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Vivienne

Swimskool

Our Programs

Water Babies

Our parent and baby/Toddler classes work on skills designed to develop each child’s water safety and awareness skills at their own pace. Relaxed submersions, water orientation, breath control, floating and propulsion activities are all developed in a fun, encouraging and stimulating environment.

Kids love a challenge and we should never limit what they can learn because of their age. With this in mind we have established exciting levels to ensure we continue to challenge every child. Our classes are designed for children to gain independence in the water while still having heaps of fun.

Parents to accompany child in the water Ages: 6months – 2 1/2years Instructor Ratio: 1 Instructor per 8 children

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10am to 10.30am Saturday 9am to 9.30am

Aquatots

We prepare the child for our ‘guppies’ program where the child does go into the water without the parent.

This is gradually worked on over a period of time. Average ages ranges from 2 1/2years – 3years.

See staff for details on these limited classes.

Guppies

Aim: to introduce your child to an “Aquatic program to gain water confidence and learn the basic skills of Freestyle and Backstroke and personal water safety in a happy fun environment.

Swimmers are graded into levels of ability to ensure that they are working at their own level. These groups are identified by the colour-coded caps.

Equipment: The pool temperature is kept at a comfortable 30 degrees c. We recommend that swimmers wear goggles to assist them to put their eyes un and to exhale underwater. All other swim aids are provided.

Parents do not accompany their children in the water

Ages: 3years – 5years
Instructor Ratio: 1 Instructor per 4 swimmers

Monday, Tuesday and Friday 10.30am to 11am
Saturday 9.30am to 10.00am

A coloured silicone cap must be worn in the water and is provided at no extra charge.

School Age Children

Swimskool Mount Gambier aims to teach children through the progression of 6 stages how to be safe competent swimmers with correct knowledge of swim strokes-freestyle; breaststroke; backstroke; butterfly; sidestroke. Skills are taught in progressive stages of ability, allowing swimmers to steadily learn new skills while simultaneously building their endurance in strokes mastered.

Starfish – colour: purple

4 children per class

Introduce movement and confidence in the water. Basic Freestyle co-ordination; backglide floating; roll overs; prone glide.

Seahorse Level 1 colour: red

4 children per class

Build on Freestyle skills; introduce backstroke; mushroom float; duck dive, continue to work on endurance and holding of strokes.

Seahorse Level 2 colour: burgundy

Build on endurance of freestyle; backstroke, backglide. Introduce lifesaving backstroke kick.

Dory – colour: jade

4 children per class

Continue to refine skills of Freestyle and Backstroke while building the endurance of both strokes. Introduce lifesaving backstroke; beast stroke kick; skulling; tread water; somersault; dolphin kick.

Bluefin colour: silver

4 children per class

Build on endurance of Freestyle and Backstroke holding good technique. Refining life saving backstroke and breaststroke. Continue with butterfly kick; life saving techniques skulling – treading. Introduce tunble turns.

Dolphin colour: silver

6 children per class

Freestyle; Backstroke; Breaststroke; Butterfly all refined and endurance increased while holding good technique. Tumble turns well executed. Also able to tread water; skull (front and back) and understand a pace clock.

Aqua Squad

To further extend the swimmers development basic training concepts are introduced: Competition starts and turns Learning to read the clock – take own heart rate Understand the difference between long distance training, middle distance and sprinting and sprint training. Each month the swimmers race against the pace clock to further build on their skills and endurance. 45mins Lessons

Join In

Aqua Aerobics Classes

Aqua Aerobics is an exercise class conducted in the pool. The pool temperature is kept at a comfortable 30 degrees Celsius and the air temperature at a warm 27 degrees.

• All levels of fitness can be catered for.
• All ages are welcome.
• All can enjoy a warm relaxed atmosphere.
• All can work at their own rate.
• You do not have to swim to participate.

Water has many properties that make an ideal medium for exercises. People experience a feeling of semi weightlessness and it permits a greater range of movement with less stress on the joins. Aqua Aerobics is ideal for people who suffer from injuries, arthritis and other medical problems that require mobility but without stress on the joints.

Expectant mums can maintain their fitness throughout their confinement because the water supports them while they exercise. It is also a great way to ‘take the weight off their backs’ and allow mum to relax.

Come meet and make new friends while exercising in a controlled, relaxing environment. Finish feeling refreshed and relaxed.

Swim Club

Blue Lake Swim Club trains at Swimskool on a regular basis. If you require further information call…………. Or visit their website

Lap Swimming Only

Monday – Friday 6am – 9am Saturday 7am – 8.45am

Pool Hire

Sports Groups An ideal alternative training night!

No Public Swimming

Due to high cost of insurance we no longer have public swimming.

Frequently Asked Questions

My child is scared of the water, what can I do?

Engage your child in positive experiences with the water. If you have a bath, get them in the bath - playing with toys, blowing bubbles and visit the pool. Remembering every experience needs to be positive with positive encouragements. Make water fun!

Should my child wear goggles?

Goggles are good to increase a child comfort level in the water. They allow them to comfortably open their eyes in the water and explore the water positively.
Goggles are not essential, but are a great swimming aid, that encourages a child to put their eyes in the water.

Why do children learn to swim with backpacks and flippers?

Backpacks are used to aid a child's buoyancy (ability to float in the water). They allow the teacher to focus on swimming skills instead of focusing on fear and inability to move through the water on their own.
Flippers allow teachers to focus on a child's arm movements and also allow a child's confidence to grow as they can move throughout the water much more easily. Allowing their confidence to grow.

At what age can our child start swimming?

Six months. Babies at six months of age can start water familiarisation, which will lead on to your child being safer around water and swimming.

