Introduction
to Swimming
Activity (Paint me a picture)
Direction: In a ½ sheet of paper,
Illustrate something that comes into your mind when you hear the word swimming.
And at the back part of your paper, write some words that was connected to swimming.
Nature of Swimming
Swimming is as old as Humanity, the ancient cave
paintings testify that our forefathers also tried a
variety of floating and swimming styles.
It is interesting to look back to the past, and keep
track of how the ancient bath life developed from
the sacred immersion in water, how the medieval
legend of sea monsters made swimming fearful
and how the current versions of competitive water
sports appeared in the 19th century.
Man always found out new and new swimming
styles and has been improving his technique up to
the present day.
The present book presents the origins and the
latest history of swimming, the stages of its
development into a competitive sport and
highlights its outstanding figures. We will analyze
the different styles and the related technique of
the starts and turns as well as the rules. We will
present the specificities of this sport, its
biomechanics and its impacts on the human
body.
We recommend this manual to the
representatives of certain athletic professions
(physical education teachers, sports activity
organizers, professionals of recreation) and to
future sports professionals so that they learn
about swimming and about the basics of
swimming education. To do this, the authors
intend to help with the present book.
Swimming is moving your body
through water (a moderately viscous
fluid) that’s either still (as in a
swimming pool), turbulent (as in the
ocean), or somewhere in between.
If you’re swimming completely under the surface
(for example scuba diving), you’re moving
through relatively still water; other times, you’re
moving through relatively still water; other times,
you’re going to be moving along at the more
turbulent interface between air and water, with
your legs, arms, head, and body moving from
one element to the other and back again,
speeding up or slowing down as they cross the
border.
Swimming, in recreation and sports, the
propulsion of the body through water by
combined arm and leg motions and the
natural flotation of the body. Swimming as an
exercise is popular as an all-around body
developer and is particularly useful in therapy
and as exercise for physically handicapped
persons. It is also taught for lifesaving purposes.
Swimming can also burn a lot of calories, is
easy on the joints, supports your weight, and
builds muscular strength and endurance. It
also improves cardiovascular fitness, cools
you off and refreshes you in summer and is
one that you can do safely into old age.
Definition of Terminologies
Used in Swimming
Approach and hurdle – the walking steps (approach)
and the jump (hurdle) to the end of the springboard
in diving. Competitively, the approach must contain
at least four steps which includes the hurdle. The
hurdle consists of lifting one leg up until the thigh is
parallel to the board and the lower leg is
perpendicular to the board, jumping off of the
supporting foot and landing on both feet.
Aqua – aerobics – the performance of aerobic
exercise activities in waist – or chest – deep water to
the advantage of water resistance and buoyancy,
and to prevent damage to the joints in the lower
extremities.
Aquatics – pertaining to water or to activities
performed in water.
Archimedes principle – an object immersed in a medium
is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the
volume of the medium displaced. Usually the medium is
water, but it could be any liquid or gas. A balloon floats in
air because it weighs less than the volume of the air
displaces. Your body floats in water because you weigh
less than the water you displace. If you truly cannot float,
then you weigh more than the water you displace.
Buoyancy – the upward force of water on a submersed
object. See Archimedes’ principle.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation – CPR – a means of
external heart massage that may be used to revive
persons experiencing heart failure.
Butterfly – a relatively new stroke used in competition and
considered the second fastest stroke. The arms work in a
crawl action, but both hit the water and pull at the same
time. The kick is a dolphin kick similar to the flutter, but both
feet kick up and down together at the same time.
Finning – an action of the arms like the fins of a fish, resulting
mostly from the movement of the elbow and the wrist in and
out from the body, in a press and recovery action.
Float – to be suspended in the water.
Butterfly – a relatively new stroke used in competition and
considered the second fastest stroke. The arms work in a
crawl action, but both hit the water and pull at the same
time. The kick is a dolphin kick similar to the flutter, but both
feet kick up and down together at the same time.
Finning – an action of the arms like the fins of a fish, resulting
mostly from the movement of the elbow and the wrist in and
out from the body, in a press and recovery action.
Float – to be suspended in the water.
Types of floats
Tuck Float – to float with your hips and knees flexed and with your
hands holding your shins, with your head down in the water, and
your rounded back bobbing above the surface.
Prone Float – to float face down with arms and legs extended.
Supine Float – to float face up. Position of arms and legs, and the
degree of horizontal and vertical positioning is determined by the
density of the floaters body.
Types of floats
Tuck float
Prone Float
Supine Float
Glide -a period in which the body is moving in an extended position
as a result of prior propulsion through the water.
Gutter – the edge of the pool at water level. Water from the
surface splashes over the gutter and drained away. This
helps keep the water surface clean and less agitated.
Kick – to propel the body through the water with legs.
Dolphin - both legs moving up and down together.
Flutter – both legs moving up and down alternately.
