Great Tips on Teaching the Butterfly to Children

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Katrina

The butterfly is a fun yet complicated stroke to teach. The idea of teaching it can intimidate a lot of instructors because it requires mastering a particular rhythm, a difficult kick and a lot of upper body strength. But I love working with kids on it and in my experience, they love to learn it.

First, it helps to have catchy and fun phrases designed to help kids remember the techniques when swim instruction gets intense. For example, when I start out teaching the accompanying dolphin kick, I ask kids if they were a mermaid (or for boys, a dolphin) and therefore had a tail, how would they swim? Kids love acting like animals and girls love beautiful princess figures. They get right into it.

Also, Swim equipment can correct or assist with difficult strokes. I use fins or flippers for aiding in the dolphin kick. I give kids two simple rules: keep the fins in the water and don’t bend your legs. Sometimes teaching the art of using fins becomes a lesson in itself, but it eventually makes the butterfly more achievable for younger kids. Heck, even for adults.

Finally, manual or physical “hands-on” instruction is another suggesting for teaching the butterfly to children. This means actually using your hands/body to correctly position the child in order to teach physical memory. It’s one thing to verbally tell a child that the dolphin kicks uses their whole body AND visually show them, but sometimes it is beneficial to actually position the child in such a way you can manually show them how it should feel.

Here’s a round-up for some great butterfly teaching tips:

  • Check out this free 8-minute clip on butterfly teaching techniques brought to you by Jim Reiser, The Swim Professor. He has a catchy phrase to remember when to kick and when to stroke (or the proper rhythm) that involves saying, “Inchworm, butterfly! Inchworm, butterfly!”
  • This How to Swim video offers a good refresher for instructors on the timing of each stroke element, from the two-kick cycle to recovery.
  • If you have a really good student who just needs a little tweaking here or there, check out this animated “swimming human skeleton” video to watch the body syncing correctly.
  • To see what progress looks like, here’s was a practicing 7-to-12-year old should look like after a couple of lessons practicing the butterfly. (P.S. I love the frog kick drill the teacher uses in the beginning!)

In the words of Jim Reiser, break each stage down (ie. first learning how to stay afloat). And for every correction provide twice as many compliments.

Posted in Children Learning to Swim, Lap Swimming & Strokes, Swim Instructors, Swim Lessons & Programs | Leave a comment

4 Uncommon Swim Tragedies That Can Happen To Your Kids

Posted on November 29, 2010 by Katrina

The longer I teach, the more conscious I become about enforcing water safety skills and pool rules. Well, I also think getting older and pregnant makes me realize all the dangers that exist for kids out there. You just have to pick up your local paper and read about the latest drunk driving teen crash to get an idea it does happen in your backyard.

Without a desire to sensationalize swim tragedies, I offer 4 uncommon swimming accidents that can happen to your kids for the shear purpose of trying to avoid them.

  • Horseplay can lead to lifelong disabilities. Yahoo! News just posted this story about a teen who was pushed into a pool by a friend and landed on her head. She now suffers from a C6 spinal cord injury that has left her paralyzed from the neck down. She’s a brave lady who doesn’t blame her friend with wedding plans on the horizon.
  • A faulty pool or spa drains causes horrific bodily damage. They have the suction power to disembowel a child; read Abbey’s Story to learn more. They have the power to hold a body underwater that would take two adult men to pull the child off the drain; read Graeme’s Story to learn more. By law, you must install VBG-complaint drain covers that can be found here.
  • Involved in a multiple drowning incident. Last summer we saw 6 teens drown at once while wading in a Louisiana river. None could swim, and neither could the parents that stood back and watched in horror. The most common reaction of a frighten child is to grab at someone else, even if the other person is a child and/or a non-swimmer.
  • Drowning or falling into “harmless” bodies of water. This 2-year old fell into a hotel lobby fountain and was found unconscious. And this 2-year old drowned in a backyard koi pond. Both incidents were about 6 weeks apart and 100 miles from one another. So imagine what we’d gather if we branched out for similar stories nationwide.

The number of drownings did not go down this past summer, despite the presence of a very strong national pool safety campaign. Make sure your presence is always known at the pool. Know the pool rules before you even get in the water. Let your kids know you won’t tolerate certain horseplay. Wherever there is water, there is always risk. Always.

