What do you know and/or think about a method of teaching to swim when a child would be just thrown into the water and have to try somehow to swim instead of die?[]
Bad idea.
On the other hand, I think that many learn-to-swim programs spend far too long in shallow water. I like to get the kids to float. Then, if they can put their heads down and swim five or six strokes, perhaps four body-lengths or so, without a breath, then let’s go. We go to the deep end and one-at-a-time, push off and swim across the pool with me there, in the water, an arm’s-length away, ready to support and always offering encouragement.
Generally, the lifeguards at the pools want to have the kids pass a deep-water-test and swim back and forth without me there and without any help. That might take another two or three weeks. I’m going to guard and coach and push the kids to swim in deep water sooner.
This comes with lots of talk. They know that they can’t do it without me. They know that other swimmers are not the same as me. They have a big respect of the water and the deep end. But, they also have a sense of trust in me, the coach, and are willing to swim with the head down and float like a boat.
We talk about panic. We present what can go right and what happens when it goes wrong.
After the trip to the deep end, it is back to the shallow end for lots and lots of additional practice, kicking, rolling onto the back and rolling back onto the front, stroking, pulling patterns, quick breath taking, streamlines and more.
Old school, John Wayne style[]
We don't do this any more.[]
Learning to swim from John Wayne!