3 Exciting Reasons to Join Squad Swimming

So, what is squad swimming?

Mini squad is a transitioning level, between learn to swim and venturing into the sport of competitive swimming. The main focus is to develop skills where kids continue to love to learn more. The other hidden benefits include team building, fitness, self-discipline, confidence, and a variety of life skills.

• Further and longer. The transition from learn to swim to squad includes increasing distance and duration of a session.
• Eyes from above. The coach is on the pool deck not in the water, observing analysing and supporting your child to adjust to a different form of feedback, correction, and direction.
• It’s about Time. Understanding what a pace clock is and how it works, opens the door for fun, fitness and swimming fast and learning something new.
• Mind and Body. Choosing to master all four strokes improves mind and body every time there is a splashdown in the pool.

Parents ask, “Do I need to get up at 4.30 am and drive my child to the pool?”

Slow down parents, they aren’t aiming for the Olympics…yet. There is a fun space to start – Mini Squad.

Being a supportive parent includes being attentive to your child’s needs, such as be prepared with the right equipment, togs, caps, goggles, flippers and a kick board. Asking what they enjoyed about their session is a great way for your child to feel fully supported.

Fun

When kids are having fun – they learn. Parents are great role models for their children. When your child jumps out of the pool ask them if they had fun. Talk to your child about their effort, rather than who won or lost. Focus on enjoyment, being a good sport, effort, and participation.

Social interaction is important to all children. If your child wants to swim for fun, to keep fit, or compete, there is no doubt squad swimming creates positive opportunities to interact with their friends.  Taking turns, following the leader, and mixing up drills and skills is essential for their much-needed social interaction. Squad swimming is the perfect opportunity for children to make friends outside of school.

Conversations away from the pool all play a part in developing positive approaches to squad swimming. Being safer in the water to pursue surf lifesaving, aquatic sports or recreational activities are all reasons your child loves the water.

Swimming for fun, without the pressure to compete, still has the same benefits of building resilience, developing fitness, social and interpersonal skills.

Competition swimming isn’t for everyone. But, be prepared for them to change their mind!

Technique

Our coaches say the formula to swim fast, is to have the correct ingredients.  First – correct technique, second fitness and finally speed is biproduct of technique and fitness.

To swim well fast, you need to swim well slow. Swimming technically correct is mastered through a variety of fun, skill specific activities. It doesn’t happen overnight It requires practice to gain mastery. Children take in enormous amounts of new data every day. They can’t retain it all, so repetition helps. You may be surprised that it doesn’t lead to boredom as fast as it does for adults!

With a well-prepared program the coach incorporates a mixture of fun drills to produce smooth effortless strokes and when your child is ready, gradually increasing the distance.  The result – quality and quantity.

Fitness – builds endurance.

Swimming is a low impact activity, with less risk of injury, and no stress on young muscles and growing bones. Not only does swimming develop muscular strength, strong bones, and good posture, it also improves heart and lung health and boosts your child’s immune system.

After a few sessions your child will ­­feel healthier, sleep better, be more motivated, display increased energy and confidence, and reduce your stress to prod your child to attend.

Squad swimming is the perfect cross training activity to support fitness, flexibility and strength in other sports. Any activities on land such as netball, soccer, footy, tennis can be high impact on a young developing body.

Other than the physical benefits, your child’s academic performance increases, becoming more organised with healthy lifestyle balances at home, at school and in the pool.

According to Australian Guidelines children between the ages of 5 to 18 years need one hour or more of physical activity every day. Vigorous activity at least 3 times a week. It makes sense to choose squad swimming as the preferred fun activity.

Research shows that children who participate in sport usually have increased memory, improved concentration, and maintain a level of sport as an adult. Adding swimming lessons for kids to their routine can further enhance their physical activity while providing valuable life-saving skills.

So what are you waiting for? Dive into squad. We know they’ll love it!