LEARN TO SWIM: SWIM CONFIDENTLY
Milestone 4 of 4 of the Learn to Swim Program Brings Core Swimming Skills Together
Students who reach the Swim Confidently milestone will:
- Learn to swim the front crawl and complete a 300-foot swim using the stroke
- Learn to swim the backstroke, also completing a 300-foot swim
- Master the basics of the Breaststroke and Butterfly
- Graduate from our Learn to Swim program as a confident swimmer!
The ability to swim confidently is the ultimate goal we have established for the Foss Swim School Learn to Swim program, the first and largest part of the FOSS Swim Path®.
In terms of swimming, false confidence is worse than no confidence. A person who believes they can swim simply because they enjoy splashing around or makes it from one end of the pool to the other runs the risk of getting in over their head.
Beyond safety, the ability to swim confidently opens up a world of healthful activity and fun. With these skills, they can engage in water sports, swim in the ocean, snorkel, waterski or wakeboard, do laps at the health club, or just feel comfortable diving in wherever there is an opportunity to express their love of water.
How Students Learn to "Swim Confidently"
We are looking for both duration and quality of swimming ability in these last classes of the Learn to Swim program. Swimming confidently means the ability to swim a solid freestyle (aka front crawl) and backstroke. The components of the Swim Confidently milestone include:
A Solid Side Breath as Part of a Front Crawl
The flipping skill learned earlier now turns into the foundation of the freestyle: the side breath. Students learn to rotate just halfway from a face-down position to breathe with their face to the side while kicking enough to remain on the surface. The timing and core strength needed take practice, but are the key to an effective freestyle stroke.
- Front crawl with stop breath, no pattern, 40 feet x 5 laps
Backstroke with Two Arms – Then One
In earlier levels, students learned to “paint the ceiling” with one arm while using a flotation aid with the other. Now they put it together, swimming the backstroke with both arms. But then we go back to swimming with one arm and no flotation aid. Why? Because we are building strength and confidence, they know the timing of both arms, but can swim the 300 feet with one arm at a time.
- Backstroke, no pattern, 40 feet x 5 laps
- One-arm backstroke with rotation, no equipment, 60 feet x 5 laps
A Complete Freestyle
The freestyle is the most efficient, fastest stroke, and the foundation of swimming well. Having mastered the side breath, students move on to combining the arm motion, kicks, and side breath, culminating in swimming 300 feet.
- Front crawl with rhythmic breathing and kick, no pattern, 60 feet x 5 laps
Introduction to Breaststroke and Butterfly Arms
Students don’t need to master the other two “competitive” strokes – the breaststroke and butterfly – to graduate from Learn to Swim, but we do require them to learn the arm motions. These skills work different muscles and lay the foundation for students who want to learn to Swim Stronger.
- Breaststroke arms with pattern, 30 feet x 5 laps
- Butterfly arms recovery, 30 feet x 5 laps
Levels where Swim Confidently is taught
As the final milestone in Learn to Swim, the Swim Confidently skills feature prominently in our higher levels, regardless of age. Some students will graduate from a Middle level, while others will master this milestone at an older age.
- Middle 3-4 (5-7 years)
- Big 2-3 (7-10 years)
Middle 2-3 (5-7 years)
Big 2-3 (7-10 years)
10+1-2 (10-17 years)
Adult 2-3 (18+ years)
- 10+1-2 (10-17 years)
- Adult 2-3 (18+ years)
Levels where Swim Confidently is taught
As the final milestone in Learn to Swim, the Swim Confidently skills feature prominently in our higher levels, regardless of age. Some students will graduate from a Middle level, while others will master this milestone at an older age.
- Middle 3-4 (5-7 years)
- Big 2-3 (7-10 years)
- 10+1-2 (10-17 years)
- Adult 2-3 (18+ years)
Reaching the Swim Confidently Milestone, Graduating, and What’s Next
As noted, students who reach this milestone are graduates of our Learn to Swim program. So what’s next? First, a lifetime of healthy fun and activity! We hope all of our graduates will spend many happy hours and years in the water. It’s also important to exercise a skill to keep it fresh and strong, so find a reason to get in the pool, lake, or ocean whenever you can!
We realize not every student wants to swim competitively, and for some of our students, graduating from Learn to Swim is as far as they will go on the Swim Path. But we encourage students to continue their journey into our next programs: Swim Stronger (which teaches the breaststroke and butterfly while building endurance and technique) and Swim Faster (which teaches techniques for competitive swimming and focuses on speed and power).
Here, students gain an extra level of skill and confidence, plus more robust health benefits from the extra length and intensity of the class. Whatever you decide, we are proud of all our graduates and are thrilled to have been a part of your student’s journey!
