Streamline and then front crawl arms 5 body lengths

What it is

A Level 2 skill (ages 3+) in which the swimmer streamlines for a short distance and then uses front crawl arms to carry them forward for a total of 5 body lengths.

Essentials

• "Streamline should be short ~2/3 body lengths. Arms should carry swimmer forward."
• "Head should remain down, in water, perpendicular to bottom."
• "Body should remain flat and straight, narrow, long."
• "Kicking is encouraged! Catch-up stroke is good too."
• Streamline and swimming are two distinct events; the streamline always comes first.
• Arm circles and over-water recovery; no fancy hands. Push the water; no fancy S-curves.

Progression

1. Swimmer has already completed "Streamline 3 body lengths on front and back (back in soldier)."
2. Begin with short streamlines (~2/3 body length), then add front crawl arms for the remaining distance.
3. Start with benches close together; move them farther apart over successive lessons.
4. Next skill in the sequence: "Streamline and then back crawl arms 5 body lengths."

What goes wrong

• Streamline too long: remind "Streamline should be short ~2/3 body lengths" and cue the transition to arms sooner.
• Head up: correct to "Head should remain down, in water, perpendicular to bottom."
• Body not flat or straight: reinforce "Body should remain flat and straight, narrow, long."
• Swimmer waits for permission to start arms: cue "Keep belly button moving, don't wait for me to tell you when to go."
• Instructor goes silent or gives only non-specific praise ("Good job"): shift to specific, progressive feedback.

How you know it worked

The swimmer covers 5 body lengths total (short streamline + front crawl arms) with head submerged and facing down, body flat and narrow, and the arms providing the primary propulsion after the glide.

How you teach it

The governing principle is that a glide or streamline always precedes swimming. This is a habit you are instilling before swim team: the swimmer learns they can move to safety without moving their arms, and body line and posture make swimming easier. The "streamline + something" formula (here, streamline + front crawl arms) is the structural unit of the lesson.

Arm technique is explicitly not the focus. Let the arms move in gross, large circular movements; pay little attention to the specific path the hands travel. You are building large-motor coordination—arms generally over the water, traveling in the correct direction underwater. A catch-up stroke is perfectly acceptable. Kicking is encouraged throughout.

Support is removed incrementally. Begin with the instructor standing close or providing a hand; over the course of the class and across lessons, step back one position at a time. If using benches, place them close together and move them farther apart as the swimmer gains confidence. Fins, kickboards, barbells, floats, and noodles are all fair tools for building confidence in the push-off and the kick.

Feedback must be specific and progressive. Rather than "Good job," build across attempts: Attempt 1 – "Well done on kicking, remember to look down too." Attempt 2 – "You kept kicking well, and you looked down, but now you forgot to lock your thumb." Attempt 3 – "Well done on all three, Johnny!" Level 2 should be filled with horizontal motion; repetition is the second priority after independence. Give as many glide-and-arm repetitions as the lesson allows.

Stay in the water to the shoulders for the entire lesson. Your hair should be wet because you have demonstrated the streamline, the front crawl arms, the push-off, and the kick. Be loud, fun, and talk a lot. The goal is comfortable glides with focus on head position and long, stretched limbs—not speed or stroke perfection.