Child’s progress: why the coach and parents are crucial in 3 points

The well-being of each swimmer is of paramount importance to the parent as well as the coach. Parents expect coaches to lead the way in creating a strong relationship between them and their children. This is the key to a child’s swimming progress.

1. Because the coach encourages your child to surpass himself to progress

A swimmer’s progress is much greater from age 6 to 12 than at any other time in their development.

Children progress at different rates through their physical and emotional development. Many may reach plateau phases, when improvement seems slow, but at other times they progress rapidly. The coach must always be objective and have a positive attitude to report on the child’s progress but also on the points that need to be improved.

2. Because parents must have confidence in the coach’s pedagogy and the child’s abilities…

This is where the role of the parent becomes crucial. In addition to reassuring the child, he or she should encourage and support the child. Believe in him, while leaving the necessary space for the coach. In fact, your child may have a difficult start
because he is afraid of water
. But this fear will gradually diminish if the child is in a serene environment, where everyone acts positively for the child. Since the parent’s fear can be contagious to the child, it should not be passed on to the child or the coach. Because fear can cause mainly stress, anxiety and anger. And it is the whole course that can be impacted. Give the keys to the truck to the coach who is
trained in the Swim Stars pedagogy
and knows the kids very well.

3. … without overestimating the child’s progress

Indeed, the temptation for the parent is to register the swimmer on slots still out of reach compared to his real level. This is especially true if the child has early physical development. But it may also be due to a misperception of the parent. Generally after a return from summer vacation, progress can be overestimated because it is not properly analyzed. The coach, whose job it is, must be listened to by the parent so that the swimmer can flourish in the most appropriate group. Indeed, if the level is too high, your child will not want to come and learn to swim. Because swimming is likely to be a physical suffering first, then a moral suffering. This is counterproductive!

To avoid such mishaps, we give more explanations and advice on
the transition of levels between our different swimming courses
. In order not to miss any steps and to progress safely,
here is our program and our evaluation tests.

How to choose your bathing cap?

The swimming cap is an essential accessory for learning to swim. Indeed, the cap will hold your hair for a freer swimming and guarantee a better hygiene. Several materials and sizes exist, that’s why we wanted to give you some useful tips.

What is the best material for my swim cap?

The fabric bathing cap

The material is pleasant because it does not pull the hair. On the other hand, you can lose your cap in spite of yourself, during a dive for example or a swimming turn. This cap is ideal for children who are learning to swim for their first swimming lessons, while silicone is the preferred choice for older children.

In silicone

The material is pleasant since it comes to be posed delicately on your scalp. Indeed, the silicone bathing cap comes well positioned on your head which is perfectly maintained and does not pull the hair.

Be careful not to tear it!

This type of cap is also very resistant and adapted to an intensive swimming with diving start and swimming turn. Perfect for students in advanced swimming lessons. It is also the cap adapted to adults.

For the big kids, get them the silicone shark hat with fin. It doesn’t mean you’ll get there any faster, but at least you can show off to your friends.

In latex

It is a difficult material because it clings and pulls the skin. Avoid latex at all costs to save your hair!

In frou-frou?

For those who love elegance, the Frou-Frou vintage-style hat is also made of fabric with a plastic lining and a latex headband.

Discover an original way to put on a bathing cap!

What’s next?

As soon as you have chosen the hat, there are still the glasses and the swimsuit. Fortunately for our occasional or regular swimmers, we recommend the right all-around swimming gear!

AUTO-RESCUE®: Femme Actuelle Le Mag recommends 5 tips for safe swimming

AUTO-RESCUE®, Femme actuelle magazine recommends swimming lessons starting at age 3. This is the occasion of an article that gathers the 5 best tips for a safe swimming. In addition, we find a testimony of Joëlle Pulinx Challet, general delegate of the Fédération professionnelle de la Piscine (FPP), who speaks on this subject.

Every year, when the weather is good, there are many cases of children drowning. Therefore, to enjoy swimming in peace and avoid accidents, follow the advice!

Find the 5 tips for safe swimming with the AUTO-RESCUE® courses

1/ Promote children’s autonomy

Specialist Joëlle Pulinx Challet points out, “the earlier children learn to swim, the lower the risk of drowning.” As the newspaper Femme Actuelle writes, the AUTO-RESCUE® program allows children to learn survival reflexes in case of a fall in water. In other words, the course promotes the child’s autonomy and helps prevent the risk of drowning.

“One of the best ways to prevent the risk of drowning is to make children self-sufficient in the pool.”

2/ Redouble your vigilance

Always have a trusted adult supervise your child in the water. Our Swim Stars coaches keep telling our students this every day, just like Swann.

This is also an important tip that our mascot Poulpy gives to school children during our
our drowning prevention (SAFE).
Why? For the drowning is silent. And in the water, a vigilant adult can quickly intervene! Indeed, the awareness of children and parents to the risks of drowning is essential here.

And he is Poulpy, a specialist in drowning prevention (SAFE) who masters the AUTO-RESCUE®.

3/ Multiply the protection systems

A locked gate around the pool to prevent access is required. But this security is not infallible, hence the need to double the protection systems with an alarm. If you have an above ground pool, remove the ladder or block the access steps.

