𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧: 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦

Working with young swimmers has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career with 𝑺𝒘𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑩𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒌𝒐𝒌. Children respond differently to instructors of different ages, and I’ve found that being 48 brings unique advantages to pediatric swim instruction.

Children often see younger instructors as “big kids” they can play with, which can be beneficial for building rapport but challenging for maintaining focus during lessons. With me, they seem to naturally understand that I’m an authority figure while still feeling comfortable and safe. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 f𝒐𝒓 𝒆ff𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈.

𝑴𝒚 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒈𝒆. I remember being a younger instructor and feeling frustrated when kids didn’t immediately grasp a concept. Now, I understand that children’s learning processes are non-linear, and breakthrough moments often come after periods of apparent stagnation.

The physical demands of teaching children are significant. Kids require constant demonstration, hands-on guidance, and high energy throughout the lesson. Maintaining the fitness level necessary to meet these demands at 48 𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, but it’s absolutely achievable with the right approach.

𝑺𝒂f𝒆𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 becomes even more critical when working with children, and experience has taught me to anticipate potential issues before they become problems. I can read a child’s fatigue level, recognize when they’re becoming overwhelmed, and adjust the lesson accordingly.

1. #TeachingWithExperience

2. #AgeIsAnAsset

3. #SwimmingWisdom

4. #LifeLessonsInSwimming

5. #48AndThriving

6. #PatienceInProgress

7. #SwimSmart

8. #AthleticJourney

9. #InjuryPrevention

10. #SustainableTraining

11. #MasteringTheStroke

12. #CommunicateAndEducate

13. #LifelongLearning

14. #SwimInstructorLife

15. #ExperienceMatter