Posted in Water Safety | Leave a comment

“Get-it-Done Guy’s” Book Great Resource for Swimmers

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Katrina

I read perhaps the best book I’ve ever encountered on beating procrastination. I love the humor, practical suggestions and quick results I received from Stever Robbins’ “9 Steps to Work Less and Do More.” Here is a link to his website for more information.

Although this is a book designed for careers or jobs, many of his points can be used for swim teachers, swim parents and those that love water exercise. I made a lot of great notes with references to page numbers if you plan on ordering the book. I swear, my work days have improved significantly since I started applying his efficiency cues. Here are my favorite tips from Stever’s book:

  • To find motivation to go workout or swim. I have to quote Stever here: “Habits are actions we streamline to the point where they’re no longer a decision, they’re just something we do.” Don’t question going to exercise class or making that drive to the gym. Just do it. Page 36-46.
  • Group lessons breed multitasking. You can loose up to 40 percent of your productivity every time you switch tasks. Think about how hard this for the teacher when working with your fearful or beginning swimmer. Go for privates instead. Page 92.
  • Divide your workouts by goals. Isolate muscles one day and do cardio or yoga another. Stever divides your workdays by Focus or Admin/Task Days because it is too much to ask your brain and body to keep switching a train of thought. Do the same with your exercise regimes. Page 96 & 100.
  • Teach the parent what you know about swimming. I love this one: Long have I just taken the task of teaching swimming under my own care. I  am working more on helping parents be better at helping their child in the pool. Page 162.
  • Write down what you learn about swimming everyday. Great for adults taking up lap swimming for the first time as it details your fears, progress and most importantly, your success. This is also great if you are dealing with a fearful child because it is therapeutic. Page 165.
  • Experts are not always right. Take the advice from a swim instructor, but realize it might not work. Days you don’t learn something, call up another mother and ask what they have learned about the swimming process with their children. Page 165.
  • Build relationships at the pool. If I see people I like at the pool because they are always nice to me, I’ll give them a few pointers about the freestyle if they ask. Or come in early/stay late for their child’s lesson. Page 174.
  • No power = no ability to be right. Parents or learning adults must let go of what they think they know (or control) about swimming in order to allow the teacher to teach. Otherwise we aren’t in a position to make progress. Page 186.
  • Never break a promise. Teachers must make sure kids are fully aware of what will happen next in the water and never break their trust. Page 186.
Posted in Adult Swimming, Children Learning to Swim, Health and Fitness | Leave a comment

10 At-Home Exerices to Keep You Fit Over the Holidays

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Katrina

This is a guest post from Jessica Costello, a writer with the outreach team at Gym Source. She is also a personal trainer, working mainly with new moms looking to get fit after having a baby. Enjoy!

Variety is the spice of life; it keeps you motivated and works better for your body by working different muscle groups. You don’t need to go to a gym and use fitness equipment. In fact, here are ten simple, yet effective exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home that can help prevent putting on holiday weight:

Take a Hike/Stroll. It’s also simple, low-impact and easy on the joints – just put on a comfortable pair of shoes, step outside and walk at a fairly brisk pace around your neighborhood. It’s a great way to clear the head and improve your mood – it may be cold, but will give you an opportunity to enjoy all the lights and decorations for the holiday season.

Jump! Act like your kids on Christmas morning! Jump up and down, or do some jumping jacks. They’re a great way to get the heart pumping and the limbs loosened up. 15-20 repetitions with a minute or two of rest between sets for thirty minutes should be sufficient.  This will increase endurance and work on toning your thighs.

“Drop and Give Me 20, Soldier!” Push-ups confer all the same strength-training benefits of bench presses with barbells – without the risk of handling heavy weights and need for a “spotter.” You can adjust the intensity by elevating your feet.  Push-ups do more than work your arms, they are a total body workout.

Lift That Leg. This provides a strength training workout for the thighs and adductors (muscles that attach the upper leg to the hip). If you can’t manage leg lifts with a straight leg, bend the knee.

Washboard Abs? You may not get “ripped” by doing crunches, but you’ll definitely work your ab muscles – and this will award real benefits to your back as well, and you will see an improvement in toning your abs.

