Hi all,
I've moved the blog to http://www.swimmingluke.wordpress.com click on to keep upto date with all thats going on
see you there...
Luke
Friday 12 March 2010
There's nowt as funny as folk
I tend to give a free introduction lesson when I can... last night a little lad came, 5 or 6 I'll find out next week when we start for real. Anyway he rocked up with mum bundled up in armbands and floats, he obviously couldn't swim..... 30 minutes later he swam a length on his own... no arm bands... mum was great; she asked at the end ; 'did he do okay?'....
Just a little bit....it gave me a little chuckle
A bit later after lessons I had a chill, as can often be the case, in the steam room. some bloke and his wife had seen it all... he said he'd heard of horse whispering but not swim whispering he was amazed... bit embarrasing but little things like that are the reason you teach swimming.
B4n.... Luke
Just a little bit....it gave me a little chuckle
A bit later after lessons I had a chill, as can often be the case, in the steam room. some bloke and his wife had seen it all... he said he'd heard of horse whispering but not swim whispering he was amazed... bit embarrasing but little things like that are the reason you teach swimming.
B4n.... Luke
Thursday 11 March 2010
You may want to be inspired today?
One of the keys to swimming teaching I beleive is by inspiring and encouraging positive actions. One of the 6 year olds at my Blackpool swim school is about to embark on a challenge that gives blackpool swim teaching a great boost.
Her little brother is only 4 and he swam 1200 metres the other week, now she has challenged herself to swim a mile... that's not a bad little story a 6 year old swimming a mile...however the tale is a little more involved than that. She is very talented, she has picked up her strokes very quickly and can have a very natural swim style... so much so that keeping her motivated can keep us on our toes!
A couple of days ago, I thought hey its rednose/sports relief day coming up, would you be interested in having a go at your mile and helping out Sports Relief ... anyway, we've started something now... sponsors have been coming in in the traditional way her friends and family filling in a sponsor form!
Now most of us in the UK may well be contributing to sports relief next friday, maybe wearing a silly hat at work or running a mile... but this tale has a little more resonance, it's a 6 year old attempting to swim a mile, this isn't a tale about tin rattling too raise money it's an inspirational tale about a little girl who is willing to do something pretty hard in order to help others.
For me as her swim teacher I beleive it's possible to not only raise some money for worthy causes but it gives us the opportunity to give her something she can remember and maybe one day inspire her children or even inspire your own children to follow in her swim strokes.
You know that feeling when out of the blue, people come up and tell you how they admired something you had done, it may have been something you said or did or even complimented you on how you looked or what you were wearing. Well in this case by logging on to her site, reading her story, contributing just a £1 to a cause most of the population may well be supporting next friday anyway isn't only supporting a charity it's inspiring her, it's creating a little peace of social history she can remember for ever... however this can only done if you read her tale and show your support and pass her tale onto others.
Her mum and her have created her only little site and her own words and actions are probably worth more than any number of motivational gurus that charge an arm and a leg for their seminars, I think the new American President, used social media to pretty much inspire a planet, well this is a little bit smaller scale but the sentiments of inspiring others through our own actions have the same resonance.
That's my words, hers are probably better http://www.justgiving.com/lia-garner
Her little brother is only 4 and he swam 1200 metres the other week, now she has challenged herself to swim a mile... that's not a bad little story a 6 year old swimming a mile...however the tale is a little more involved than that. She is very talented, she has picked up her strokes very quickly and can have a very natural swim style... so much so that keeping her motivated can keep us on our toes!
A couple of days ago, I thought hey its rednose/sports relief day coming up, would you be interested in having a go at your mile and helping out Sports Relief ... anyway, we've started something now... sponsors have been coming in in the traditional way her friends and family filling in a sponsor form!
Now most of us in the UK may well be contributing to sports relief next friday, maybe wearing a silly hat at work or running a mile... but this tale has a little more resonance, it's a 6 year old attempting to swim a mile, this isn't a tale about tin rattling too raise money it's an inspirational tale about a little girl who is willing to do something pretty hard in order to help others.
For me as her swim teacher I beleive it's possible to not only raise some money for worthy causes but it gives us the opportunity to give her something she can remember and maybe one day inspire her children or even inspire your own children to follow in her swim strokes.
