Developmental
Swim Teams: Teaching Circle Swimming
Coaching a developmental swim team is a rewarding and exciting experience. I totally enjoyed guiding swimmers from total beginners into competitive swim team participants. You can find an exhaustive guide on how to structure your Developmental Swim Program in the new Developmental Swim Team online course! It includes everything from planning out your group structure …
Advanced Lesson: Week 2
On Deck yoga flow: Review rotation method: Get in and go! Get in the water and touch the bottom 5 times: 2 x 25 Position 11 Kicking with a kick board; Fins allowed Breath to the side with a free arm stroke when needed. 1 x 50 FLY Kick in soldier with or without FINS …
Swimming Game – Challenge: Shark Breath Race
Name Freestyle Breathing Drill: “Shark Breath Race” Core Skill The primary objective is to improve freestyle side-breathing technique while maintaining a consistent stroke and proper form. Who This game is suitable for all swimmers who have practiced basic freestyle breathing, from young beginners to intermediate swimmers. What The Shark Breath Race is an engaging drill …
Swimming Game: Holiday Gift Giving
Name Gift Giving Core Skill The core skill in this game is to encourage creativity and communication while enhancing swimming abilities through playful interaction with swim tools and toys. Who This game is appropriate for all levels and abilities, ranging from Level 1 beginners through to developmental swim teams. What Gift Giving is a fun …
Swimming Game: Holiday Snow Plow
Name: Snow Plow Core Skill The Snow Plow game focuses on developing and refining the swimmer’s kicking technique, body position in the water, and teamwork. This game emphasizes the importance of maintaining a strong, steady kick and proper body alignment while managing to move objects through the water. It also fosters communication and cooperation among …
Freestyle Drills: One arm, Long Dog, Sculling
This video from Effortless Swimming is a great example of 3 effective drills for developmental and advanced competitive age group swimmers. One Arm Free: Streamline first like normal, then, put one hand next to your side in soldier. Swim Freesytle with the other hand, breathing on every stroke and turning your face towards the arm …
Swimming Game – Dancing Jumps
Name Dancing Jumps Core Skill The core skill developed in this game is jumping entries with proper body positioning and control. Swimmers will practice maintaining specific poses in the air and during their water entry, improving balance, body awareness, and transition into swimming skills. Who This game is designed for level 2, level 3, level …
November 2024: Short Distance Training
When will my kid learn to swim? Why are they only swimming short distances? My kid never gets a chance to swim a full length of the pool. How will they get better if they’re always stopping short? I love these questions because they illustrate an opportunity to educate parents on how swim lessons work. …
Swimming Game – Challenge: Macarena Position 11
Name Macarena Position 11 One-liner Streamline then Position 11 across the pool;hile kicking in Position 11 rotate palms up and then down one hand at a time to the beat of the song “Macarena.” Core Skill The core skill developed in this game is maintaining Position 11 with hands stretched outwards at the surface or …
Swimming Game – Challenge: Noodle Scull
Name Noodle Scull Core Skill The core skill being developed in this challenge is sculling. Swimmers will learn how to use their hands to push against the water to move. This helps them understand the feeling of water resistance and how their efforts translate into movement. Who This game is suitable for Level 1, Level …
Swimming Game – Challenge: Position 11 Cartwheel
Name Position 11 Cartwheel Core Skill The core skills targeted in this challenge are Position 11, Streamline, and Flip Turns. These are essential for developing efficient swimming techniques and improving overall performance in the water. Who This challenge is designed for Level 3, Level 4, and Developmental swimmers. These swimmers have a foundational understanding of …
Swimming Game – Challenge: Superman, Save Me!
