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When do you stop swimming lesson?

19 replies

CURIOUSMIND · 15/12/2012 22:39

I know my kids is in the normal range of ability for swimming, will go no near to any competition, so swimming is for general exercise only.
Because they are swimming on different levels, 8 and 5, I have to drive to the pool twice in one day(no way to get them together).I am just thinking is it ok to drop at level 8 or is it still essential to get to the top level?
I am thinking while the younger one is having a lesson, the older one can just swim in public pool at the same time, a lot easier and cheaper.

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ReallyTired · 15/12/2012 22:45

I think a lot depends how keen your child is on swimming and what you want them to achieve. Are you wanting them to be safe or be a future Olympic medalist?

Ds stopped swimming after completing level 4. He hated swimming lessons with a passion and I knew he was safe in the water. My sil's children are very keen swimmers and belong to a club. The oldest is very talented and represents his county. They swim about four times a week.

If you just want general excerise then you could stop swimming lessons and just have a family swim.

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wheresthegin · 17/12/2012 13:55

My benchmark was swimming 1 mile. DS achieved this at level 7 time, and promptly stopped lessons.

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bruffin · 17/12/2012 14:09

neverGrin

DS 17 started the week of his 1st birthday and stopped at 13.5 when he passed his bronze medallion. Went on to pass NPLQ when he was 16 and now works p/t as a lifeguard at a couple of swimming pools.

DD started at 6mos and now 15 is doing her bronze medallion, but they have changed the curriculum which now goes to gold so may not stop for a while yet. Although we will pay for her NPLQ in October if she thinks she could pass.

Neither of them were really interested in competative swimming, although I think DS would have been quite good. He has said to me recently that he misses his lessons.

I am still having lessons at 50 and have done so for the last 10 years because it makes me go and surprisingly i am still learning and tweaking my stroke. I was a good swimmer before I started but had some bad habits.

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lljkk · 17/12/2012 17:16

Do you mean Level 8 or age 8? An 8yo in our Level 8 lessons would be amazing.

My current rule of thumb is that they have swimming lessons most of the time age 5-10yo. Because it's easy to lose what they learnt when younger. I feel quite strongly about swimming as life skill. I think most people, if they take their children to lessons at all, stop when they feel they can safely turn their back on their child in the pool.

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CURIOUSMIND · 17/12/2012 22:04

Level 8, age 9, not that amazing, just normal, average. Several other children in his class are all about the same size. My two children both love swimming lesson, and family swimming as well, not a problem. Just me so fed up with getting up early on Saturday morning for the lesson, then afternoon we need to go there again .
I can see there are far less stage 8,9, 10 lessons on offer than stage 5 or below, suggested less children are taking higher stage?

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ReallyTired · 17/12/2012 22:13

I think a lot depends on the area. Level 8 ASA swimming lessons are not all the same level around the country.

My niece has just competed level 8 at the age of seven, but she is a very talented swimming and already swims competively.

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CURIOUSMIND · 17/12/2012 22:20

Level 8 ASA swimming lessons are not all the same level around the country.---
Shock

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lljkk · 18/12/2012 07:25

the youngest child in our level 8 at the moment came in at almost 10.5yo. She comes from a family of HErs who make the children swim 150 lengths/week extra. Most the kids in our Level 8 are 12-13yo. Our level 8 is mostly about elite games: Octopush, snorkelling, water polo, etc.

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lljkk · 18/12/2012 07:26

ps: DD was 10yo & in our Level 6 when she got a 5000m badge. There were two 8yos that night who got 4000m badges, though, I think that's even more impressive.

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Imaginethat · 18/12/2012 07:30

My benchmark was 1000m and life saving skills. Now we do surf life saving. All about safety.

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whistlestopcafe · 18/12/2012 07:39

I'm amazed at the high levels on this thread. I know one 8 year old who is level 7 but she is exceptional. The majority of 8 year olds are in level 3 or 4 where I live.

I was told by a swimming coach that once they have passed level 2 they can swim lengths and that is the minimum level they should reach, once they have passed level 4 they are good technical swimmers and once they have passed level 7 they are good enough to swim competitively. Most children leave after they have passed level 4. We compromised at level 3 as ds hated his lessons with a passion and was learning for 6 years. He still has lessons at school and swims about once a month with dh.

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bruffin · 18/12/2012 08:11

I think the confusion is the change in awards from ASA. Looks like they now how learn to swim framework levels 1-7 , then split off a levels 8 9 10 for competitive, skills etc

This looks like maybe an old level 8 which is only really being able to swim 2 lengths

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bruffin · 18/12/2012 08:14

Also do some classes get called level 1,2 etc?

At our classes, they are called beginner, intermediate, improver, advance and swim trainer.

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3b1g · 18/12/2012 08:15

In the old level system, there were 12 levels, so I told my children they could stop once they'd got level 6, as then they'd be half-decent swimmers.

DS1 stopped after level 7, DS2 stopped after 6, and several of our local pools have closed so the other two are dropping where they are now (level 4 and level 5). They can all tread water and swim 50m.

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CURIOUSMIND · 18/12/2012 10:53

O, first time I heard about the levels mean so different standard.Obviously my children, even the socalled level 8 one are not that talented swimmer at all.
He was only doing this www.swimming.org/asa/teaching-and-coaching/stage-7-of-the-lts/ then moved up to stage 8. Blush
Good to see the world beyond our little area.

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lljkk · 18/12/2012 14:00

Bruffin locally we used to have 3 Beginner & 3 Improver grades; then they changed to a Levels system which obviously isn't all that consistent nationally.

Around here most 8yos would also be in Levels 3-4. I suspect most children stop after being in Level 3 for a while, or around age 6-7.

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iseetinselandtantrums · 18/12/2012 14:11

DS 8 has recently stopped having passed level 8 (only thing I can remember is that's 50m front crawl in under 1 min, dive, tumble turn). Level 9 is serious lengths and he doesn't want to be a competitive swimmer. I think same scheme asCurious. Plenty in the group similar age though a lot drop out when they get to level four and after level 7 some move across to life-saving.

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lljkk · 18/12/2012 16:15

Ooh, that's helpful. Might help me understand what others are talking about in future. I think "serious lengths" starts with our Level 6. So our Level 5 would about everyone else's Level 8.

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ThoughtsPlease · 21/12/2012 21:11

By ASA Stage 8 surely your DC can swim safely and confidently? It would seem fine to stop lessons now.

My DD1 was 6 in May and will move to Stage 10 after Christmas, she is taught by the Swimming Club coach who asked me if she would want to join the Swimming Club when she is 7. I thought she was talented as she is years younger than the others in her group, but I guess she is probably quite talented having read this thread! DD2 who was 5 in May will go in to Stage 6 after Christmas, I guess she is doing ok too then! I'm quite proud if them now!

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