In our drowning prevention program (SAFE)

program, the mascot Poulpy is featured in the first image to talk about safety. Despite the closure, Poulpy breaks through the barrier into the pool and falls into the water. The alarm did not sound but Poulpy is autonomous thanks to
learning the starfish, the safety position. Finally, the best protection is learning the life-saving gestures.

4/ Use the protection systems properly

Protection systems such as automatic covers exist to cover the pool and prevent swimming. The general delegate, Joëlle Pulinx Challet, reminds us that it must be used between each swimming time and not only at the end of the day.

5/ Beware of certain inflatable products

Crocodile mattresses, unicorn buoys and inflatable dolphins allow you to float, but the risk of flipping over is far too dangerous. Like the bouncy ball, any object that is not removed from the pool after swimming becomes a temptation for the child. Most drownings are the result of an accidental

accidental fall into water

Most drownings are the result of an accidental fall into water, usually in private, unsupervised pools.

By adopting good reflexes, accidents can be avoided.

This is what our Poulpy says when he saved his sister from drowning

because she wanted to get the ball in the pool.

Should we be wary of armbands?

Armbands are inflatable objects that allow a child who cannot swim to float in the water. But it never replaces supervision. On the other hand, the safety of the armbands is not infallible because a child can lose one out of two or both by accident. This can be the case after jumping into the water with both arms raised or because they can puncture and deflate.

Do we bring the armbands back to swim class from age 3?

During the SELF-RESCUE® course, children cannot learn to swim with the armbands. We recommend the use of the French fries we provide during our classes, so that our little fish learn to move freely with their arms and legs. The armbands cause the child to be in an upright position, while the fries allow the child to adopt a horizontal position, which is essential for learning.

The AUTO-RESCUE® program teaches children how to get to the poolside easily with simple actions

The complete article is available
by here
and all our other reports are available here!

So what if the pool is closed? 7 ingenious ideas to keep progressing at home!

Confined, deconfined, reconfined, redeconfined… Pool closed, then reopened, then closed again, then reopened again; we don’t know where to turn! Fortunately, despite the pool closures and the cessation of swimming lessons during the lockdown, we still have our bathroom to practice in.

Enclosed swimming pool : find 7 ingenious ideas to continue to progress in swimming from home

1. Put your head under water

Running a warm bath with enough water to submerge the head is an opportunity to get your child used to getting his face wet, at his own pace. The important thing is to never force the child so as not to traumatize him or her and so that the initiative comes from his or her own will.
No bathtub? Don’t worry, the shower head is a very good technique to learn how to wet your face gradually and gently. And it’s fun too!
You can also use a sponge filled with water, which your child will have fun wringing out on the top of his head to gently run the warm water over his face.

2. Hold your breath and blow bubbles

It’s time to close your mouth and pinch your nose if necessary to hold your breath. Next, tell your child to blow into the water like blowing out candles on a cake, keeping his mouth and chin in the water.
To learn not to drink the cup, blowing bubbles is an essential exercise to control your breath and understand how to reject water by mouth (instead of sucking it up!)

3. Listen to the sleeping water with your ears

When the ears are soaped, rinse them well. Slowly but surely, guide your child to gently place the right ear on the water, then the left. This exercise will provide a sensory experience and will also help to soothe your child.
Ask him if he can hear the sounds the water makes. It’s almost like being at the sea!

4. Entertain and progress with bath toys

Finding the colored rings on the bottom of the water is a popular exercise for children during swimming lessons at the pool. But the bathtub version is just as nice! Because a multitude of toys, shapes and colors can be hidden in the water. This game of hide and seek will still allow him to put his head near or under water.

5. Closed swimming pool: making the starfish in the bath, it also works

The starfish is the safety position in case of a fall in the water. Why not practice it in the bathtub? The arms and legs will not have the same range of motion as in the pool, but it is ideal for training. Ask your child to lie on his or her back and look up at the sky so that his or her ears are in the water and his or her chin is out of the water when rinsing.

Tell him to “do like Poulpy”, our favorite drowning prevention mascot!
You can even have fun counting to 5 or 10, like our coaches do.

6. Practice getting out of the bath by yourself

Ho-hiss! Now that the in-house course is over, it’s time to get back on land. Just as you learn to save your life by getting out of the pool, you get your wrinkled skin out of the water to wrap yourself in your soft towel and move on to the pajama stage. The idea is to get your child used to moving over obstacles and onto the bath mat, in balance and without hurting himself, one leg after the other for example, and with your assistance if necessary.

7. Closed pool: learning to jump outside the pool

Since jumping into the bath is absolutely not recommended for safety reasons and flooding of the bathroom, we recommend a well raised bed to teach him to jump into your arms. It is not the jumping that is difficult, it is the psychological preparation for the jump and the evaluation of the height. It’s also the decision to launch yourself into the air to arrive in a new, uncontrolled environment, i.e. water (or your arms in this case). But in your child’s room, perched on the mezzanine, you eliminate the fear of water and jumping. Repeat the jumps several times and it will become a game, whereas you probably spent 5 minutes convincing him to jump the first time. Patience pays off! And the efforts too!

With all these great ideas, we bet your child will have the right predisposition to learn to swim and (re)start swimming lessons!