Name: Superman, Save Me! Core Skill The core skills targeted in this game are streamline, position 1, and position 1 breathing to the side. These skills are essential for developing efficient swimming techniques and improving overall water confidence. The game also encourages fun and engagement, making learning enjoyable for young swimmers. Who This game is …
Swimming Game – Challenge: Be a submarine
Name: Challenge – Be a Submarine Core Skill: Buoyancy Control and Breath Control This game focuses on helping swimmers improve their buoyancy control and breath-holding skills. It also enhances their ability to maintain a stable position underwater while managing an additional challenge. Who: This game is suitable for swimmers of all ages who are comfortable …
Swimming Game – Swim then Coach
Name Swim then Coach Core Skill Peer Coaching and Technical Execution What This challenge is tailored for swimmers at levels 3, 4, and those in developmental swim teams, aiming to enhance their technical execution and peer coaching skills. How The process unfolds as follows: Difficulties Participants Might Face Participants may encounter challenges with memorizing the …
Swimming Game – Fill the Bucket, Empty the Bucket
Name Fill the bucket, empty the bucket Core Skill This challenge aims to improve the swimmers’ streamline, arm strokes, back float, and coordination skills. Who This challenge is suitable for swimmers of Levels 1 to 4. It can be done in two separate lanes or in one lane with an even number of swimmers. What …
Swimming Game – Challenge: Giving Love; your favorite toy
Name Giving Love Core Skill Sharing and swimming skills Who This challenge is suitable for swimmers who can swim at least 50 yards or meters with different toys, tools, or aids. What This challenge is a fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day by sharing your favorite swimming items with others and trying new ones. How …
Swimming Game – Challenge: Striking Love
Name Striking Love Core Skill Throwing accuracy and swimming skills Who This challenge is suitable for swimmers who can throw objects over a distance and swim different strokes. What This challenge is a fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day by throwing “Cupid’s Arrows” into floating hula hoops and swimming to retrieve them. How Difficulties the …
Swimming Game – Challenge: Cupid’s Heart
Name Cupid’s Heart Core Skill Cardiovascular endurance and social skills Who This challenge is suitable for swimmers who can swim at least 25 yards or meters without stopping and can find their pulse. What This challenge is a fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day by combining swimming, heart rate monitoring, and positive affirmations. How Difficulties …
Swimming Game – Christmas Presents
Name Christmas Presents Core Skill This game is designed to reinforce the basic skills of swimming, such as streamlining, breathing, kicking, and stroke technique. Who This game is suitable for developmental swim team swimmers who are at least level 4, meaning they can swim 25 yards of freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly, and perform flip …
Swimming Game – Reindeer Jump
Name Reindeer Jumping Core Skill This game helps swimmers practice their fly stroke and explosive power. Fly stroke is one of the four competitive swimming strokes, also known as butterfly. It requires swimmers to move both arms simultaneously over the water, while using a dolphin kick to propel themselves forward. Explosive power is the ability …
SIP 102: Consistent Dedication to the Mundane
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/swimmingideas/episodes/SIP-102-Consistent-Dedication-to-the-Mundane-e2covi6 See “Finding Deliberate Practice,” “SIP 052: Swimming is a Habit,” and “SIP 067: Deliberate Practice.” Your framework and routine should reinforce the key things you want to accomplish with your swimmers. My number one goals: Coach behavior on deck: If you see something to fix, you must say sometime. Avoid socializing and standing in …
Advanced Lessons: Lesson / Swim Team Bridge
Advanced Lessons: Lesson & Swim Team bridge classes for swimmers that want to join a competitive team Are you looking for a way to prepare your swimmers for the next level of swimming? Do you want to give them a taste of what it’s like to be part of a swim team? If so, you …
Swimming Game – Do the Twist w/ Mirrors
Name Do the Twist Core Skill Freestyle hip rotation Who Level 4 swimmers who can swim freestyle for at least 25 yards What A game that uses in-water mirrors to help swimmers practice and compare different ways of rotating their hips while swimming freestyle Want some in-water mirrors for your program? We use these: https://amzn.to/3MZYNXV …
Swimming Game – Halloween Practice with Coach Drake
This series of games comes from Coach Drake and the Nazareth Easton YMCA. If they played these exciting games on Halloween then I think they must have had an exciting practice full of laughing memories and joyful learning. Keep up the great work Coach Drake and thank you for sharing your ideas and PDF for …
Swimming Game – Challenge: Witch Which Witch
Name Witch Which Witch Core Skill This game helps swimmers practice their streamline position, balance, and coordination. Who This game is suitable for swimmers who can swim at least 25 meters without stopping and are comfortable in deep water. What This game is a swimming challenge where swimmers pretend to be witches flying on broomsticks. …
Swimming Game – 6 Jumps from the blocks
Name Jumping off the Blocks Core Skill This game helps swimmers practice their jumping or diving skills from the blocks, as well as their underwater swimming and wall exit. Who This game is suitable for swimmers on a developmental swim team or in level 4, who have some experience with jumping or diving from the …
