Glides

The Glides class is the first of the 8 stages in the 400 Gold program. Beginning this program is an exciting time for any child. For some children, this is the first time they have had swimming lessons – or for those who have come from our Swim & Play program, this class is a change to the “big kids classes”. Regardless of a swimmer’s past experience, our Glides swimming classes are fundamental in establishing the right foundations for all of the classes to come.

Our Glides class introduces children to basic water skills, enabling them to feel comfortable in the water.  Swimmers will learn to put their face and head under the water in preparation for teaching them the skill this level is named after – a glide. Some swimmers in the Glides class may not have put their face in the water before, so this can be very confronting for these young swimmers. Time, trust and reassurance are key to encouraging Glides swimmers to attempt the skills. Small class sizes, with a maximum of four students, also allow the instructor to attend to each swimmer and their individual needs.

The most important swimming skill for children to learn is breath control and these Glides swimming lessons are where this is introduced. From the moment they put their face in the water, students are taught about blowing bubbles and why it is important. In addition to putting their face in the water and learning the correct breathing technique, swimmers will begin to learn backstroke kicking.

• Face in the water
• Back kicking with a kickboard

Once our Glides students are performing a streamline glide with a small kick on the kickboard on both their front and their back, they then graduate to the Torpedoes swim class.