Fancy the experience of a life time? Apply now for Paid Work Experience in Oz!

The Swimming Teachers Association (STA) has secured a once in a lifetime opportunity for up to three fully qualified STA swim teachers to go to Brisbane, Australia, where they will receive paid work experience and training over a 4-6 week period at the fantastic Dunlop Park Pool (accommodation is also included). Dates are available in October–December 2013 and January-March 2014.

For further information or to apply before the 31st July deadline, please send your CV and cover letter to julie@sta.co.uk.

Half of Those who Drown Do Know How to Swim

    

Drowning is now the third most common cause of accidental death of children in this country and it reaches its highest rate during school and bank holidays. The National Water Safety Forum reveals that 407 people died from accidental drowning in 2011.

Most drownings are avoidable. Of course ensuring all children and adults can swim would make them less likely to drown but what is worrying is that more than half of people who drown know how to swim. Knowing how to swim is the start, but understanding safety and what to do in particular situations is just as important.

Teaching people to swim

It is vitally important that people are taught to swim when they are young. Recent statistics show that 51% of children aged seven to eleven cannot swim 25 metres unaided, according to a report by the ASA and Kelloggs; ‘Learning the lesson: The future of school swimming’.

Learning to swim is an essential life skill, which should be learnt as early as possible in life. Adults who didn’t learn as children are unlikely to learn later on in life. Nearly half of people who died by drowning did not intend to be in the water in the first place. This can cause huge problems for people who can’t swim if they are faced with water unintentionally. Walking and running were amongst the most common activities that consequently resulted in drowning.

Teaching swimmers how to be safe in water

While it’s important for people to learn to swim it is also important to teach them to be safe in water. Even accomplished swimmers can get into trouble in strong currents and wild seas. The most common place to drown in 2010 was in a river (25%), followed by the sea (17%) and a surprisingly high number who were actually on the shore or a beach (15%).

It is also important when coaching children that you have contact with parents or schools about the progress of each child. A lot of parents don’t know the true level and ability of their child and are perhaps too confident in their swimming skills.  

The Drowning Prevention week is running from 22^nd to 30^th June, their website  has a lot of useful water safety tips.

As aquatic professionals we need to make sure that all swimmers know how to be safe in or near water.

Research links:

http://bit.ly/12vGmLE, http://bit.ly/12r0Z0M

Image Credit: www.lifesaversdirect.co.uk, www.drowningpreventionweek.org.uk

 

 

 

How your swimsuit can affect your performance!

The performance of swimmers is measured to the nearest 0.01s, with swimmers at the top end of competitions separated by a mere 0.10s. These small margins mean that even the smallest factor can make the biggest difference. At London 2012 in the Men’s 200m Butterfly Final there was only a mere 0.25s difference between gold medal winner Chad le Clos and bronze medallist Takeshi Matsuda, with Michael Phelps finishing in silver only 0.05s behind le Clos.

Drag is a major factor in the energetics of swimming and small decreases in a swimmer’s drag can affect their performance. Therefore it is no surprise that swimmers are often looking for new ways to improve their performance, and the type of swimsuit a swimmer chooses to wear can certainly make a dramatic difference to performance.

When you go swimming, one thing that slows you down is the drag of your body, or what you’re wearing. This means that when you are in the water, the kind of swimwear you have can slow you down by creating more drag, or speed you up by reducing drag.

With a newer generation of swimsuits that cover larger parts of the body and are made from different materials than traditional swimsuits, it would appear that there is certainly potential for drag reduction.

Research conducted by J. Molledorf, et al (2004) shows that these newer swimsuits can reduce skin friction of the material itself by 16% and by 10% when worn by a swimmer. A Lycra designed suit covering male swimmers’ torsos reduced the energy demand of swimming compared with a standard racing suit, due to the drag reducing characteristics of the suit.

The opinion of new suits improving performance however is somewhat divided, many see this as a controversial topic. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and several universities carried out research that led to development of faster swimsuits. The scientists studied some of the fastest swimming marine animals and tried to mimic their abilities with technology. The resultant product was made out of polyurethane, which reduces drag significantly and allows the swimmer to be faster. Traditional swimsuits are typically made from Lycra, which absorbs air and water, consequently slowing you down in the water. At the FINA world championships in Rome, swimmers wearing the new suits set 29 world records in only five days. Consequently in 2010, FINA, the governing body for swimming, banned use of the suits.

