Slalom Diving
The child dives through one or more underwater tunnels using arm and leg propulsion. Pushing off the wall is not allowed. The child must first reach the required depth, maintain it briefly, move forward at that depth, and then surface again. The exercise can be adapted by adding more tunnels or increasing the distance between them. This exercise primarily develops the two core elements: breathing and propulsion.
Preparation Exercises
Arm strokes on the swimming mat
The child lies on a swim mat in such a way that their arms can move freely in the water (see image). Then, using synchronized circular movements with both hands, they push the water backward. The right arm moves clockwise, while the left arm moves counterclockwise in sync. The arm movement described in this exercise resembles the breaststroke arm pull to some extent. However, the glide phase, which is a central part of the breaststroke arm pull, is not included here. For this reason, this arm movement is not referred to as a breaststroke arm pull. This is a water-sensation exercise. The children learn to use water resistance through their hands to propel themselves forward as quickly as possible. Thanks to the mat, the child can fully focus on the sensation of the water. Additionally, regular swim mats are usually quite large, so the arm movements must be efficient to move such a large mat forward in the water.
Water arrow to submarine
The child pushes off the surface of the water and does not glide along the surface, but towards a tunnel at the bottom of the pool. Correct arm and head control is crucial. The arms and head must be lowered in order to glide downwards. The tunnel should be far enough away to reach the required depth in time. This exercise promotes an understanding of the upper body control required when descending.
Feeling the water with your hands
Place a kickboard in the water and try to move it to the other side of the pool without touching it. The exercise can be made more challenging by using different propulsion methods, such as using only one hand, no hands at all, only the head, or only the legs. Water feel is crucial for all propulsion techniques in the water. This refers to the ability to sense water resistance and manipulate the water to achieve the desired result (in this case, moving the board forward). During this exercise, the child can focus entirely on the water feel and the water's reaction to their arm movements.
