Swimming Videos

Much to my absolute shock, my 3-year old showed me that he can swim backstroke.

We were at the pool for Jersey #1's final swim team practice.  I was having Jersey #2 practice swimming backstroke, because she is preparing to swim in her first meet, a meet where family members can swim too.  Jersey #5 tells me, "I can swim on my back too."  And he was serious.

Not to be outdone, Jersey #4 showed me that she can swim backstroke, and she can swim on her front (doggie paddle).  We started at one end of the pool, and she swam approximately 18 meters on her own. She almost reached the end of the 25 meter lane.  She did this with backstroke and doggie paddle (on separate occasions, of course).  I had no idea she could swim that far.

I am completely amazed by the swimming progress of my children this summer.

I realize there are kids who learn to swim at very young ages.  But, I just never expected that of my own children.  I am seeing how spending a lot of time at the pool really helps develop swimming skills and comfort quickly.

Jersey #1 progressed at an alarming rate in just 2 months of swim team.  Her siblings really progressed too, because they had more opportunity to be in the water during some of her practices.  Jersey #2 and Jersey #3 picked up their swimming skills fast enough that I registered them for their first swim meet.  They will swim backstroke in a meet with Jersey #1's team, where family can swim as well.  It will be neat to see.  And, then, Jersey #4 and Jersey #5 both learned to swim on their own this summer.  I am just in awe.  I suppose this is one of those areas where it is a benefit to have older siblings in a sport, and all that extra time to practice and imitate them.

Jersey #2 has made a point to work on the skills that her big sister struggles with.  It started with the dive-starts.  Jersey #1 often dove into the pool knees first, because she was too nervous to bend her body to go head first into the water.  The night that she actually figured out how to go in hands/head first, Jersey #2 asked if she could try too.  Jersey #2 immediately entered head first,  on her first attempt.  She has not had any trouble going into the water knees first.  She was mighty proud of herself for that.

The next skill that Jersey #1 has been working on is flip turns.  I told her to practice doing front flips underwater, to practice.  Jersey #2 took that to heart, and started working on flips in the water.  She was mighty proud when she figured out how to flip herself, before her big sister learned that skill.

Then, she learned how to flip turn.  It happened to be the same night that Jersey #1 also learned to flip turn in practice, so she didn't get to show up her big sister fully.

I am a forward thinker, so I am already considering the idea of putting all 5 kids on the swim team next summer.  I may try them out in practice in May, and see how they do, and which ones take to it.  But, I have stars in my eyes about the idea that they could all participate in a sport at the same time....and at the same location.  That is a big deal when there are multiple kids in activities in the same family.  We will see what the future brings.