The Importance of Planning

Here are the 8 important steps in your swimming lesson planning:

1. Safety Check
   You must always be aware of the need to ensure safety in and around the water.

2. Fun and Enjoyment
   You can include games and mini-competitions to make the lesson more enjoyable (if appropriate for the age/development level).

3. Activity Over Passivity
   Participants don’t learn a skill just by listening and observing. They need plenty of practice. Provide activities for participants who are waiting for your help to keep them active.

4. Assessment of Participants' Skill Levels
   Assess the skill levels of your participants and then choose activities or exercises that will allow them to progress and improve.

5. Appropriate Progression
   One of the secrets of teaching is being able to estimate the skill level of participants and determine the next appropriate step for their development.

6. Clear Instructions and Demonstrations
   Demonstrations are typically part of the skill-teaching phase. Anyone competent in the skill can serve as a demonstrator. It’s important to provide a few key points as well (no more than three).

7. Variety and Repetition
   While some repetition is necessary to master a skill, including a variety of training routines can be very useful to make the lesson more fun.

8. Short and Frequent Practice Sessions on New Activities
   Skills are more easily acquired when practice sessions are short and frequent, rather than long and sporadic.

Keep these 8 points in mind when doing your short-term planning to help participants improve in the pool.

*Reference to the Leadership Manual, pp. 25 to 27.