Run In Place. This is an exercise you can do while watching TV, making the “boob tube” actually good for something. You can also do it while stringing popcorn on the string for the tree.

The Squatters. No, we don’t mean settling land that isn’t yours – it’s what you do every time you sit in and get up from a chair. Just do it several times until you feel the burn.

Household Weight Equipment. Cans of food, milk and water jugs, sacks of flour – you’d be amazed at how much weight training equipment is just sitting in your pantry or refrigerator. (Who knew your could actually lose weight with using your holiday baking ingredients?)

Roll Up The Carpet. The latest craze is dancing off the weight, but not all of us can get to the classes when they are offered and the videos cost more than Christmas.  Instead roll up the carpet, and crack up the tunes, whether it’s Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas” or whatever is on the radio, dancing will increase your aerobic hear rate, and help with endurance training.

Steppin’ Up. Finally, you don’t have to buy a bench step and sign up for a step class to do step. Chances are you’ve got a step or two around your home. So while those cookies are in the oven, run the stairs a few times.  The timers will make great intervals and keep you fit while baking!

SWIM! I had to sneak in here and add a very important extra one!

The fact of the matter is, that all of these are not difficult, and do not require patience, or a long drawn out explanation.  They are simple and they WORK.  So maybe you aren’t getting fit on treadmills, or ellipticals, but the end result is the same and you will have a lot of extra cash to go and spend it on holiday gifts, or a treat for yourself!

Posted in Health and Fitness | Leave a comment

10 Tips for Your Fearful Swimmer!

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Katrina

I’m currently working on an e-book (electronic book) about teaching parents how to help their child overcome water fears. As a successful swim instructor, I’m really thinking outside of the box here as my aim is to not do what I’ve always done — which is just do something better than you by teaching your kid myself — but rather to teach YOU how to do something better.

Anyway,  I was given this excellent CD from Jim Reiser, “The Swim Professor” over at Swim Lessons University. Titled “From Tears to Cheers! How to Help Children Overcome their Fears,” Jim reminded me of some very simple points you can apply today for your fearful swimmer. I’m going to hit you with what I feel are his Top 10 tips that work for both the parent and teacher:

  1. Acknowledge fears rather than confront, dismiss or disregard.
  2. Redirect your child’s attention off the lesson and onto something fun in the water.
  3. Respect proximity because it takes time to get close to a child.
  4. Talk softly as animation or big voices can be intimidating.
  5. Spend time together in this new setting so it’s not so scary.
  6. Create a swim routine as most kids aren’t themselves without one.
  7. Make sure your kid isn’t hungry or tired before a lesson.
  8. Find a teacher that is child-centered, not task-centered.
  9. Without patience, no goal can ever be attained.
  10. When they want more independence, this means they are getting over their fear.

I don’t want to give all Jim’s secrets away. But for $14, it’s worth the investment because Jim has a way of weaving sensibility and personal examples that you just cannot gleam from me listing his Top 10 greatest points. Go in on it with a couple of parents and make an afternoon out of listening to it — guaranteed to save you time, energy and any more stress on the issue! And tune in for my ebook on the subject in early Spring 2011!

Posted in Children Learning to Swim, Parenting & Swimming, Swim Instructors, Swim Lessons & Programs, Water Fears & Trauma | 1 Comment

Olympic Diving Try-Outs Start Today in Jenny’s Backyard

Posted on October 22, 2010 by Katrina

All I have to say, really, on this entry is if you can identify what is wrong in the picture.

Also, anyone know Red Cross’s recommendation for how deep a pool needs to be for a head-first dive?

Have a great weekend and be safe swimmers!

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Beating Lesson Resistence: Someone Must be on the Swim Instructor’s Side!

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Katrina

A fellow swim instructor looked beat yesterday at the pool when I saw her. She explained she is going through a tough client situation involving a screaming 3-1/2-year old refusing to let go of her mother in the pool when it’s time to take her lesson.

I don’t believe the instructor was drained because of some crying, as this is often part of the job description. What makes these situation so hard is how the parent responds to the child’s behavior, ultimately creating a 2-against-1 situation in the wrong way.

Apparently this parent gave off a lot of mixed signals. Told the instructor the child was just fine this summer swimming in a lake. Simultaneously coddled the clinging child in the water and yet told her in very cold tone she had no choice but to learn how to swim. Another red flag was she completely over-estimated her older child’s swimming ability as well.

