Angela Gray's Blog – October 2010 Archive (6)

5 Ways to Teach a Distracted Child to Swim

My little boy is easily distracted. He’s smart as a whip, but don’t let there be anything on the school table that he can make noise with. He won’t hear another word of his (homeschool) lesson.

This would prove a problem for him in the pool, as he’s constantly fiddling with his goggles, climbing in and out of the pool on the handy metal pole nearby, and inching his way around the edge of the pool. The swim coaches do an excellent job of retaining his attention. Here’s the 5 top ways… Continue

Added by Angela Gray on October 18, 2010 at 10:48pm — 1 Comment

Are Learn to Swim and Competitive Swim Programs Compatible?

I knew that the best place to learn to swim was in a swim team setting. The competition just gave the children a tangible goal. That and the fact that none of my children ever learned anything in a ‘Y’ swim class. And by Y, I mean, every other learn to swim program I enrolled them in besides swim team.

It seemed counterintuitive at the time. I mean, why would you sign up for a swim team if you couldn’t swim? But not only did training for competition jump start my older children’s… Continue

Added by Angela Gray on October 17, 2010 at 1:39am — 3 Comments

Human Genome Proves Blacks Can Swim

Or rather, it doesn’t prove that blacks can’t swim. So if you’re wondering why most don’t swim, you can throw out all the arguments that would point to genetics. The human genome doesn’t make racial distinctions. Sports aptitude is not race related.

Environment would play a much larger role in the swimmer’s development.

Added by Angela Gray on October 8, 2010 at 11:30pm — No Comments

Does Chlorine Fight Colds?

It seems counter-intuitive, but I don’t think cold germs stand a chance in the swimming pool.

Mind you, this is purely anecdotal. The my little google search didn’t turn up anything to back up my claims. I just know that whenever I have a cold, I could be almost all stopped up when I start a set, but I can breathe by the time I finish the set, and my cold is completely gone 2 days later.

I brought this up because my son in swim lessons has been coughing for over a month.… Continue

Added by Angela Gray on October 7, 2010 at 10:05pm — No Comments

Misty Water Colored Memories

I remember watching the awkwardness of growing up at the pool. Girls who started swimming while they were little continuing through the onset of curves and pimples. The horror of wearing a tattered, worn suit during that period. I see young girls at the pool, and it’s as if 4 years hadn’t gone by.

The coaches remember, too. They may not remember the baby boy born while his big siblings swam competitively, but they remember his older sisters who started swimming when they were… Continue

Added by Angela Gray on October 6, 2010 at 10:43pm — No Comments

"First Swim Lesson"

I know I’ve been building it up in my head quite a bit. That magical moment when my 6 year old actually *learns to swim* (cue trumpet fanfare). So I had great anticipation at taking him to his *first swim lesson* yesterday.

But, A: He didn’t learn to swim the first day, and

B: It wasn’t even his first swim lesson.

He’d taken lessons with his sister last year, remember, and there was the one time we made it down to the city pool for lessons this summer.

So,… Continue

Added by Angela Gray on October 5, 2010 at 11:00pm — No Comments