Swimming coach gives swimming skills for you and your child

Coach Brian Quinn from Swim Lesson Club USA explains how to practice swimming lesson skills for yourself and your child. Visit SwimLessonClubUSA.com online swimming school for more information and free videos.

Step 1  Preparation for underwater swimming

Growl in the water

Quick breaths

Bobs

Step 2  Orientation to the buoyancy of the water

Use the steps to lift your legs behind you

Take one hand off the steps then switch

Use a noodle to become comfortable with your legs off the bottom

Step 3  Underwater swimming

Glide to the stairs face in the water

Glide to the stairs while exhaling underwater

Step 4  Find an instructor you trust to assist you to transition into swimming

You will need to work in shallow water at all times

Begin to use arm strokes and kicking while maintaining a prone position

Finally you will be working toward exhaling underwater and looking up to take a pop-up breath

 Preparation for underwater swimming: 1, 2, 3 Pour water on the face

• Begin with small amounts using small amounts of water and progress to cups and buckets of water.  Pour the water after counting to 3, the water should run over the crown of the head and over the child's mouth.  With older children that have some fear of water you should begin pours on the back of the head and over ears before the face.

You can teach older children growling and humming to keep water out of the nose and mouth.

Orientation to the buoyancy of the water:  Let your child float in your hands   

• Hold your child under their arms and let them float in your hands with their shoulders in the water.  Keep your child in the prone position with their legs behind, don’t let them crawl or stand up while practising swimming.

Back float: Your child's head should rest on your shoulder

• Back floating is an essential swimming safety skill; however most children are reluctant to stay on their backs.  Start with the student’s head resting on your shoulder and begin to sing with the student or count.  The child should be sitting up with their head on your shoulder  when you begin the backfloat.  Slowly dip back with your child and when they sit up don’t hold them down, sit them up and do it again the same way. Don’t fight when they attempt to sit up.  Just redirect and try it again.

Underwater swimming

• Underwater preparation cueing transition to submersion.  After you count to three you gently submerge the child completely underwater then return to the surface.  Cuing can be done with lifting and you can also blow in the child face before submersion.  Go over more advanced submersion techniques.  Cue techniques:  Lifts and blowing in the face.  You should never force a child underwater. Younger children will never fight, however, as they get older and develop anxiety they will.  With children reluctant to go under then you must get them to growl or hum into the water before you help them under the water.

Try out these techniques to get your child confident, happy and safe in the water! It's a life skill they can't ever forget.

For online swimming lessons and free videos visit Swim Lesson Club USA.