I know my colleague tried to give good triage, explaining that the child is showing signs of not being ready due to age, that the lake experiences did not involve working with a teacher, and to perhaps use different expressions when talking about swimming to your little one.

But the parent was having trouble hearing this good swim advice. The instructor really felt like she got nowhere and was rightfully dreading a likely repeat on the next lesson. And this is what makes an instructor look and feel beat.

When swim lesson resistance exists; and it exists a lot and is quite natural for both the child and parent to experience; an instructor still needs to have at least one person in the equation on their side, which means either the student or the parent. Here’s two scenerios that work followed by one that doesn’t:

  • Instructor + student vs. parent = SUCCESS. In these situations, you typically have a very willing child and a very hesitant parent that is suffering from some type of unconscious water fear (ie. hates water, not a good swimmer).  Or, it is often a parent that expects much more than their child is able to currently produce, likely because they saw another child their age perform more advanced tasks. In either case, the child still progresses. 
  • Instructor + parent vs. child = SUCCESS. There is nothing more empowering to a teacher than a parent who holds their resisting child accountable for taking a lesson, despite any form of protest. But the key is doing this without giving myself and the child mixed signals. Knowing we’re 100% on the same side makes it so much easier for me to push through the discomfort to get to the child to swim safety. If you’re only 80% there, you’ll only get 80% of my teaching program. It’s my belief the stuff you’re holding back is always the really crucial trust I am in need of to get the job done.
  • Parent + child vs. instructor = FAILURE. Simply put, the child looks to the parent for behavior cues and if yours are off the mark, the child’s will be too, and that means 2-against-1 the WRONG way. Remember we only get likely :30-minutes of your time a week to make a difference in your child’s safety — don’t put us behind the line before we even get a chance to start.

I see a lot of parents thinking they are being really honest with themselves about being on the same page of the instructor. It’s quite alright if you’re not, but not alright you aren’t being honest. The thing is folks, seasoned swim teachers can see the signs you’re not being truthful as if they are painted on the wall behind you.

How do you know this is you? Ask yourself if you make a lot of excuses for your child’s resistance. If you’re not honest, we’re put us in a position to make one of two choices: to either broach the subject of better parenting — always a touchy subject, we don’t want to do it and likely you won’t hear it — or pretend the 800-lb gorilla in the water doesn’t exist and just take your money, time, and ultimately leave you with an unsafe swimmer. In any situation, water or dry land, a child’s success depends on the parent!

Posted in Children Learning to Swim, Parenting & Swimming, Swim Instructors, Water Fears & Trauma | Leave a comment

What is Infant Aquatic Survival Techniques and Does My Baby Need This?

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Katrina

I teach infant swim classes that focus on exploration skills using a comfort-based approach. But in no way am I certified as some kind of drowning prevention specialist. The methods used in this kind of instruction were referred in a court of law as “infant aquatic survival techniques,” so that’s the term I’ll use. Jim Reiser at Swim Lessons University likes to call it a choice between “force versus natural progression.” I discuss the differences between the two approaches usually during my third session of teaching baby classes where we focus on the importance of learning to do a back float.

But the best way to really understand what I’m talking about it is to click on this link here to the Child Drowning Prevention website and watch what looks to be a 1-1/2 year little girl old fall into a pool and successfully make it to the side without ANY assistance. It’s both frightening and amazing, right? But hang on …

The secret to infant aquatic survival techniques? Aggressive instructor tactics, A LOT of faith on behalf of the parent and constant or repetitive practice. Of course there are softer, more technical descriptors to use, but I’m a straighter shooter and just want to get to the point. You now need to watch this video of what it can be like for a child to get to be that “amazing.”

So does your child need infant aquatic survival techniques? I think you begin by asking yourself a couple of things …

  • Is cost not an issue for you when it comes to water safety?
  • Are you okay with both watching and pushing your infant to complete risky physical tasks that make them upset?
  • Are you aware that drown-proofing does not exist?
  • Are you also aware numerous children have become traumatized, left unconscious or died through these techniques?
  • Are you okay with the controversy surrounding this swim specialty industry?
  • Can you put a large amount of trust into a swim teacher and not question their tactics?
  • Do you have the time — in some cases up to 5 days a week — to attend swim classes?
  • Are you willing to travel farther than you’d like to get to swim class?
  • Can you promise your infant will keep practicing in a pool on a regular basis?

