Name the five pillars from memory

Write them down without looking. Explain each in one sentence.

Explain one pillar to a friend

Pick any pillar. Describe the problem it solves. Under 60 seconds.

Know where the levels live

7-level structure: Adult & Infant through Developmental Swim Team. Know where to find it.

Line up your water time

Find a class, partner, or solo pool slot. Stages 1+ need water access.

Streamline push-offs — 20 reps

Lock thumb, squeeze ears, look down. Push off and glide. Count to 3.

Streamline + flutter kick — 15 reps

Same push-off. Count to 3, add flutter kick. Small fast kicks.

Streamline → Position 11 — 10 reps

Start streamline. Separate hands to 11 o'clock. Hold 3 seconds. Return.

Position 11 with kick — 10 reps

Arms in 11 position above shoulders. Kick the whole time. Head down.

Teach someone both positions

Demonstrate streamline, then position 11. Explain the difference. Give one correction.

10 bobs with full exhalation

Hold wall. Submerge completely, exhale all air. Come up, breathe, repeat. 10 times.

Draw the rotation lane on paper

⏚ Dry — Sketch lane from above. Mark start, line, cross-over, return path. Walk it.

Walk the rotation pattern — 10 times

⏚ Dry — Walk the loop: push-off → swim → cross center → return → rejoin. Until automatic.

Time your in-water reps

🌊 In-Water — Count Position 11 glides in 5 minutes using circle swimming. Beat your number.

Practice feedback at the apex

🌊 In-Water — Each swimmer gets one specific correction as they finish. Never 'good job.'

Explain the method in 60 seconds

⏚ Dry — Circle setup, auto-rotate trigger, apex feedback point. Answer questions.

Run the rotation with even one swimmer

🌊 In-Water — Practice the full flow. Don't break the circle. Make it invisible.

Write one AAC row on paper

Activity 1 (basic) → Activity 2 (harder) → Challenge (mountain). Same skill across all three.

Spot the AAC pattern in a real lesson

Watch or recall a lesson. Find the 3-part pattern. Where's the difficulty jump?

Design a challenge with a roadblock

Pick a skill. Add a constraint that makes it hard. Define success/failure. Name it.

Explain AAC to someone in 30 seconds

'Two rounds of practice, one mountain. Repeat every 5-7 minutes.' If they get it, you've got it.

Name all 7 levels from memory

Write them down. One sentence describing who belongs in each. Say them out loud.

List 3 gate skills between two levels

What must a Level 2 swimmer demonstrate to reach Level 3? Be specific and testable.

Sort skills: testable vs. good-to-know

Take one level. Draw two columns. Sort every skill. What % is actually testable?

Practice a placement conversation out loud

'Your child is in Level 2 because they can ___ but not yet ___.' Testable skills only.

Describe each level in one sentence

A parent should understand who belongs where. Practice aloud. Time yourself.

Count your filler words — 5 minutes

🌊 In-Water — Have someone tally every 'okay,' 'um,' 'guys.' Most hit 20+. Redo with zero filler.

Memorize 10 key commands

⏚ Dry — Core cues: 'Push off.' 'Look down.' 'Kick fast.' Partner calls situation, you respond instantly.

Teach with commands only

🌊 In-Water — One class. Zero filler. Every sentence is a short command ending in a period.

Run the 'Questions Only' experiment

⏚ Dry — Ask someone to do a task using only questions. Feel the frustration. Switch to commands.

Find your signature attention signal

⏚ Dry — Try 3 ways to get attention without yelling. Whistle, clap, raised hand. Pick yours.

Teach freestyle progression

Streamline → position 11 → fists drill → full stroke. AAC format: basic, harder, challenge.

Teach backstroke progression

Soldier kick → single arm → double arm → full stroke. Head stays back.

Teach breaststroke with two-kick drill

Count: kick-glide-kick-pull-breathe. Glide is the priority — more time gliding than pulling.

Teach butterfly undulation — no arms

Head-lead only, arms at sides. Chest presses, hips rise. 4 × 12.5 yards. Feels strange = working.

Diagnose one swimmer, all four strokes

Find the #1 fix for each stroke. Deliver as a command. Check next rep. Adjust or move on.

Design one challenge on paper

⏚ Dry — Skill → Roadblock → Success criteria. Make failure likely. Give it a fun name.

Run a 'Spectacular Failure' challenge

🌊 In-Water — Tell swimmers they're supposed to fail. Celebrate every attempt. Feedback. Retry.

Scale one challenge up and down

⏚ Dry — Take a Level 2 challenge. Make it harder (one variable). Easier. What changed?

Track challenge timing for one lesson

🌊 In-Water — Note when each challenge happens. Aim for every 5-7 minutes.

Name 5 games that are actually challenges

⏚ Dry — What skill does each test? What's the roadblock? No roadblock = not a challenge.

Count your feedback types — 10 minutes

Tally: Specific / General / None. Target 80%+ specific. 'Good job' is General.

One thing only — full lesson

Every swimmer gets exactly one correction per attempt. Stop mid-sentence if you start a second.

Layer Cake every correction

Positive → Corrective → Positive. Every time. Even for tiny adjustments.

Ask 5 swimmers what they're working on

If they can't articulate their one thing, your feedback isn't landing.

Check your feedback balance

Same kid got 8 corrections, another got 0? Fix it. Every swimmer, every round.

Write your onboarding checklist

Application → shadow → co-teach → solo. Every step. Where are your gaps?

Design one 20-minute training module

Pick a topic. Structure: Teach → Practice → Challenge. Write the outline on one page.

Write an observation template

One page: what went well, what to improve, one action step. Share within 24 hours.

Document your emergency plan

Who calls 911? Where's the AED? Evacuation route? Every staff member explains it back.

Role-play a difficult conversation

Late instructor scenario. 3 minutes. Use the Layer Cake. Video it. Review it.

Write your program SOPs on one page

Uniform, arrival, class structure, emergencies, parents, assessment, subs. Written = real.

Design your assessment flow on one page

Pre-assessment → in-class tracking → mid-session check → final evaluation. Test with one class.

Write parent communication templates

Welcome email, progress update, final evaluation, re-registration. Consistency prevents complaints.

Build a 1-page instructor evaluation rubric

Technical, teaching, communication, professionalism. 1-5 scoring. Test. Revise. Standardize.

Map next season's calendar

Registration, pre-assessment, first day, trainings, evaluations, appreciation. All on one page.

Rate your program on all 10 stages

Score 1-5. Pick your weakest stage — that's your focus for next season. Write the plan.