Swim instructors and coaches: What do you think about the the progress this swimmer has made? I am neither a swim instructor or a coach; however, this 24 year old watched me swim one day and said he wanted to learn to swim just like me. :bighug: Awwww, I just couldn't resist! He is the second person who practically pleaded for me to teach them how to swim.
Billy is a Korean college student who came here on a student visa and barely spoke English. When I first met him in January, he didn't understand a word I said. Since I started working with him during the summer, he has improved both his English and his swimming quite dramatically. Billy has gone from barely being able to swim at all to this in nine lessons:
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He has learned to breathe on both sides; this is his left side breathing:
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Billy has also improved the path of his arms from swinging very wide to a narrower pull:
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Sure, there are a lot of improvements that still need to be made; however, I think he has improved quickly in just nine lessons. Today, I timed him on a 25 yard sprint and he came in at 19 seconds from a weak push off.
So, what do you think? Is his improvement typical for someone his age or is he progressing at a fast rate? I am hoping to convince him to join USMS and compete in some meets with me after the spring semester. He loves to swim and I think he would have a blast.
Elaine, Billy's rapid improvement attests to his will to succeed and, especially, to the time and effort you put into mentoring and coaching him! An encouraging attitude and knowledge of swimming, along with dedication on the part of the swimmer, can turn a non-swimmer into a real athlete! Congrats! :)
As a fairly new swimmer (almost 2 years this month) I can say that swimspire hit the nail on the head regarding his success and your mentoring/coaching. I thank you (and all the other lifeguards/instructors/experienced swimmers/etc) at the pool who imparted knowledge during my learning process...which is of course still ongoing! The desire to figure it out and having little successes along the way have keep me practicing in the pool 3-4x a week and joining usms. Neither of which, I would have imagined to do or enjoy. Anyhow, congrats to him and you for the great progress. I think any new swimmer would be estatic to be as good as your student after 10 lessons. :applaud: Thanks for posting with video.
Thanks so much for YOUR post, J! Your feedback, as well as the posts from others on this thread, inspires me to continue with my works in progress. I truly enjoy the process, and it is quite rewarding to see the continued improvement in Billy and Gail's swimming.
This is the fun part about ageing up! Yes, there may be those age-related physical issues that catch up to you when you're 51, but getting to "retire" opens up all sorts of opportunities for reinvention. I never thought I would become a published writer (two local magazines)/ swim instructor at my age! :D
Elaine, Billy's rapid improvement attests to his will to succeed and, especially, to the time and effort you put into mentoring and coaching him! An encouraging attitude and knowledge of swimming, along with dedication on the part of the swimmer, can turn a non-swimmer into a real athlete! Congrats! :)
As a fairly new swimmer (almost 2 years this month) I can say that swimspire hit the nail on the head regarding his success and your mentoring/coaching. I thank you (and all the other lifeguards/instructors/experienced swimmers/etc) at the pool who imparted knowledge during my learning process...which is of course still ongoing! The desire to figure it out and having little successes along the way have keep me practicing in the pool 3-4x a week and joining usms. Neither of which, I would have imagined to do or enjoy. Anyhow, congrats to him and you for the great progress. I think any new swimmer would be estatic to be as good as your student after 10 lessons. :applaud: Thanks for posting with video.
Thanks so much for YOUR post, J! Your feedback, as well as the posts from others on this thread, inspires me to continue with my works in progress. I truly enjoy the process, and it is quite rewarding to see the continued improvement in Billy and Gail's swimming.
This is the fun part about ageing up! Yes, there may be those age-related physical issues that catch up to you when you're 51, but getting to "retire" opens up all sorts of opportunities for reinvention. I never thought I would become a published writer (two local magazines)/ swim instructor at my age! :D