I don’t have the right answer for you. It know it might not sound like it, but I really don’t have pro or con opinion about these techniques because like anything else, there are good instructors and programs that make this successful and bad ones that taint it. I used to think the right answer had to do with whether or not a parent was willing to go to any length to get their infant safe (I think a lot of infant aquatic survival technique programs bank on you feeling this way).

But being safe in the water isn’t just about being able to swim or resorting to survival tactics to stay alive — it’s about understanding and respecting the safety issues involved wherever and whenever water or swimming is present. Both the Red Cross and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission know this and are doing a lot right now to educate the public of how create a holistic water safety plan that looks at working pool drains, proper supervision, personal flotation devices, ect. Any type of swim technique is just one avenue of defense against drowning.

Posted in Infant & Baby Swimming, Swim Lessons & Programs, Water Safety | 2 Comments

How to Meet ACSM’s Physical Activity Guidelines in the Pool

Posted on October 7, 2010 by Katrina

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and American Heart Association (AHA) came up with recommended exercise guidelines in 2007 along with tips for meeting these cardio and strength-training physical activities. They break it down by age. For children and adults under 65, here are the recommendations:

Do moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week
Or
Do vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, three days a week
And
Do 8 to 10 strength-training exercises, 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise, twice a week.

As explained by the ACSM here, moderate-intensity physical activity means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still being able to carry on a conversation. It should be noted that to lose weight or maintain weight loss, 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity may be necessary. The 30-minute recommendation is for the average healthy adult to maintain health and reduce the risk for chronic disease.

How do we achieve ACSM’s exercise guidelines in the pool? Here are my water/pool recommendations:

  • Attend a water aerobics class 2-3 days a week. You can get both the cardio and strength-training requirements done in one :45-minute class. That means if the class is 1-hour long, you have permission to leave early. Water is 830-times thicker than air (strength-training part) and fast flutter kicks or jogging will get your heart rate up (cardio). A good teacher mixes it up (hence those short 8-12 reps) so you don’t get too tired or bored. Good music — even better.
  • Lap swim for 1 hour, five days a week. Every other lap, make it a sprint to get your heart rate up and meet the recommended :30 minutes of moderate cardio. You’ll get the strength-training in on the slower laps, as water is 12-times the resistance of air.
Posted in Adult Swimming, Health and Fitness, Lap Swimming & Strokes, Water Exercise & Aerobics | 4 Comments

Round-up of Swim Sites You’re Really Gonna Love!

Posted on October 1, 2010 by Katrina

I’ve been a busy tweeter on Twitter lately and have made several new friends and followers. When you give time to expand your social network like this, you come across all kinds of organizations, businesses and individuals working for the same cause as you. Here are some swim sites I’ve been super impressed with and would like you to check out:

Pool Safely. I have to give our government credit where credit is due: This water safety site run by the CPSC has improved ten-fold and has awesome pool safety activities kids can play online. I’d use it at the pool if I wasn’t worried about ruining my laptop.

Rebecca Saves Kids. Rebecca provides very thoughtful content on the subject of saving kids lives and has some fun video to boot. She’s quite active on Twitter and always digging up great swim statistics and stories before I can get to them. She is also the creator behind  the children’s book, Jabari of the Water.

The Swim Professor. Jim Reiser, M.S., was an actual professor of aquatics at the University of South Carolina before he started his own swim school. His blog kinda kicks content butt (in fact, I might be a little jealous). You’ll find songs and pool games, techniques, safety tips and so on.

Make a Splash. Swim curriculum for schools brought to you by USA Swimming. This non-profit swim program is making waves across America by focusing on teaching water skills to low-income or ethnic minority families.

Abbey’s Hope. If you aren’t aware of the fatal and life-threatening dangers the power of a broken or uncovered pool drain can do to humans, it’s time you read this terribly sad but heroic story about a little 6-year old girl named Abbey.

Posted in Children Learning to Swim, Parenting & Swimming, Swim Business, Swim Lessons & Programs, Swimming News | Leave a comment