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Rowing · Basic · b2

Swimming and water confidence

Park or court 15 min 1 and a grown-up Pool or water

Ready when: nothing needed.

Start a session

What you are learning

Being calm in water, because a rower may end up in it. Swimming 50 metres, floating on the back, treading water and the HELP position in a life jacket are what clubs check before anyone gets in a boat.

Words on this card Sculling, Single, HELP position, Life jacket
Sculling
Rowing with two oars each, or with one oar each held in both hands.
Single
The boats, named by how many rowers sit in them.
HELP position
In the water with a life jacket, knees pulled up to the chest and arms crossed to keep warm.
Life jacket
A floating vest that keeps you up in the water.

Set up

A pool; a life jacket if the pool allows.

Weather: a lifeguard

The base setup for rowing

Show it first for the one teaching

  1. Lie back in the water, ears in, tummy up, arms out wide: a float.
  2. Upright in deep water, move the hands in small flat circles and kick gently: treading water.
  3. In a life jacket, pull the knees to the chest and cross the arms: the HELP position.

Your part while they practise

Watch from the side.

Step by step

  1. Swim 50 m.
  2. Float on the back for 30 seconds.
  3. Tread water for 30 seconds with sculling hands.
  4. The HELP position in a life jacket, if the pool allows.

How much: 4 tasks 15 min a session once a week

Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.

The game: Water safety circuit

The child does the four tasks in a row and scores each one.

Who plays: the child against their own best; you watch and time.

How to play, turn by turn
Turns
  1. Swim 50 m
  2. Float on the back, timed
  3. Tread water, timed
  4. The HELP position, timed, if allowed
Fair play
A grown-up does the circuit with one task harder.
Points
1 point for each task done; 1 more point for each timed task held for 30 seconds or more.
Fouls
That task scores no points
  • Holding on to the side or the lane rope
  • Standing up on the bottom
  • Any breath-holding contest
Winning
Beat your best score.
Stars
  1. 3 points for 1 star
  2. 5 points for 2 stars
  3. 7 points for 3 stars

Easier or harder

Easier

Shorter.

Harder

100 m.

What you will see, and what to say

  • the child panics Float on your back, breatheCalm first, then move.
  • the child is tired Rest, then go onFloat to rest.

Self-check

50

50 m swimming and 30 seconds of floating, 2 weeks in a row.

Stop and get a coach when

The child is not at ease in water.

Fitness for this

Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.

This card trains water safety.

awiseathlete.com/sports/rowing/rowing-b2