Assess students by using the Swim Fins assessment. Click here to print or to review.
Make and practice Open House Lesson Plans: It is very important that you use the "How to Write a Combo" (that has all the common errors coaches make when making lesson plans) as well as the Open House Lesson Plan SAMPLES (pretty much take a student in the same level as yours from the sample and copy the open house lesson plan). To teach the whip kick in a vertical position (with learning belt), refer to the Vertical Whip Kick video. This will help reduce common errors.
When making an OH LP for the Junior Lifeguarding levels, click here to see a sample of:
“Joe” in Junior Lifeguard 1
"Nial" in Junior Lifeguard 2
"Henry" in Junior Lifeguard 3
"Bradley" in Junior Lifeguard 4
"Ryan" in Junior Lifeguard 5
Please note all open houses will be 30 minutes. This way it won't be so rushed, and you won't go overtime.
Open house lesson plan templates are in the filing boxes, or you can print out your own by clicking on the "More" tab above and finding them in the "OH Lesson Plans" menu: there are 3 different ones to choose from. One of the hardest parts of the Open house lesson plans is figuring out which open house lesson plan to use or what side of the combo a child should go on. To figure out which one to use, ask yourself this question: “CAN A CHILD SWIM 2 LENGTHS OF FRONT CRAWL UNASSISTED AND 2 LENGTHS OF BACK SWIM UNASSISTED (in other words can the kid swim for 30 minutes without stopping)?"
If so, they should be on:
a. The Swim Level 6 skills and higher side of the combo lesson plan (if in group with preschoolers).
OR,
b. They should be on the Swim Level 6 or higher lesson plan (if in private or group with kids Swim Level 6 skill level or higher).
If they can't do these: 2 lengths FC unassisted and 2 lengths BS unassisted (with you far away), they should be on the Swim Level 2 skills and below lesson plan. For all 6 pools this should be 2 lengths in long lanes.
The three open house lesson plans to choose from are Swim Level 2 skills and below (Preschool), Swim Level 6 skills & above (not used very much), Combo class: Swim Level 6 skills and Higher and Swim Level 2 skills and Lower). Choose the appropriate one according to a child's skill level not actual level. When filling out the warm-up section, it will ask you what lesson plan each child is. Most kids in the warm-up should be lesson plan A or B. If you choose Lesson Plan C only, you will be giving away their furthers swim on front and back with flippers. Lesson Plan A is used for kids who can’t put their face in the water for 10 seconds comfortably. Reference the following:
a. Lesson Plan A: Everything (belt, flippers, turtles)
b. Lesson Plan B: Belt and Flippers only
c. Lesson Plan C: Flippers only
d. Lesson Plan D: No equipment
When doing rollovers, make sure it’s halfway across the pool on their front and the other half of the pool on their back. It is not a flip every 3 seconds.