Certificate number 3- Crawl in shallow water!

 Crawling in shallow water on the hands- I am a strong believer in the benefits of supervised shallow water practises when teaching a beginner. In my experience, learners develop their confidence far quicker when they feel in control of the situation. Therefore shallow water allows the learner to feel that they can end the practise if they so wish and this option is vitally important for their confidence to develop. I have used the crawling practise for fifteen years and it works really well.

How?- As always our learner must be supervised at all times by a responsible adult. The learner requires a shallow stretch of pool water no deeper than their knees. Roman entry steps or a beach style pool entry area are ideal. Encourage the learner to kneel down and place their hands on the floor in front of them. With their goggles on they should take their controlled big breath and gently place their face into the water. As soon as this is done, the learner should begin to walk forwards on their hands and to allow their legs to straighten. The arm/hand movements should be very big and very slow, reaching their hands as far forwards as they can in an alternating action. There is no need to kick as buoyancy will lift the legs. Remind the pupil that they can stop the practise at any time just by lifting the head. Remember to always supervise children or vulnerable adults.

Why?- The idea behind the practise is that the learner is able to take the huge breath and submerge their face in a controlled manner as learned in certificate number 2. When they begin to crawl on their hands, they will begin to experience buoyancy but in a safe way. They will feel their legs begin to float effortlessly and they will feel lighter than ever and for the first time in their lives, they will be experiencing reduced gravity but in a controlled manner with no artificial aids. As the practise continues, confidence will grow and you will see the arm movements get bigger and gradually the learner will realise that they can perform the practise without their hands being on the floor. This is known as ‘Doggy Paddle’ and proves that the learner understands their own buoyancy ability and also understands how to move through the water. This can then be easily adapted into Front Crawl but the hardest stage has been conquered! Well done!

Once you are happy that your child has met this criteria you may print off certificate number 3. Click below.

Award 3 – crawl in shallow water !
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