“LEARN TO SWIM”

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 11, 14 January 1936, Page 5

“LEARN TO SWIM”

THE SLOGAN IN SOUTH AFRICA SCHOOL TEACHERS TAUGHT. INSTRUCTION IN HO!W TO TEND OTHERS.

It is interesting, in view of the past ■that various New Zealand centres are encouraging learn to swim weeks, that on the Rand (South Africa) school teachers take special lessons. A tremendous amount of good work for swimming is now being done by Mr. J. Ferguson, who is in charge of the Witwatersrand University swimming baths. He is entering upon a second season of instruction for school teachers, not only in tee art' of swimming, but in the far more difficult art of teaching people to swim. In this work he has the hearty approval of the principal, and the diploma issued to successful candidates is signed by both. The course, instituted with tec active co-operatiou of the Transvaal Teachers’ Association, has _been an immense success. Last year 25 teachers entered and 16 secured certificates. This year forty have already enrolled Enquiries for vacation facilities come from as far afield as Barberton and Pietersburg. And the keeness of the applicants is indicated by the fact that, on the coldest Saturday since the season opeued, a number of them turned up and put in .their regular practice. Confidence Essential. In proper training, Mr. Ferguson holds, lies the secret of success in swimming. It is not only a matter of correct methods, though these are important. It is a matter of c 5 dence. Muscular tension, induced by nervousness if a big factor in fatigue.

One of his pupils, for example, a boxing half-blue who had proved his courage in the ring, is still quite unable to face the deep end with equanimity. He can do eight breadths of the hath in the shallow end with no difficulty. Get him (with some persuasion) to the deep end, and he exhausts himself in half a width. This nervousness of deep water is far more common than might be imagined, and it is often caused by frights received in the early stages of learning to swim.

For this reason the most important thing for a teacher of swimming is. the absolute confidence of his pupils. Tricks of any kind are most dangerous, and may cause untold harm. The. pupil must first learn confidence in the teacher, teen confidence, in the power of the water to sustain him. When teat is acquired half the battle has been won. The rest is matter of a study of the individual pupil, and a. careful inculcation of the basic principles of swimming, all founded on natural movements.

Teaching the Crawl. With careful tuition Mr. Ferguson has succeeded in getting one of the teachers, quite unable to swim, to do twenty-five yards in her very first lesson, and to swim fifty yards in three lessons. Moreover, the basic movements were correct, and a sound foundation laid for future progress. The crawl, of course, is what everyone wants to learn nowadays. The stroke is standardised, but instructors still differ as to the best method of teaching it.

Mr. Ferguson starts his pupils walking. When he gets them afloat he teßs them te continue walking, and some of them are horrified to find they are going backwards! But that is merely a matter of ankle position, and a little expert instruction soon remedies it.

Once the leg movements aro correct, breathing and arm movement follow in due course, together with the difficult question of .timing and rhythm. Diving is also taught, not only from the teacher’s point of view, but. also from the judge’s. Judging a diving competition nowadays is a matter ior The number of tbe standard' dives recognised for international competition is increasing rapidly, and each is carefully standardised. Mr. Ferguson has the latest complete descriptions, and he has, moreover, been at considerable pains to equip the University bath with ■the best apparatus. His low board is adjustable by the diver himself so that men of different weights all receive the same “kick” from the springboard. This is achieved by an American invention by which the fulcrum of the diving board can be moved by a wheel gear.

Question of Balance. Once more Mr. Ferguson lays importance on methods of instruction. Diving is a matter of balance, and is largely' governed by a correct position of The head. Mr. Ferguson aims at teaching his pupils how to teach this to others, and the progress made, even by absolute beginners, is sometimes astonishing. As a matter of fact the coach prefers beginners. They have less to unlearn! To the more advanced pupils an opportunity is offered of qualifying for the Royal Life Saving Society certificates. The importance of the work, Mr, Ferguson holds, is less in the immediate effect on the teachers, than in future possibilities from pupils in the schools. Those undertaking the course are already passing their knowledge on. Correct mothods of instruction for the children will make a wonderful difference. A large part of the success of Mr. J. H. Green, of Petoria, is due to the fact that he has some of his best pupils from early stages. _ Thus, says Mr. Ferguson, Miss Olivier, the present backstroke champion and a strong prospect fo the Olympic Games, was trained by Mr. Green when she was practically a baby. Incidently he tells us that this young lady’s daily training is sixty lengths of the batbl He has the highest possible opinion of Mr. Green’s value to South Africa as a coach, and himself admits a great debt of gratitude to the Pretoria man. It is in the hope that careful training of young swimmers in the schools may bring about a. great improvment that Mr Ferguson has undertaken this work.