Scissors – a bending of knees and extension of legs forward and
backward in relation to the body, then the hard squeeze to a stretch
position. Probably the most powerful but not the fastest kick. While
lying on the side in the water, if the top legs extends forward it is
called the regular scissors kick, but if the back leg extends backward
it is called the inverted scissors kick. The inverted kick is used for
saving lifesaving techniques. (video)
Whip – a recovery or power kick in which the knees are bent as the
ankles are flexed, and the toes are rotated outward on the recovery,
then the feet and legs press out and down into extension on the
power phase. (video)
Mouth – to – mouth resuscitation – a form of artificial respiration that
may be used to revive a person who has stopped breathing.
Natatorium – a building where swimming and other water activities take
place.
Newton’s third law of motion – for every action made in the
water there is an equal and opposite reaction which propels the
body through the water.
Pull – an action of the arms imparting force on the water toward
the body to propel a person through the water.
Push – an action of the arms or legs that propels a person
through the water by imparting force on the water away from
the body.
Recovery phase – that part of a stroke in which the arms or legs
have thrust the body through the water and are now returning
to the position for another thrust.
Pike – a body position with the knees straight, the hips bent, and the back
rounded. The arms may be touching the legs or extended out to the side.
Resistance or drag – the greater the surface area that is
presented to the water, the greater the resulting
resistance or “drag” on the body.
Sculling– a means of propelling oneself through the
water with the hands and forearms executing a figure –
eight action. Constant pressure is exerted on both of
the in and out phases of the arms action.(video)
Scuba – self – contained underwater breathing apparatus. Usually an
air tank strapped to the back and connected to the mouth by a
flexible tube and mouthpiece.
Snorkeling – to explore and dive in water using a face mask, a snorkel
tube, and swim fins.
Snorkel tube – a tube usually about a foot long, going from the mouth
to just above the surface of the water. The swimmer breathes through
the tube.
Stretch – to extend the body into a straight line with arms and legs
extended, toes pointed, and back straight.
Stroke – a complete cycle of the arms and legs in a coordinated
manner to propel a person through the water. Sometimes this term
refers only to the arms action of the total movement.
Surfing – to swim or glide with the waters at the beach and let them
carry you the shore. Board surfing consists of standing, kneeling, or
sitting on a long board and riding the waves to the shore. Body surfing
uses only the body and no board.
Synchronized swimming – a form of swimming in which competitors
perform various strokes and water gymnastic figures to music. Many of
the figures are extremely difficult to accomplish. Competitors in this
sport are judged on their form, execution, style, originality and the
difficulty of the figures.
Water skiing – a sport in which a person is pulled over the water
by a boat while standing on wood or fiberglass planks called skis.
The skis have rubber bindings to hold the feet to the skis.
Windsurfing – the act of standing on a surfboard equipped with a
sail and sailing over the water propelled by wind.
Five Basic Swimming Strokes
Freestyle
- Swimmers begin a race by diving off of a starting
platform, they must break the water surface within the
first 15 meters after starting, after each turn. Swimmers
using the crawl technique combine overhand arm
motions to pull themselves through the water with small,
fast up-and –down kicking motions to push themselves
forward.
Butterfly
- Considered as the youngest competitive stroke,
which didn’t enter Olympic competition until 1956.
Swimmers keep their shoulders about level with the
water`s surface while simultaneously moving their arms
and legs. The arms move together in an overhand
stroke while the legs do a dolphin kick, moving up and
down together.
Breaststroke
- Breaststrokes competitors must touch the wall with
both hands when they`re turning and finishing. The
swimmers hand begin near the upper chest and push
sideways then back, but they may not travel beyond
the hips, except when the swimmers starting or turning.
The elbows remain under water, the head comes
above the water during each stroke, and the legs
execute a frog kick in which the swimmers bends her
knees then snaps her legs straight back to help move
forward.
Backstroke
- Competitive backstroke begin in the water with their
hands and feet against the pool`s edge. The stroke is
similar to the upside-down front crawl. The swimmers
arms travel one at a time in a windmill style from the
competitor`s side, up and over the swimmers head and
then into the water.
- While the legs execute flutter kicks. Swimmers must
remain flat on their back except when they`re turning.
Sidestroke
- Sidestroke align their bodies on their sides with one
hip pointed up and the other pointed toward the
bottom of the pool. The swimmer pushes forward with
an alternating scissors kick, while the head remains
above the water.
-The lead arm on the underwater side of the body,
extends forward and pulls straight back toward the
swimmers chest, while the other arm also travel
backward through the water, beginning at chest level
then extending toward the legs.
Historical Background
of Swimming
The word “swimming” is derived from the Old English term
“swimmin.” Although the origin of swimming is not really known,
people probably learned how to swim from watching animals. In the
year 2000 BC Pompeii show men navigating water under their own
power, and a bas-relief in a tomb. It shows a swimmer doing what
appears to be a crawl stroke.
Records show that the competitive swimming began about 1837 in
London. Early English swimmers used the breaststroke and the
sidestroke.
In 1844 North American Indians entered swimming meet in London.
