Minnows Swim Practice: Streamline, Freestyle, and Backstroke Drills

Dryland Activities

Mirror dancing. Move your belly, your posture, and your limbs while looking at yourself.

Game/Challenge: Streamline Roll

Find a partner. Lay on your backs foot to foot. Heads away from each other. Get in Streamline position. Roll together in the same direction for 1 full roll, or 2. Feet must remain connected, and bodies should roll together to earn a "success." Fail when feet fall apart, streamlines fall out, or when one body turns but the other doesn't.

Dryland: Partner Posture around Posture

Create small groups. One person sits on the floor with great back posture and legs crossed. Partner puts finger on their head, and walking with excellent posture moves around the person on the floor two times. Switch. Increase speed or make walker do more challenging things like SL or 11.

Question of the Day

What are the two main strokes we learn in Minnows? Answer: Free and Backstroke. Y = Do 3 different animal noises while walking black line to black line. N = Do 10 sit-ups.

Warmup in Water

100 IM Kick2 x 25 position 11.

Review 3 Things for Streamline

Lock your thumb.
Squeeze your ears (back of the head).
Look down (with your whole face).

Review 3 Things for Position 11

Keep your arms straight.
Stay at the surface (even when you breathe).
Look down (with your whole face).

Split Up into 2 Groups

Group 1

3 x SL + 3 FREE. Strong freestyle kick throughout. Focus on arms reaching to 11, head aiming straight down, and power with each stroke.

Group 2

3 x SL + 5 FREE + 1 breath. Strong freestyle kick throughout. Focus on arms reaching to 11, head aiming straight down, and power with each stroke. Must breathe 1 time on stroke 2, 3, or 4. No breathing on 1 or 5.

Get Back Together in One Group

2 x 25 FR Drill: Position 11 for 5 kicks + 1 Free stroke

FR Drill: 5 Kicks in Position 11 + 1 FR. Stay in position 11 for 5 flutter kicks. Do 1 freestyle stroke with a single arm, leaving the other arm in position 11. Keep kicking throughout the whole time. Only count kicks when back in position 11 with both arms.

Breathe during an arm stroke.

Challenges

Challenge #1: Do 1 front flip and 1 backflip curled up in a small ball.

4 x 25 FREE focusing on long reaching arms with head down.

Challenge #2: Do a back float with all 10 toes sticking above the water and both thumbs.

4 x 25 BK Kick. Attempt to finish on back.