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Chicken, Airplane, Soldier....?

When learning how to swim, the Breastroke kick is one of the hardest skills to master.  The kick can be taught in a variety of ways, and "Chicken-Airplane-Soldier" is one of them.  This phrase breaks the kick down into three simple steps: bring your feet under you as if you're squatting like a chicken, turn feet out wide with straight legs like an airplane, and then snap feet together with straight legs like a soldier.  Another phrase frequently used is: "In, Out, Around," which is short for: Bring your feet in, turn your feet out, and then snap your feet around.  

More simply, the kick can be described as a frog kick, because it is somewhat similar to how frogs kick in the water: 

The purpose of the Breastroke kick is to maximize the distance of the glide.  Gliding is very important to an efficient and effective Breastroke.  A forceful kick propels the swimmer forward into a glide.  Unlike the Freestyle kick, which is non-stop, the Breastroke kick stops when the swimmer snaps their feet together and glides.  The next kick starts immediately after the hands begin pulling for the next stroke.

The Breastroke kick is hard to master, but it is much like riding a bike: once learned, it is never forgotten.  Practice the kick with a kickboard and when everything "clicks" you will feel it.  It is hard to describe, but you will know once you have it right.  The most important thing to remember is to stop your feet once you snap them together and GLIDE.  Tip: count to 3 seconds before starting your next kick.  Even if you don't feel like you're moving anywhere, it is an important exercise to enforce the GLIDE.

The Art of the Flutter Kick

Most of us spend so much energy on using our arms to propel us through the water that we neglect the powerhouse appendages behind us: our legs!  While the kick isn’t as effective as the arm stroke, it is still a means to get us just that much closer to the wall.   The farther your foot bends forward past 90 degrees, the more leg power you will be able to transfer to the water and the farther you will travel with each stroke. This is why learning how to develop a good kick is so important.  We will discuss some tips on how you can improve your very own flutter kick, which is used in freestyle and backstroke.

It is important that you kick from your hip, not your knees.  You will use much more energy bending your knees back and forth than if you move your legs at your hip joint.  Next tip is to plantar flex your feet or in other words, point your toes like a ballerina.  By keeping your feet in this position, you will be pushing the water behind you, thus propelling yourself forward in the water. 

One of the best drills to practice your kick with is the 4, 6 or 8 beat kick drill.  With each arm pull, you kick your feet either 4, 6 or 8 times.  You may want to start with 4 and then work your way up to 8.  Sooner than later you will be concentrating more on your foot work, and you will be on your way to a faster time!  Remember that the more you practice, the easier it gets.

By: Christine Johnson, Guest Blogger

SLSS Nets Cans for Good Cause

By all counts it was an extraordinary beginning for Sugar Land Swim School’s First Annual “I Can Swim” Charity Event held on Saturday, July 23^rd at The Club in New Territory, Sugar Land, TX. The event generated nearly 200 donations of canned goods for the East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry. 

Catherine Johnson, local resident and owner of the new Sugar Land Swim School explained the event’s purpose by stating, “As a service organization that has already provided affordable swim lessons for over 200 local residents this summer, I felt it was a natural response for us to help fulfill the needs of those less fortunate by bringing us together in support of a common cause.  This Ministry provides support to families in temporary financial crisis in the form of food, clothing, and financial assistance”.  Johnson added, “We’re very excited with the results of our first charitable effort and look forward to this becoming an annual event for us”. 

In lieu of paying for swim lessons, SLSS students donated needed canned goods and instructors worked with each participant on advanced stroke technique.  The community event culminated in an exciting Coach’s Relay when both students and coaches competed on teams – churning up the pool waters like a feverish school of wild-eyed sharks.