Flying Gull defeated Tobacco by swimming the length of a 130 foot
pool in thirty seconds. The style of swimming used by the Indians was
similar to a windmill action. Each arm thrashed the water violently in
a circular motion while the feet beat the water in an up and down
action. This type of action was a form of crawl stroke.
In 1873, Arthur Trudgen introduces an overhand stroke using the
scissors kick which was to become known as the “Trudgen crawl”. J.
H Derbyshire uses the “Trudgen crawl” and swam 100 yards in sixty
seconds for the world record. This stroke has recently been restored
to competitive swimming, and some modern distance swimmers
have set new records using it.
In 1878, Frederick Cavill, an Englishman, went to Australia. After
observing that the natives flutter kick leg action resulted in
exceptional speed, he combined it with the double overhand stroke,
and this stroke is known as the “Australian Crawl.”
He set a new world record of 58.4 seconds for 100 yards in the 1902
world championships using this stroke. About 1905, Charles M.
Daniels, a swimmer for the New York Athletic Club, Introduced the
“American Crawl” and used it to set a world record of 54.8 seconds
in the 100 yard swim in 1910.
The difference of “Australian and American Crawl” was that in the
American Crawl the kick was timed to the stroking of the arms – six
beats of the legs for every revolution of the arms.
Swimming History in the
Philippines
The American introduced swimming as a sport to the Philippines in
the year 1900, and by 1912, a number of local swimmers had
emerged from different parts of the country who competed against
each other in championships organized by the Americans.
In the year 1928, saw the greatest achievement of a Filipino in the
sport. Teofilo E. Yldefonso also known as “Ilocano Shark”, won the
Philippines its first Olympic medal by winning bronze in the 200 m
breaststroke event at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, the
Netherlands.
He repeated this feat in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, California,
when he won his second bronze medal, becoming the first Filipino to
win multiple medals in the Olympics. However his performance
declined in the next games. He died fighting for the country during
World War II.
The war brought a pause to swimming competitions but when it
ended. The Filipinos started another wave in its showcase of
swimming excellence.
Artemio Salamat and Jacinto Cayco had won gold medals for the
200m and 100m breaststroke events in the first Asian Games that was
held in New Delhi, India in 1951.
In 1954, the emergence of outstanding Filipina swimmers were
remarkable, Haydee Coloso and Jocelyn Von Giese both winning
gold medals. The programs that provided opportunites for Pinoy
swimmers to develop and enhance their skills were organized and
promoted.
Unfortunately, the performance of Filipino swimmers before,
particularly in the 1950’s, has been unmatched since. In fact, since
the 2002 Asian Games, not a representative has taken home any
medal for the sport.
Swimming Facilities and
Equipment
Earplugs and Nose Clips
some swimmers use earplugs to block water from entering the ear
canal while they are swimming. Excess water entering the ear can
cause discomfort for several hours after swimming and can cause
discomfort for several hours after swimming and can also increase your
chances of developing and outer ear infection, known as “swimmers
ear”. Some swimmers also use nose clips to prevent water from
entering their nose while they are swimming.
Earplugs and Nose Clips
Swim Goggles for Eye Protection
goggles allows you to see while your head is immersed in the
water, without having to worry about chlorine irritation.
Tools for Training and Technique
numerous pieces of swimming equipment are designed to
help in strength training and technique while swimming. For
example pull buoy forces swimmers to rely less on their legs to
push through the water and more on the arms. Swim paddles
develop arm strength by increasing resistance in the water,
and they also help develop proper stroke mechanics.
Kickboards switch the majority of work on the legs when
swimming to strengthen the legs as well as help develop proper
kicking technique.
Swim Caps
→ It reduces drag to increase speed in the water. Swim caps also
keep hair out of the face, help reduce the effects of chlorine on the hair
and help swimmers retain body heat when they are swimming in colder
water.
Recreational Swimming Equipment.
→ Some swimming equipment falls in the recreational category,
including devices such as snorkeling masks and swimming fins, which
allow swimmers to navigate natural aquatic environments such as lakes
and seas.
Quiz #1
True or False
1. Haydee Coloso and Jocelyn Von Giese are the outstanding Filipina Swimmers in
1954.
2. Teofilo Yldefonso is also known as “Bicolano Shark”
3. Artemio Salamat and Jacinto Cayco had won gold medals for the 100m
breaststroke events in the first Asian Games.
4. The American introduced swimming as a sport to the Philippines in the year 1900.
5. Charles M. Daniels, a swimmer for the New York Athletic Club, Introduced the
“American Crawl”
Identification: Identify the following terms used.
___________1. Both legs moving up and down together.
___________2. Both legs moving up and down alternately.
___________3. The edge of the pool at water level.
___________4. To float face down with arms and legs extended.
___________5. A building where swimming and other water activities take place.
Enumeration:
Write down the 5 strokes in Swimming.
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Essay: 5pts
Why is it important to learn Swimming in the curriculum?
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