortable with their instructor. We want your instructor to be someone your young swimmer enjoys being around, is patient, excited to teach, and is invested in progress of every student.
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Why should my child take group swim lessons?
Group lessons offer a cost effective opportunity to progress along with children of a similar age or skill level. Many exercises may be performed together while others are done individually for each student to adjust to their specific needs. Groups can be a less intimidating learning environment because we all learn together. FAC Small group swim lessons limit participation to 4 students per class, and during the larger summer swim lessons have multiple instructors available per group to create a safe and fun learning environment.
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Private lessons can provide flexibility in scheduling and availability along with consistency in instructor. One on one lessons generally provide more individual attention but you loose the peer to peer learning opportunity private lessons and are more costly.