You know that feeling when out of the blue, people come up and tell you how they admired something you had done, it may have been something you said or did or even complimented you on how you looked or what you were wearing. Well in this case by logging on to her site, reading her story, contributing just a £1 to a cause most of the population may well be supporting next friday anyway isn't only supporting a charity it's inspiring her, it's creating a little peace of social history she can remember for ever... however this can only done if you read her tale and show your support and pass her tale onto others.
Her mum and her have created her only little site and her own words and actions are probably worth more than any number of motivational gurus that charge an arm and a leg for their seminars, I think the new American President, used social media to pretty much inspire a planet, well this is a little bit smaller scale but the sentiments of inspiring others through our own actions have the same resonance.
That's my words, hers are probably better http://www.justgiving.com/lia-garner
Wednesday 10 March 2010
Friday 5 March 2010
Great little story the other day, was teaching one of the 4 year olds butterfly, started with catterpillar, asked him what catterpillars grew into - he said 'Spiders' lol, anyway we explained it was a butterfly with wings that we dried off by flicking them over the water, it worked a treat. Although I did get pulled up by a 5 year old that catterpillars first turn into a cocoon!!!!!
It's amazing the small differences that matter so much when swimming, had a couple of adults for lessons recently, just looking at streamlining and where and when to time the breath and power makes such a difference. For example, one client took 20 strokes for a length breastroke, it wasn't a bad stroke but by timing the stretch out to coincide correctly with the kick, making the kick into a whipping motion and streamlining the stretch a little, resulted in a slightly quicker length in 10 strokes.
It's amazing how much confidence matters, a 5 year old had his 7th lesson last night, he swam a length on his front, a few on his back, all with out goggles. He'd had 2 years of lessons elsewhere and came scared still of the water. Mum says he loves coming swimming now, before it was blind panic any way, the case in point is KISS ie. keep it simple and safe, build confidence and it's surprising what happens.
Last thing... went to watch some of my swimmers compete last sunday, their team won by 19 points... so alls well.
Bye for now...
Luke
It's amazing the small differences that matter so much when swimming, had a couple of adults for lessons recently, just looking at streamlining and where and when to time the breath and power makes such a difference. For example, one client took 20 strokes for a length breastroke, it wasn't a bad stroke but by timing the stretch out to coincide correctly with the kick, making the kick into a whipping motion and streamlining the stretch a little, resulted in a slightly quicker length in 10 strokes.
It's amazing how much confidence matters, a 5 year old had his 7th lesson last night, he swam a length on his front, a few on his back, all with out goggles. He'd had 2 years of lessons elsewhere and came scared still of the water. Mum says he loves coming swimming now, before it was blind panic any way, the case in point is KISS ie. keep it simple and safe, build confidence and it's surprising what happens.
Last thing... went to watch some of my swimmers compete last sunday, their team won by 19 points... so alls well.
Bye for now...
Luke
Thursday 25 February 2010
Great night last night, so inspiring to be involved with success...started teaching a Kurdish mate a few weeks back...he's come on a right old journey so far before we start the swimming. Anyway, through his broken English, my fluent Lancastrian and him picking up key words and signals and mimicking my drills we've made no end of improvement, the first length of front crawl we did took 42 strokes...17 is comfortable now...worked on streamlining, then combined that with kick...then added arms then breathing then timing....then stroke counting. This process works for a lot of my swimmers. Streamlining and stroke counting has contributed to all my club level swimmers achieving some massive pb's...well that and a little psychology...maybe more kidology!!!
To be fair the process confidence, body position, legs, arms, breathing, timing works with my learn to swim kids...had a 6 year old pass stage 6 last night, we used the same system.
Last thing... found out last night that 2 of my swimmers received scholarships at top local schools...so we must be doing something right ... but we're always learning; at least we should be!
b4n...Luke ;-)
To be fair the process confidence, body position, legs, arms, breathing, timing works with my learn to swim kids...had a 6 year old pass stage 6 last night, we used the same system.
Last thing... found out last night that 2 of my swimmers received scholarships at top local schools...so we must be doing something right ... but we're always learning; at least we should be!
b4n...Luke ;-)
Friday 19 February 2010
Great week this week, had 3 of the 6 year olds ask to do their mile swimming badge because they've heard about the four year old who's swam 1200 metres last week (he sang his way through most of it) and they don't want to get caught up. A lot of the success is down to creating a positive environment, where the children can feel confident and listened to...which tends to breed more and more opportunities to succeed.
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