Swimming Pathways

Clownfish, 30 mins lesson. 3 years and over (Maximum of 3 children per class)

• This level prepares your child to swim independently with assistance. Instructors teach a variety of water survival skills vital for your child's future swimming development.

Starfish

• Building confidence to swim independently over distance and with minimal assistance.
• Teachers will use a range of progressive activities supplemented with the use of a variety of equipment. The use of different flotation aids is important, however dependence on them should be reduced and eliminated as soon as possible as this will increase students understanding and recognition that the water will support them with or without aids.

Seahorse

• Consolidate gliding skills before adding propulsion on the front and back. Combine streamline glide with an alternate kick
• Introduction to four arms freestyle

Octopus

• Freestyle - At this level the emphasis is to introduce four arms whilst maintain fast continuous flutter kicks and improve distance per stroke
• Freestyle unilateral breathing - This is taught on the preferred side with the natural rotation of the shoulder to breathe
• Backstroke - Maintain a six beat kick per arm cycle.
• Dives - Sitting

Penguin

• Freestyle high elbow recovery over the surface of the waters is the main focus
• Backstroke - The focus is on body position / rotation and a smooth arm changeover whilst maintaining a high body position
• Dives - Squatting

Turtle

• Being balanced and on a horizontal plane
• Various drills to improve body rotation whilst further developing freestyle and backstroke
• Introduction to breaststroke
• Dives - Kneeling

 Dolphin

• Towards advance stages of freestyle / backstroke / breaststroke to improve technique over distance and fatigue with increasing distances
• Introduction to streamline push glide and fast flutter kicks beneath the surface of the water in readiness to introduce freestyle race starts
• Implementation of various drills as an introduction to butterfly

Junior Development

It is at this stage of development where the children are coached in swimming and begin to learn skills associated with swimming as a sport. Children at this level are encouraged to become team members of Barker Aquatic Swim Club and enjoy the pathway through swimming competitively.

• Introduction to basic competition skills in dives/starts/turns and finishes
• Learning to read the pace clock
• Follow written swim set instructions and learn basic training protocols when swimming in lanes
• To apply learning the strokes and skills to a club night competition environment