Tonight the boys just completed a set of 10 swimming lessons at the local pool.
Bad news is that they both did not pass into the next level.
The good news is that they both did really awesome and made excellent progress. Honestly, I was really surprised that Nate didn't pass. He's a great swimmer but apparently his front crawl isn't up to snuff. His teacher was pretty strict and had high expectations. Oh well....he can swim and the rest is just technique I suppose. He also jumped off the diving board for the first time tonight...several times I might add!
Now Chad definitely should have gotten a badge for most improved swimmer....ever! This was his THIRD time at his level!!! At each previous set of lessons he has had the death grip on the teacher and had barely attempted each segement such as the back float, blowing bubbles and glides. There was just no way he was going to do any of it. Nothing could convince him at all. It was with trepidation I signed him up for a third round as 'Salamander'. It had been a year since his last set of lessons and I was expecting more of the same. First lesson was the same old nervous Chad but with each and every lesson he made just a wee bit of progress. He had a wonderful teacher who had the magic touch with him. By the tenth lesson tonight he was doing back floats (assisted but NO death grip), swimming with his feet off the ground holding onto floats and submerging his entire head in the water. Yeah! We are so proud. Okay....this is where I should confess that I completely BRIBED the child. I told him that if he passed his level I would take him to Toys R Us and pick out anything he wants within a certain price range. It really seemed to give him incentive. Even though he didn't quite pass he did so well that I will have to reward him somehow. We'll make a champion swimmer out of him yet!
7 comments:
I totally understand! You are right about it being technique! We had some of the same issues, including Curt being at the same level at least three times (and getting kicked out once!). Awesome progress!!
They look loke two wet ducks to me!! They will get to where they are going eventually.
In our previous city of residence, the littlest kids would stand on desks in the 'shallow' end to learn to swim....talk about freakin' a kid out, "if you should fall off the desk, the teacher will come rescue you....." EEK!
I have to commend you Rachel for persisting with the re-entry. It's so important that even if technique is not perfect or even pretty, a person needs to learn to be comfortable in the water. You never know when one will wish that they knew how to swim. ANY improvement is admirable. Before I learned how to swim I was terrified of the water so I know what it's like and I take my hat off to Chad for trying again.
aunty chris
Ah swimming lessons ... I remember those days. It takes time and like Nana said, they'll get there. You're a good Mom. :)
if i lived closer, i would help out with some lessons! I just got back from the pool myself - there is always something to learn and improve on (just check out my backstroke and you would know..it's pitiful!) swimming should be fun too!!!
That is okay, even great swimming Olympians encountered some roadblocks, but look where they are now! Keep on swimming, and before you know it, they'll skip two levels!
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