HOW LONG DOES MY CHILD LEARN TO SWIM

Hello, my name is Marian Slavkov and I am an assistant coach in our club. Today I will answer the question: How long does my child learn to swim?

Before I answer you, I will have to tell you that a normal process for children can be started at the age of 5.5-6 years, because then their higher nervous system is formed, which means that then they begin to understand and realize what exactly is required of them and to perform it correctly.

Our eleven years of experience show that in a group your child can learn to swim as well as possible according to his individual qualities -  2 swimming strokes (freestyle and backstroke) in a period of 10 months, if he/she regularly attends classes 2 times a week. But still, this period can change by 3-4 months depending on the following factors: 

1. The genotypic factors - factors that are received from the parents, which determine the capacity of his possibilities for a certain type of activity.
2. Prior sports experience and an active lifestyle. If your child has played some kind of sport before they start swimming, he/she will be more coordinated.
3. Coach - qualification, experience, willingness to work, organizational skills. To choose the right swimming coach for your child, watch the video: "What should we know when choosing a swimming coach?"
4. The training methodology, which refers to its effectiveness and the coach's ability to apply it and take into account the individual capabilities of the child. The pace of work is determined by the level of the learners and by the opinion of the coach.
5. Consistency - 2 times a week is the minimum to progress.

Individual or group training Individual classes are with up to 3-4 children. The coach can approach each child individually, giving him different exercises according to his level and needs. This would make progress faster. In group training, there are usually about 8 children. In this case, there is no way to give different exercises, so here the children need to take into account the level of the others. If you prefer this option, we advise you to join a completely beginner group so that all children are at the same level. The choice is yours, but you should know that the group option has advantages in terms of a competitive element and fighting for a place in the lane, just as your child will have to fight for specific place in life one day.