New skills for swim instructors at Swimming New Zealand course

A group of Auckland City Council swim instructors recently met at Stanmore Bay Leisure Centre for a day of fantastic learning taking part in the NZSCT School Age and Adult Award course.

The NZSCT School Age and Adult Award course has been designed to extend the knowledge of those teaching swimming to school age and adult swimmers.

It is recognised that different teaching styles and skills are required to teach a fearful or inexperienced adult and teaching adults new skills often requires a completely new approach and this is especially true when teaching swimming.

Swimming New Zealand Education Advisor Fiona Hurley shared her knowledge and experience with the group and course participants were able to gain further knowledge in teaching in this area.

This course focuses on Learn to Swim, stroke development and showing the science of swimming.

From there participants can form their own model of teaching and stroke development, discussing the differences and similarities in teaching children, teenagers and adults.

One of the highlights of the course is the pool session where participants are challenged in the water going over drills to help develop all four strokes before being put to the test with some real life swimmers.

The course was a great success and even had a couple of participants able to demonstrate skills in the water that had been prior challenges after using some helpful tips and hints.