The use of technology to make swimsuits better continues to be a controversial topic.

To read J. Molledorf’s research in full click here.

Image Credit: http://www.thetimes.co.uk

Top Tips for Open Water Swimming

Open water swimming is currently one of the fastest growing sports in the country. With lakes and lochs of all shapes and sizes in Great Britain, open water swimming certainly has its appeal. With no lane ropes and pool walls – it knows no boundaries.

If you’re thinking of challenging yourself away from the pool then open water swimming is a great way to take it to the next level.

We’ve put together a few tips to take into consideration when taking part in this exciting sport! 

1. Draft, Draft, Draft 

Drafting, is the technique of following another swimmer so closely that water resistance is reduced and can be a key part to open water swimming. Sometimes it can help you, and at other times hurt you. There are key facts about drafting to keep in mind, the first one being the faster the lead swimming, the better your draft will be with all other things equal. Secondly, the physically larger the lead swimmer, the more beneficial the draft is those behind and finally the closer you are to the lead swimmer, the better your draft.  

2. Time when you sight  

The dilemma all open water swimmers face: The more you look, the more tired you will get, but the less you look, the less straight you may swim! So why not practice regular sigh-breathing in the pool, lifting your head forward in rhythm with your breathing. Open Water swimming coach Michael Collins suggests trying to look up every eight strokes and gradually working up to more strokes between sight checks.

3. Make sure you’ve got the correct goggles!

Don’t wait until a race to try a new pair of goggles, find a pair that you are really comfortable with and allow you to see properly.

4. Breathe on both sides (if you can!)

Open water swimming can be highly competitive to it’s best to breathe to the opposite side when someone is near you, otherwise you could end up getting hit in the face or even lose your goggles.

5. Really practice your sighting

When making the transition from the pool to open water try practising swimming with your eyes closed when in the pool for around 8 – 10 strokes. This will really help you learn to swim straight without having to use the bottom of the pool as a guide. Ideally you may want to limit how high you lift your head as this will cause your hips to drops, so try just below the goggle line.

For more tips on getting into open water swimming why not look at GoSwimming’s useful guide.

If you are interested in taking part or just fancying seeing this great sport in action then the WMR Open water event in due to take place in the West Midlands on Saturday 22^nd June. Or why not have a look on the ASA’s calendar to see what events are happening near you!

 

Image Credit: dailynews.openwaterswimming.com

 

 

Ellie Receives National Recognition for Her Services to Paralympic Sport

Many congratulations to Paralympian Ellie Simmonds, who has just been awarded an OBE.

Ellie received an MBE in 2006 for her individual achievements and services to sport. She has now deservedly been given the higher award, promoting her from a Member to an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

Prince Charles awarded her OBE at Buckingham Palace, much to her delight. Ellie now joins OBE swimming heroes Rebecca Adlington (alumna of the AASE Programme) and Sascha Kindred in sharing this honour. Other sports personalities who received MBEs at the same ceremony included Jade Jones and Katherine Copeland.

Ellie, as well as concentrating on her own performances, is also passionate about raising the awareness and appreciation of Paralympic sport and sport in general. She is also actively encouraging Britain to get more active, through her work as ambassador to the British Gas SwimBritain Challenge. Her brilliant efforts on behalf of this campaign are the subject of a previous blog.

It is incredible that such a young person has already had such a huge impact in her sport. As well as achieving academic success and a hugely successful sporting career, she is also encouraging others to participate. She is a great role model and inspirational for all of us, those going into the sport as well as those who have been in the industry for many years. We look forward to seeing what further heights she can reach, and wish her luck and success for the future.

Image Credit: http://www.bbc.co.uk

Optimise Your Performance

  

Chris Furber’s recent transition from Lead coach of the British Paralympic Cycling to British Swimming National Performance Director for Paralympic swimming has shown exactly how sports can learn from one another.

