Beginner Back Swim (BS)
INTRODUCTIONBeginner Back Swim develops propulsion skills, specifically focusing on the early development of gross motor patterns which enable directional travel while in a supine position. It is characterized by the use of the arms and legs to generate forward propulsion while positioned on the back and at the surface. Becoming proficient with Beginner Back Swim develops Propulsion Competency.
Propulsion skills allow individuals to move in aquatic environments, which is important not only for recreation and the enjoyment of being in the water, but is also critical in order to avoid hazards and return to safety. For example, moving from the deep end of a pool to the shallow end in order to exit requires the ability to generate propulsion. Being positioned on the back allows the face to be above the surface, which typically provides easier and more relaxed breathing when compared to being positioned on the front. The Beginner Back Swim is an opportunity for students who have little or no prior experience with aquatic environments to begin developing motor patterns that will allow them to travel a short distance toward safety while maintaining constant access to air.
When first developing motor patterns for propulsion, the primary focus should be on enabling individuals to move towards safety. The limb actions may look nothing like the arm-strokes and kicks of commonly known swim strokes, even if they share some characteristics such as alternating arms, or symmetrical kicks. At this stage in motor development, defined actions of the limbs, head position, and methods of breathing are purposefully not emphasized, so that exploring actions which generate propulsion and achieving the ability to return to safety are the clear priorities. The teaching strategies and progressions used to help students explore propulsive motor patterns may provide a secondary benefit of laying the foundation for developing efficient limb actions used in more advanced propulsion skills. However, for individuals first learning to interact with aquatic environments, priority should be placed on moving toward safety over demonstrating efficient techniques.
The Beginner Back Swim skill is defined as the following:
Body
Body positioned on back
Chest and hips at or near surface
Face above surface
Arms
Arms move alternately or symmetrically
Legs
Legs move alternately or symmetrically
Breathing
Forward travel not halted to breathe
Scoring
The following scoring rubric lists the gradients of key requirements and deficiencies that provide an overall description of different competence levels.
A single score of 1 - 4 is assigned based on the instructor’s judgment of the student’s performance.
✔
1
Exhibits any of the following:
✖ Swims less than 3 yards
✖ Achieves distance primarily due to a push-off or a jump
✖ Swims mostly on front, on side, or under the surface
✖ Keeps trunk angle, from chest to hips, more than 45 degrees
2
Performs all of the following:
✔ Swims mostly on back for at least 3 yards
✔ Keeps chest at or near the surface
✔ Uses arm and/or leg movements
Exhibits any of the following:
✖ Keeps trunk angle, from chest to hips, more than 30 degrees
3
Performs all of the following:
✔ Swims mostly on back for 5 yards
✔ Keeps chest at or near the surface with trunk angled 30 degrees or less
✔ Uses arm and/or leg movements
Exhibits any of the following:
✖ Keeps face mostly below the surface
✖ Uses only arm or only leg movements
✖ Does not use both arm and leg movements continuously or in a regular pattern
✖ Halts forward travel to breathe
4
Performs all of the following:
✔ Swims mostly on back for 5 yards
✔ Keeps face mostly above the surface
✔ Keeps chest at or near the surface with trunk angled 30 degrees or less
✔ Uses both arm and leg movements continuously or in a regular pattern
✔ Does not halt forward travel to breathe