Name
Halloween Practice Games with Coach Drake
Core Skill
Swimming endurance, stroke technique, kicking, and teamwork.
Who
Developmental swim team swimmers, ages 6–12. The warm-up distance adjusts by age group.
What
A series of three Halloween-themed games and relays designed for a fun, festive practice. Coach Drake from the Nazareth Easton YMCA shared these ideas. They include a PDF download with the full set.
How
Warm-Up: Sea Serpent
6–12 x 25 (the number of 25s changes with age groups). Swimmers sea serpent their way through all 6 lanes. Swim down one length, go under a lane line, down the next length, under the next lane line, and so on. The coach on deck can mix up or assign as many strokes as they like.
Trick or Treat Kick Relay
4–7 x 25 (the number of 25s depends on how many swimmers attend that practice group and on a relay). Each swimmer swims one lap, yells “trick or treat” past the flags each lap, gets a kickboard, and the relay keeps collecting and stacking boards until all relay members are done. Each kickboard is a large “piece of candy,” so if you have the time, decorate them as candy by taping laminated pictures of candy (or put images inside sealed and taped sandwich bags).
Cannibal Head Relay
4–7 x 25 (the number of 25s depends on how many swimmers attend that practice group and on a relay). Swimmers hold scary rubber cannibal heads placed on the end of boogie boards while swimming or kicking. The relay continues until all members finish.
Difficulties Instructors Might Face
Keep up the great work, Coach Drake, and thank you for sharing your ideas and PDF for other like-minded aquatic professionals.
Zombie Apocalypse Relay
boards or kick boards. Swimmers must hold the head upright at the end of the board for the whole 25, or get a 5 second penalty.
4-7 x25 (amount of 25s depends upon # of swimmers that attends that practice group and on a relay)
Spooky Shirts Relay
Swimmers are told that all shirts are from the “morgue in Warren Hospital”, taken from dead people just two hours prior. Swimmers must change shirts at the end of each lap from swimmer to swimmer; arms must be through the short sleeves.
4-7 x25 (amount of 25s depends upon # of swimmers that attends that practice group and on a relay)
Cave Dive of Death Relay
Can only breathe in air pockets (hula hoops). If you breathe where there is no pocket of air. You become the ghost of Davy Jones, must wait 5 seconds to regenerate your life before continuing. May add or remove # of hula hoops depending upon the age/ability group.
4×25 Mutant IM
Two people do each stroke together. One person is the “Pull”, and one person is the “Kick”, both must stay connected through the 25. Each swimmer in the relay must go at least once, but some may go more than once.
4-7 x25 (amount of 25s depends upon # of swimmers that attends that practice group and on a relay)
Amoeba
Start with two people, at the end of each length add another person, each swimmer added must stay connected to another swimmer to make a large and growing amoeba; all must touch the
Wall to Finish the Race
wall to finish the race