Whether it’s elite management or simple training tips, there is always something to be learned from other sports, especially at a time when studies on sport are in such significant detail.

Interval training is used by coaches across many disciplines. It is great for reducing body fat, improving aerobic and anaerobic fitness and can also increase your production of anabolic hormones, such as testosterone and growth hormone.

New research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research by sport scientists from the Wingate Institute in Netanya, Israel, shows that the beneficial effects from interval training on the endocrine system can further optimise performance.

Twelve sportsmen aged between 17 and 25 years participated as subjects. They twice performed interval training sessions consisting of four varied sprints covering a total of 1,000 meters, taking a total of 9 min rest between sprints.

The first session saw the subjects sprint 100m, rested 2 min, sprinted 200m, rested 3 min, sprinted 300m, rested for 4 and ended with a sprint of 400m.

The second session involved the opposite. The subjects sprinted 400m, rested 4 min, sprinted 300m, rested 3 min, sprinted 200 m, rested 2 min and ended with a sprint of 100m.

Results suggest that the workout with decreasing distance led to a substantial increase in lactic acid levels and an extra large increase in growth hormone. Similar research has also shown the same conclusion between lactic acid and GH.

Sport research like this study can be very useful to any type of sprinter, whether it is on the track or in the pool and is a great way of improving your training. It is important to keep an eye on recent research and think ‘how can I benefit from this and how can I use this research for maximum advantage?’

 

 

RAPs welcomes the ASA’s ‘Get SAFE’ Campaign

As we draw closer to summer (sadly we can’t guarantee sunshine though) it’s really important that we highlight knowing how to stay safe whilst having fun in and around the water.

RAPs welcomes the ASA’s ‘Get SAFE’ campaign. Recent figures from the National Water Safety Forum and the Royal Life Saving Society suggest that on average one person drowns in the UK every 17 hours. Drowning is the third highest cause of accidental death amongst children, with more than half of incidents occurring in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and canals.

It is for this reason that the ASA are launching the ‘Get Safe’ campaign, which aims to ensure young people know how to stay safe whilst having fun and are aware of the dangers posed by water.

The campaign aims to:

• Highlight the importance of learning to swim
• Boost knowledge and practice of water safety skills
• Raise awareness that organised, supervised water based activity can be fun as well as being safe
• Promote swimming as part of a healthy lifestyle
• Offer a fun and memorable experience
• Raise awareness of water safety for all children taking part and, by association their parents.

The ASA invites you to organise your own ‘Get Safe’ event. The first 300 to sign up online will receive a free ‘Get Safe’ resource pack, which will include;

• A pool event guide with details about what, when and who should be invited
• Posters to help promote your event
• Certificates to reward young people attending your event. 

All events should promote the ‘SAFE’ code: to enjoy the water and stay SAFE.

S – Spot the dangers

A – Advice. Take advice

F – Friend. Always go with a friend, never alone

E – Emergency. Learn how to help in an emergency.

For more information on the ASA’s ‘Get Safe’ campaign click here.

Image Credit: www.swimming.org/asa

 

FINA/Midea Diving World Series….How did everyone get on then?

You may remember that last month we told you about the FINA/Midea Diving World Series that took place earlier in April. Well we thought we would give you a little update on how our British competitors got on!

On the opening night in Edinburgh, The British Gas GBR diving team kicked their World Series campaign off to a great start by winning two medals. Alice Blagg and team mate Rebecca Gallantree had consistently great dives and secured themselves a silver medal in the 3m Synchro with a final score of 305.18. China’s Shi Tingmao and Wu Minxia were clearly on fire though with a final score of 322.10 which meant they took home the gold.

  

After what was a nail-bitingly close finish between the Brits and the USA, Chris Mears and Nick Robinson-Barker managed to sneak into the bronze position in their final dive of the men’s 3m Synchro with a score of 392.91 ahead of the American’s score of 392.46.

On the second day of the competition, British diver Hannah Starling competed in the women’s 3m Springboard. The 17 year old finished 4^th, the best result for a Brit in World Series history.

