Goulbourn Sea Hawks Developmental Programs

2007-2008

Sears I Can Swim Philosophy

The Sears I Can Swim Philosophy is a learner-centered approach. This means teaching swimming by focusing on the swimmers’ needs and abilities. The learner-centered approach requires knowing something about the learner: how learning can take place, and what has to be learned.

Our program’s content, methods and structure ensure that kids learn to swim more efficiently, learn to swim faster, learn more skills, and learn more rapidly than in any other program. Your child will learn to swim quickly and effectively, mastering 54 water skills, which are part of: breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, freestyle, water safety, entries and turns.

This national program builds skills one-step at a time and rewards each swimmer’s progress. Children receive a poster at the beginning of the program and when they are able to do a skill, they receive a sticker. Parents and children track progress with posters and reward stickers. When a stage is completed, the children receive a certificate. This program is a stress-free alternative to traditional pass/fail programs.

Participation, Fun, Success

  The primary goal of SEARS I Can Swim program is to develop excellent swimming skills and a true love of aquatic activities. Kids who are challenged, have fun and enjoy success in the water are more likely to bec ome life-long swimmers.

Builds Fitness & Self-Esteem

SEARS I Can Swim offers you a quality program that builds excellent swimming skills and overall fitness, while boosting self-confidence through positive rewards.

Program Description

 Minnows 2 times per week (I Can Backstroke)-This program refines the freestyle stroke. Backstroke becomes the main focus of the program. The child will learn breaststroke as well as elements of butterfly. At the end of this program, the child should be able to:

• Swim Front Crawl with breathing at least 25 m

• Swim Backstroke at least 25 m

• Swim Breaststroke with breathing at least 15 m

• Swim single arm Butterfly

• Do standing dives

• Swim continuously 50 m

 Superfish 1 time per week (I Can Breaststroke)- This program refines the freestyle and backstroke strokes. Breaststroke becomes the main focus of the program. The child will also learn butterfly. At the end of this program, the child should be able to:

• Swim continuously Front Crawl with bilateral breathing at least 50 m

• Swim Backstroke continuously at least 50 m

• Swim Breaststroke continuously with breathing at least 25 m

• Swim Butterfly at least 5 m

• Swim continuously 100 m

Superfish 2 times per week (I Can Butterfly) - This program refines the freestyle, backstroke and Breaststroke strokes. Butterfly becomes the main focus of the program. At the end of this program, the child should be able to:

• Swim continuously Front Crawl with bilateral breathing at least 100 m

• Swim Backstroke continuously at least 75 m

• Swim Breaststroke continuously with breathing at least 50 m

• Swim Butterfly at least 25 m

• Swim continuously 200 m

  With SEARS I Can Swim, swimmers who complete the 3-Stage Swimming Skills Program can immediately move on Stage 4 (Bronze) – where they can keep swimming for fitness, fun or become a competitive swimmer.

What group is my child in?

Our program doesn’t conflict with the lessons that the City of Ottawa offers. Swimmers must be able to swim one pool length (25 m) to enter our program. All new swimmers are assessed by the GSH coaching staff.  To make arrangements for an assessment please contact the GSH office at (613) 726-7901 or gac@bellnet.ca.

Swim Meets

At the end of each session there will be a fun swim meet where the kids can show their progress and abilities.

The children registered in the Superfish 2 times per week group can participate in non-competitive or developmental level swim meets. Please refer to the swim meet schedule on our website for dates and times.

Every family whose child is participating in a GSH Swim meet (or any other meet) is needed to help with a variety of tasks: officiating, providing food for incoming officials, selling, helping the officials or working in the data input room.  We need parent support in order to provide all swimmers with the best possible swimming experience.  Watch for opportunities to train as an official and become involved!

Schedule