Introducing the TADPOLE! I've made a small, but significant change to our program recently. We've always used elementary backstroke arms with no kick as way to help swimmers learn to establish and maintain aquatic balance. Aquatic balance is the most important swimming skill. We will continue to teach this first, but to give it even more "importance," I have decided to make this skill a stroke - the Tadpole. Now, when swimmers have learned to do this skill they will have mastered the entire Tadpole stroke instead of half of the elementary backstroke.
The words for the Tadpole arm pull are "Tickle, T, Touch." The new words for the elementary backstroke are "Little Starfish, Big Starfish, Swim!" (Thanks, Connor Skutt!)
The skills sheet has been updated to reflect the emphasis placed on the Tadpole.
Again, we have not changed our teaching method or skills progression. Someday when the Tadpole is added to the Olympic program, you can say you swam it here first!
Swim for good times!
Jeanie Neal
We swim for good times: fast times when we compete and fun times every time we get in the pool together. You can too! Face-Up First Swimming is also the home of the popular online course, Water Safety Education for Parents and Caregivers. My name is Jeanie Neal and I developed Face-Up First swimming and put together the online course.
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