Since teaching non-swimming adults how to swim is the public service initiative of the USMS I think it would be fun to have a thread to discuss war stories, tricks that work, and just the overall good feeling it gives you when you teach someone a skill that you love to do so much!
I just graduated 2 wonderful ladies Monday night. Both ladies have joined facilities with lap swimming available and have started their exercise/fitness programs! I am in awe of their dedication and motivation to over-come their fear of the deep water and work hard enough to make fitness through swimming a reality! The next time I'm not in the mood to go to a workout I'll try to draw from their exuberance and get myself to the pool.
If your team doesn't have a SSL program my advice is to start one. I guarantee you'll have fun, plus there's no better way to contribute to the culture of swimming than to get others started!!
I'm one of those adults who started from ground zero, so I feel this is the only thread on which I can speak with authority :blah:. It's very tough for those of us who didn't grow up swimming, especially if we have to overcome fear of the water. Fortunately, I had an excellent, patient teacher who was used to dealing with us scaredy types, so I believe that patience is number one. People who've swum their entire lives have no idea how much courage and determination it takes for an adult to even get in the water. I've been swimming for a year and I still don't go into the deep end. As a child, my mother used to stand at the edge of the lake and scream "don't go over your head, you're going to drown." And the few times I did venture beyond my comfort zone, one of my cousins would try to pull me under. Which led to a phobia. I know it's an unreasonable fear. I can float and swim across the deep lane. I've done it. But phobias have no basis in reality. It's like a friend of mine who's terrified of driving over bridges. It's just there. I know I am not alone, because all of us phobic types are in the shallow lanes, swimming just fine, some even doing flip turns and moving pretty fast.
An adult who doesn't have a phobia is way ahead.
I took lessons about a year ago, I practiced almost every day. I even joined a Master's swim, and anyone who's read my posts here knows how that turned out. On my own, I was up to swimming a mile when this danged shoulder injury kicked in and sidelined me. I'm actually a pretty decent swimmer. But it's been a journey fueled by determination. I still won't go over my head.:afraid:
I'm one of those adults who started from ground zero, so I feel this is the only thread on which I can speak with authority :blah:. It's very tough for those of us who didn't grow up swimming, especially if we have to overcome fear of the water. Fortunately, I had an excellent, patient teacher who was used to dealing with us scaredy types, so I believe that patience is number one. People who've swum their entire lives have no idea how much courage and determination it takes for an adult to even get in the water. I've been swimming for a year and I still don't go into the deep end. As a child, my mother used to stand at the edge of the lake and scream "don't go over your head, you're going to drown." And the few times I did venture beyond my comfort zone, one of my cousins would try to pull me under. Which led to a phobia. I know it's an unreasonable fear. I can float and swim across the deep lane. I've done it. But phobias have no basis in reality. It's like a friend of mine who's terrified of driving over bridges. It's just there. I know I am not alone, because all of us phobic types are in the shallow lanes, swimming just fine, some even doing flip turns and moving pretty fast.
An adult who doesn't have a phobia is way ahead.
I took lessons about a year ago, I practiced almost every day. I even joined a Master's swim, and anyone who's read my posts here knows how that turned out. On my own, I was up to swimming a mile when this danged shoulder injury kicked in and sidelined me. I'm actually a pretty decent swimmer. But it's been a journey fueled by determination. I still won't go over my head.:afraid:
