Phases of teaching swimming

The age when children can start swimming is 5-6 years. For a longer time only breast-stroke should be taught so that they feel safe in water. Gradually freestyle can be learned. Freestyle and back-stroke have been suggested since the seventies. Nowadays professionals’ view is that the following sequence must be used: freestyle-backstroke-breaststroke-dolphin. Most trainers prefer starting with freestyle, but there are others who insist on teaching backstroke as a start. Few trainers think that only one style should be taught but at the same time it is a question if more swimming styles would have to be introduced into teaching. The first one advises freestyle-backstroke, the second recommends backstroke-chest-stroke, the third one the chest-stroke-dolphins is the best sequence. Relatively most professionals and instructors agree that freestyle-back-stoke- chest-stroke should be taught. It is also an accepted view that if circumstances do not allow teaching more complex styles then chest-stroke must be the only style. Our view is that there is not one sequence that should be rigidly followed. It depends on many factors.

Pre warm up-exercises preparing learning to swim are important. They are responsible to practice swimming motions (mills backward and forward etc.). They can be easily built in the ground warm up work outs. Pre warm-up exercises can be done either in water or on ground. The advantage of exercises on ground is that children are not disturbed by many factors. Unlike in water children’s motions can be checked and the instructions can be heard much easier on ground.