What can I do to help my child swim well?

Take them to their swimming lessons o6n time. Make it a positive experience. Encourage and compliment positive achievements, whether big or small. And where possible engage in positive water experiences with your child.

Will children be more susceptible to colds if they swim in water?

No. The only precaution that should be taken with swimming in water is to ensure your child is properly dried and dressed appropriately for our winter weather.

Why do we wear swimming caps?

Primarily to keep the pool at a high hygiene standard. Caps keep hair from floating throughout the water. Caps also aid in keeping your child's hair a little drier.

Can children with disabilities swim in your program?

Yes. Swimskool offers many avenues, which children with disabilities can access to experience and learn swimming.

What is swimming?

Technically, swimming is the act of moving through the water using the arms, and or legs. It does not have to be performed using a recognized stroke, as any method of propulsion is acceptable. People with a physical impairment, often look totally disorganized as they struggle down the pool, but they are definitely swimming if they are moving through the water. We have descriptions for other water skills such as "gliding", which is moving through the water without using your arms or legs, or "treading water", which is moving your arms and legs without moving through the water. The distance a person must move through the water, to be swimming, must be narrowed down to a discernable distance. Perhaps moving 2 metres would be adequate to determine that they were actually propelling themselves, and not just gliding. Very few swimming professionals have nay argument with definition of swimming. However, there is bitter disagreement on 'who is a swimmer'?

Who is a swimmer?

If the beginner who can swim two metres is a swimmier, what problems can result? One may be that the parents will not accept that their child is a swimmer. Another may be that safety rules state certain potentially dangerous aquatic activities should not be done unless you can swim. A teacher may ask children who can swim to identify themselves and subsequently tell the beginner that a distance of 2 meters does not constitute a swimmer.
The problem lies in a different interpretation of the word "swimmer". People will often be asked if they can swim, or if they are a swimmer, when they are at risk e.g. "I am taking you canoeing today, can you swim?" and wary of certificates that purport to prove a person is a "safe" swimmer.
If you are tempted to ask the question "are you a swimmer?", DON'T BE. Ask the person to demonstrate what they can DO, that way you can accurately assess their ability.

Why choose AUSTSWIM teachers?

"It is so important for kids to learn to swim and survive in the water. AUSTSWIM teachers have the training to teach water safety and swimming to all ages".

AUSTSWIM (The Australian Council for the Teaching of Swimming and Water Safety) was established in 1979 with the prime purpose of developing a sound educational foundation for the teaching of swimming and water safety.
AUSTSWIM's philosophy, aims and guidelines for aquatic programs serve to create an environment that is appealing and safe with activities that will provide a positive contribution to a child's physical, psychological, social and emotional growth.
AUSTSWIM believe that:
- Participation in aquatic activities should be a positive educational experience providing a range of professionally presented activities and skills for both the child and parent.
- Children must be encouraged to learn at their own pace and never be forced to be involved in water activities
- Irrespective of aquatic ability, children are never safe when in, on or around water and must be constantly supervised by an appropriately skilled person.

Contact

Swimskool

1 Keegan Street Mount Gambier

SA 5290

Proprietor

Vivienne Peate

	08 87 232460
	admin@swimskool.com.au

Find Us

Water is the ideal healer

At some point, you may have heard that water is great for rehabilitation or overall fitness, but has anyone ever told you how or why.

Water is an excellent medium for therapy in recovery of minor to major injuries and for cross training or preventative fitness. It decreases the wear and tear on the body from leisure or competitive sports or job related duties. It addresses muscle imbalances and postural problems that may lead to recurrent, nagging injuries.

The properties of water are ideal for achieving therapeutic or fitness goals in a safe and effective environment.

Benefits and advantages of exercising in water:

Buoyancy

The ability to float or rise to the surface of a liquid. The human body consists of many components (fat, bone, muscle, fluids etc) that collectively determine its density. In addition, our ability to move air in and out of the lungs affects body density and therefore our capacity to float.

Jarring

As humans are able to float in water, the effects of jarring (caused when our body weight makes contact with a hard surface) are greatly reduced (85% of impact force is absorbed).

Intensity

Modifying the intensity at which we exercise is an important principle in determining whether or not we can improve our fitness. In the water is most suitable for the manipulation of intensity.

Range of motion/flexibility

Immersion in water facilitates a greater range of movement without additional strain compared to land based activity thus facilitating the development and maintenance of joint function.

Muscle Symmetry

To prevent injuries in competitive or leisure sports, comparable strength in all muscle groups in important, not just the predominant ones. By working in a multidirectional resistive environment, better overall strength in the body can be developed.

Cross Training

Cross training is important for the development of muscle symmetry. However, sports that are primarily one-sided required strength in other muscle groups to prevent overuse injuries. Examples of some primarily one-sided sports are golf, tennis, kicking the footy in football or bowling the ball in cricket.

Relaxation

The buoyancy of water provides ideal conditions in which relax. Water supports and massages the skin and in doing so promotes a pleasant environment in which to relax.

Suitable for everyone

No matter who you are, how old you are (in my classes the age has ranged from 9 to 89), or whatever your level of fitness is, aqua aerobics is suitable for everyone, from recovering stroke patient to a tri-athlete. Everyone works at their own pace and ability. And you don’t have to be a swimmer to participate in aqua aerobics.

Social interaction

They very nature of most water based classes facilitates a closer interaction of participants. This encourages people to socialize more cohesive loyalty to the group.


Now that you are seriously considering water exercise for therapeutic or fitness reasons, come with me and take the plunge into the exciting and increasingly popular world of aqua aerobics.