The ASA National Plan comes to Kendal....
lakes leisure Kendal is an official ASA (Amateur Swimming Association) approved centre and will enhance this status by launching the ASA National Plan for Teaching Swimming (NPTS) programme in early 2009. The National Plan will allow the centre to further improve on its successful range of junior swimming lessons by bringing them in line with nationwide teaching criteria. The 7 stage programme will take children aged 3+ from the very first splash right through to quality stroke technique and more advanced aquatic skills up to the age of 16.
Stage summary (taken from: www.britishswimming.org)
Developing basic safety awareness, the ‘class’ scenario, basic movement skills and water confidence skills. Swimmers may use aids, e.g. arm bands, floats, etc.
Developing safe entries to the water, including jumping in, basic floating, travel front and back up to a distance of 5 metres, plus rotation to regain upright positions. Swimmers may use aids, e.g. arm bands, floats, etc.
Developing safe entries including submersion, travel up to 10 metres on the front and back, progress rotation skills and water safety knowledge. At this stage, the Swimmer will be assessed without the use of aids or support.
Developing the understanding of buoyancy through a range of skills, refining kicking technique for all strokes, and swimming 10 metres to a given standard as directed by the asa.
Developing ‘watermanship’ through sculling and treading water skills and complete rotation, also performing all strokes for a distance of 10 metres to the given standard as provided by the asa within the NPTS resources.
Developing effective swimming skills including coordinated breathing across all strokes plus swimming a distance of 25 metres using a stroke of the Swimmers choice; developing the water safety aspects and understanding of preparation for exercise.
Developing quality stroke technique up to 100 metres, incorporating skills learnt and combining them to develop a linked routine and complete successfully an obstacle course that combines a variety of skills accomplished throughout stages 1 - 7.
Once the Swimmer has developed the core range of skills required to be confident, competent and safe in the water through stages 1 - 7, the Swimmer may then have the choice to take part in different aquatic disciplines.
FUNDAMENTAL SPORT SKILLS, STAGES 8 - 10 of the NPTS are available in Competitive Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo and Rookie Lifesaving. Dependent on each leisure facility, all or some of these opportunities may be available.
Stages 8, 9 and 10 of the NPTS are discipline specific and have synergy with the grass roots programmes developed by the disciplines to support their individual sport. These are as follows:
For Stages 8, 9 and 10 Competitive Swimming have developed Awards specifically to support the NPTS.
The ASA and the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) have worked closely together in developing stages 8, 9 and 10 in producing awards that link into the ASA NPTS. The syllabus relating to the Rookie Lifesaving stages can be accessed through the RLSS.
As a result of completing ALL the outcomes detailed within each stage of the NPTS, a set of awards are available, the ‘National Plan Awards’ relate to each stage, from 1 - 10.
The principles behind the NPTS are:
The swimmers journey through aquatics on the National Plan will explore a wide range of skills from initial confidence building and water safety skills to becoming a confident swimmer with a wide range of strokes. The Programme combines high quality teaching with a strong FUN element and involves many transferable techniques that will benefit the child in other sports and physical activity as well as in the water.
