Children.
It is important for new swimmers to learn to relax on their back and control breath while floating face down.
This can take up a lot of lesson time so use it only when necessary, push and glide is more productive.
All children sat on the steps next to you, one at a time bring them over your knees, cradling the head.
Keeping them on the steps avoids splashing and waves caused by wandering kids.
Count to ten, sing a song or rhyme, and try to keep the entire group involved. I like the animal fair.
This is useful way to bring calm to a lesson and also to get a sound body position for a 5m legs only attempt.
For the front float, “Hang loose like a jellyfish on your tummy.”
Adults
Essential. Use at the start of every lesson in the small pool, can be used in the BP if it’s not too cold.
Assist the nervous ones by cradling the head but demonstrate and practice getting up first.
Floating on the back – tell them to head butt the water and bring knees up, wait until feet are down before standing.
From the front, knees up first, leave face in until they can see feet on the floor.
Educate the men (and some thin ladies) that their legs will never float and explain why.
Bone and muscle are heavier than water, fat floats. Men carry excess float on the upper body, females generally have smaller feet, less muscle mass and smaller bones.
Very few men have legs that float near the surface. The majority float vertically, if the water s deep enough.
Ladies often have the opposite problem, their feet popping up to the surface, making them feel as if they are about to topple forwards.
In both cases constant reassurance is needed, we are what we are!