Both of my kiddies are enrolled in a swimming school we feel reflects the kind of learning we want them to have when it comes to water. King’s focuses not only on water safety and survival, but correct technique from their very first class through to the teenage swim squads. They theorise that if kids learn perfect technique from day one there won’t be a need to undo bad habits and fix messy swim stroke later on should they want to go further and have a swimming career.
In high school I was very good at swimming and used to win swimming races quite a lot. Unfortunately I had zero technique and did it on talent alone. I clearly remember an exasperated friend who used to train with the AIS turning to me after coming second (again) and panting, “I don’t know how you do it Bec – you look like a drowning bloody chook when you swim but you beat me every time!”
Unfortunately while talent will help you win your zone, regional or even state carnivals, it will not get you to the nationals, let alone the Olympics. Hence I have placed my children in a swim school that won’t just teach them how to swim but will teach them how to swim properly so they can go as far as they like with it.
Originally I thought Charlotte
A water baby will stand there grinning a goofy grin of triumph after he manages to pull the dog’s water bowl down on himself because at least he’s wet. Then he will sit in the puddle and turn blue from the cold while he splashes. A water baby will spend the entire time his sister is in swim class trying to get into the pool himself no matter how many times he’s reprimanded, smacked or turned upside down and tickled until he is gasping for breath. A water baby does not go to swim classes to learn how to swim – he goes there purely to maximise the amount of skin that’s touching water.
From the moment we enter the sliding doors at the pool to the moment I strap him, protesting stridently, into the car, James’ singular focus is on being in the water. He does not wait for Mum. He doesn’t care if no one catches him when he goes in – you’d think he’s perfectly happy to drown. It is exhausting.
These days I try to time our arrival at the swim centre so I have just enough time to throw him into his swimmers before class starts. Charlotte and I wear our swimmers there with dresses over the top for quick stripping purposes and our shoes are always slip-ons or sandals. There can’t be a single moment where we’re delayed because in those supervision-free moments he will find a way to break free and throw himself into the deep end.
I am convinced that swimming classes boosting his water confidence is having the opposite effect to the desired outcome. He is not learning respect for the water and how to get himself out of trouble. He is learning how to jump from a great height into God-only-knows-how-deep water and thrash until he’s rescued. It amazes me that he comes up beaming every time.
Now THAT’S a water baby.
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