 

Now going into the final day we had Olympic Bronze medallist and AASE graduate Tom Daley, who got his first international of the season off to a flying start by winning gold in the 10m platform. Having won his preliminary round comfortably, the 18 year old had a rocky start to the final but won the gold with an impressive score of 542.15.

For those of you who didn’t get chance to see the FINA Diving World Series, here’s Tom in action.

Daley’s training partner at Plymouth Diving Club, Tonia Couch was also in action on the final day in Edinburgh, competing in the women’s 10m platform finals. Couch, who won the British title back in February, was also competing in her first international of the season. Couch had a great score of 350.45 but sadly missed out on a medal finishing 4^th.

 

We wish the British Divers well and hope they continue to have a great international season.  

Image Credit: swimming.org

Marren Wins Second Gold with Freestyle

Amy Marren was certainly the star of the meet at last month’s British International Disability Swimming Championships in Sheffield, winning her fourth medal, including her second gold on the final day of the Championships.

Amy, who made her Paralympic debut at London 2012, took the 50m and 100m Freestyle gold, 100m Butterfly silver and 100m Backstroke bronze. As well as her medals she qualified for the 2013 World Championships in the 400m Freestyle and 200m Individual Medley.

The 14-year old achieved her personal best of 30.06 (898 points) in her victory in the 50m Freestyle to secure the ‘B’ qualification standard for the Worlds in the process.

Amy hoped to break 30 seconds for the first time but has no complaints with her performance in Sheffield, and will continue to work towards that goal throughout the course of the season.

Other notable results:

•  Hannah Russell (S12) set a British record of 27.91 (895pts) winning silver in the 50m Freestyle
• Matt Walker (S7) won the men’s 50m Freestyle making him one step closer toward his fifth IPC World Championships
• Josef Craig (S7) took silver in the 50m Freestyle 29.52 (826 pts)
• Scott Quin (SB14) won gold with the MC 100m Breaststroke
• Lyndon Longhorne (SB3) and Danielle Bailey (SB3) were the final British medalists of the competition winning gold and silver in the 50m Breaststroke.

Click here for full results from Sheffield.
Click here to find out who has achieved ‘A’ standard qualification times for the 2013 IPC World Championships.

Image: http://www.swimming.org

Case Study; Jo Cooper signs up to RAPs

Jo Cooper, one of the first to sign up to the Register of Aquatic Professionals (RAPs), has extensive experience in the pool having started teaching in 1979 at Northolt Swimming Club. She is currently a Swimming Teachers Association (STA) trained swimming tutor and is also a National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) & Swimming Teachers Association Trainer and Assessor. 

Her inspiration for becoming a swimming teacher actually came from her two children. She decided that as they lived near a canal it was very important for them to learn to swim. 

Since that time Jo has kept constantly up to date with changes in coaching and teaching techniques, first aid and lifeguarding. She has set up and tutored Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) and STA teachers and NPLQ courses and swimming CPD seminars.

Jo has an extensive list of qualifications including;

• ASA Teachers (Swimming) NVQ2
• National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ)
• ASA & STA Teacher (Parent & Child)
• ASA Assistant Teacher Certificate in:

               –   Diving

               –   Swimming for the Disabled

               –   Waterpolo          

• BTEC in Leisure Management
• ISRM Certificate in Leisure Management. 

Despite having a wide range of qualifications, Jo felt it was really important for her to be on the Register, as all RAPS members have to meet National Occupational Standards, which describe the knowledge, competence and skills of good practice.

Jo said: “I am really pleased at the creation of RAPS. As just one of the many great benefits of RAPs is that it extends right across the industry”.  

Jo went on to say, “I wanted to join RAPs because the Register is really exciting for the industry as it provides a proper framework of the qualifications needed and it will allow teachers to figure out where exactly they fit within the framework, whether they’re ASA qualified or STA.”

“My advice to anyone considering being on the Register is to simply do it! It’s free to join during the pilot so get yourself registered, what have you got to lose? You then decide after the first year if RAPs is the right option for you!”

Jo has also written articles on swimming teaching and safety in swimming pools for Swimming Times and is currently writing a book about her experiences as a teacher first, then as a tutor.