Introduction
Swimming is an aquatic exercise and popular recreational activity, and can also be a sport. It has been part of the Olympics since 1896. The objective is to push oneself through the water using your arms and legs. There are three main strokes in swimming: front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke, and butterfly, with butterfly being the hardest and breaststroke being the easiest. We are going to focus on the breast stroke in this WebQuest.
Task
The reader's task is to learn the proper techniques of the breast stroke.
Process
The breast stroke is the easiest of all strokes. However, learning the correct technique can save you lots of energy and time. There are two parts to the breast stroke: the whip kick(legs) and the stroke(the arms). We will start with the legs.
1. Whipkick
Whip kick is simple and easy to master. In a pool, position yourself with your face and stomach in the water. Hold a flutter board in front of you. Keep your body streamlined, and your toes pointed. Next, bring your heels to your bottom, and then thrust them outward in a circular motion until you have returned to your starting position. Let yourself glide. Repeat this until you are comfortable with it.
Here is a video on whip kick:
2. The Arms
Once you are familiar with whip kick, you can move on to the arms. Again, position yourself with your face and stomach in the water with your toes pointed. Place your arms above your head with the hands on top of each other. Now, push them out in a circular motion and bring them under your chest. As you do this, you will thrust your head out of the water. Then, push them up to their starting position. Repeat until comfortable. It may be helpful to use a pull boy to keep your legs straight and streamlined.
3. Pulling it All Together
Now it's time to try it all together. Start with your whip kick, than add your arms. It should look something like this:
Evaluation
Common Mistakes/Tips
- One of the hardest parts of this swimming stroke is the coordination. Remember, your arms and legs should return to their starting position at the same time.
- Keep the toes pointed and the arms streamlined.
- Try not to kick to wide.
- Keep your head in the water when you kick.
- Remember to glide!
Conclusion
Swimming is an awesome recreational activity and is enjoyable and fun. With a little help and lots of practice, you can master strokes like breast stroke, and go on to master other other ones! There are even careers available to those who love swimming, such as a life guard or swim instructor. There are numerous competitions and competitive swim clubs where races are held and awards are given to the fastest swimmer. Ultimately, if one trains and practices for years, he or she can enter the Olympics to compete with swimmers from around the world!
Credits
Teacher Page