Swimming is a healthy and fun activity for kids which requires the movement of the whole body to float through the water. Enrolling your child in kids swimming lessons at an early age can foster physical, mental, social and other body skills in them. Plus, your child learns eye-hand coordination which plays a vital role in effective handwriting, playing, eating and other daily tasks. There are mainly two options available for your kid to learn such water-safety and life-saving skills.
One is enrolling in swimming lessons and the other is joining swim teams. As parents, it’s your responsibility in providing the right environment for your kids to learn and excel in swimming skills. So, without any further ado let’s explore which one is best for your child whether swimming lessons or swim teams.
Kids Swimming Lessons VS Swim Teams: Which One Is Right For Your Kid?
Before diving deep into the lessons VS team segment, let’s learn about the basics first.
What Are Swim Lessons?
The main goal of lessons is to teach your child the basic breathing and swimming strokes techniques to survive in the water. In swimming lessons, your child learns skills, such as entering and exiting the pool safely and moving in the water without any assistance. Plus, your child learns how to coordinate mental instruction with body movements which will help them to succeed throughout their life.
What Is a Swim Team?
You can consider swim teams as the second level after learning basic yet essential water-safety skills through swimming lessons. In detail, a swim team includes efficient swimmers who train together and compete against other teams. A team may consist of only two swimmers or can have as many as hundreds of swimmers. Besides, the goal of swim team practices is to improve swimming skills and master swimming techniques.
The Key Differences Between Swim Lessons And Swim Teams
Now, let’s dive deeper into the topic and learn about the key differences between the both.
1. Age Groups
By the age of 4 most kids get ready to enrol in swimming lessons and learn fundamental water survival skills. At this age of life between 4-5 years, kids start to understand and communicate with instructors and become eligible to take lessons. On the other hand, to join the swim team your kids need to be around 8-12 years old. Plus, they should know the basics of breathing and stroke techniques to float independently underwater.
2. Safety Measures
During swimming lessons, instructors get down into the pools with your child and are accessible to them only at a one-arm distance. On the other hand, most swim coaches do not get down into the water with their swimmers. They mainly focus on improving their students’ swimming skills using verbal and visual instructions. This means, your kid should know water safety skills before joining any swim team. After all, there will be no one available at an arms’ distance to help your kid in case of any misshaping.
3. Teaching Method
In swimming lessons, the instructor gives personal attention to each kid and ensures all newbies feel comfortable around water. On the other hand, all swimmers learn swimming skills at the same time in group learning sessions. After all, a swim coach instructs all swimmers at the same time. This means, your child teaches themselves during swim team practices. However, the instructor teaches their learners during swimming lessons.
Conclusion
Swimming keeps your kids’ lungs and hearts healthy and improves their muscle flexibility and strength. Both swim teams and kids swimming lessons have their unique traits and benefits. As a parent, it is your call to choose the one that is best for your child’s safety and improvements.
If you are considering swimming lessons in Singapore for your child, Swimhub provides a nurturing and safe environment designed to teach essential water safety skills. Our experienced instructors focus on individual needs, ensuring that each child learns at their own pace while enjoying the water. Choosing the right swimming program at Swimhub can significantly contribute to your child’s physical and mental development, building a lifelong appreciation for swimming.
