Teaching and coaching swimmers with a disability
With mainstream swimmers coaches have to constantly review, adapt and change their programmes to cater for the ever changing needs of the squad. It is no different with disability swimmers. Read on to learn more.
If you are a disability swimmer’s coach or teacher you may feel challenged in your ability to analyse his or her needs. Stroke techniques may vary from your other swimmers. You may need a period of trial and error to find out what works and what doesn't work.
If you do have questions, talk to the swimmer and talk to other coaches. Swim teaching and coaching is about finding out what abilities a swimmer has and creating the best learning/training environment for that swimmer to progress.
Swimmer at the centre
Any approach must be swimmer centred. The needs of the swimmer have to come first. All swimmers deserve the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Focus on swimming. Focus on the ability. Coach the individual.
Teaching and coaching swimmers who have a disability is no different to teaching and coaching non-disabled swimmers.Qualified teachers and coaches can easily adapt their swimming knowledge to individualise the learning and training process based on the abilities of swimmers with a disability.
The basic principles of body position, leg action, arm action, breathing, and timing (BLABT) still apply. It is a case of adjusting and adapting according to the individual.
From a health and safety point of view it is important to acknowledge what the specific impairment factors are. This is achieved through quality communication and an assessment process where the principles are no different to assessing the abilities of any swimmer new to a programme or club.
Including Disabled Swimmers
It is important to assess the swimmer's ability in the water, in order to determine which group would be appropriate and which sessions would be of best benefit. Swimmers with a disability may have very different movement abilities in water to what they have on land.
All swimmers should receive appropriate levels of coaching, water time and land conditioning related to the level at which they are performing and their trainability.
It is important not to underestimate the ability of the swimmer. Experience and history has shown us that swimmers exceed expectations in terms of skills achieved and the volume of work that can be performed once impairment factors are overcome or adapted.
Classification
If you are dealing with Learn to Swim and early swimmer development then classification is not relevant but as swimmers move up the competitive ladder they will need to be classified.
Classification is based on an individual swimmers functional ability to swim a particular stroke. To learn more about classification click here to access our classification section.
Communication
Teaching and coaching relies on good communication. In all sports it is necessary for the teacher or coach to adapt their communication style to the athletes they work with. Disability swimming is no different and the swimmers will very quickly help to identify how they best communicate.
There are some obvious modifications for different impairment groups, for example, visually impaired swimmers will require precise oral instruction and discover by touch while deaf swimmers will require good visual demonstrations.
All the regular communication guidelines such as clear and simple instructions, offering feedback, two-way communication all apply the same as in any sport or life environment.
Who else can help?
Most counties should have a Disability Liaison Officer in place. These are a valuable contact. They will have access to knowledge about competition opportunities, and be a source of help to local clubs. Contact your ASA regional office for more details.
There are many good examples around England of swimmers with a disability that are included in regular learn to swim and club training programmes. There are very few disabilities that would not allow a swimmer to be included in these programmes.
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