Hi Swimming Teachers!
I worked in the UK as a swimming instructor and recently moved to Israel and I have come across two main differences in teaching styles.
1. In the UK generally front-crawl is taught before breastroke, in Israel the opposite is the case.
I think the difference can be explained in the following. In Israel swimming is still regarded as seasonal, largely parents send their kids for a course in summer maybe 2 yrs running. 12 x 2. In the UK they join a club for a long period of time. Hence kids in Israel are less used to water and need to be taught to get across the pool and back as quick as possible rather than becoming really good at swimming. Therefore rudimentary breaststroke where the head comes up to breath every stroke is easier to teach for fast crude results.
2. When doing dry land drills to learn the breaststroke kick in Israel they generally teach it on the floor, or lying entirely on a bench. I received a lot of stick when other instructors saw me getting the kids to lie at the edge of a pool or at the end of a bench with the entire legs hanging off the bench. Essentially the argument comes down to whether the whip kick involves movement in the knee.
Any thoughts?
Much appreciated.
Kevin
