Anyone else fed up with the 'new' ASA swimming stages/ badges?

[Legacy]

We just found out that DS1 hasn't passed his Stage 7 badge AGAIN, after 3 terms at the same level (and having already achieved Stage 7 under the 'old' scheme TWO years ago... )

It seems that they now have to 'pass' on all the elements to go onto the next level, and if e.g. their butterfly stroke is less than perfect (his problem) they get held back again.

He got his 400m ages ago. I'm inclined to give it up, but he really wanted to keep going until he got all the levels.
Honestly, I can't see how this 'new' system encourages children to enjoy swimming AT ALL given that it's all focused on technical stroke perfection?

[LIZS]

It is very confusing. Apparently the strokes for Stage 5 now have to be "legal" so that will take additional time to perfect ds is Stage 7 or 8 and we're stopping his lessons, with this as one of several reasons. He can swim a reasonable distance and is never going to be a competitive swimmer. However ours also offers alternatives at that level like Life Saving and Waterpolo.

[Legacy]

LIZS - yes, that's exactly what we're going to do - switch to a diving course next term.

I feel a bit sorry for DS2 who is now going to get 'stuck' at Stage 4 as they have to be able to swim 10 m of 'perfect' butterfly to pass (not easy for a 6 year old!)

[cory]

Mine do their swimming badges in Sweden and it's interesting to see how different the system is there: it all seems geared towards water safety- swimming long distances, swimming with clothes on, treading water, knowing how to rescue someone from a hole in the ice. You can go through the whole series of badges without ever learning the butterfly stroke. But you will be able to deal with an emergency in a choppy sea. And in summer many swimming classes are held outside, dodging the jellyfish. I could never have coped with the new British system, though I consider myself a very confident swimmer.

[Pyrocanthus]

I think most of us get successfully through life without ever learning the butterfly stroke, cory. I don't think my DD will go much beyond level 8 - she's not enjoying it all that much.

[llareggub]

I was a competitive swimmer and never really got the hang of butterfly. I swam twice a day, nearly every day, for years and my lack of butterfly was never a problem. What a crazy system. Do they still to the Bronze, Silver and Gold survival awards?

[Insanity]

Just to restart this thread, I've stopped my dc's swimming lessons for this reason.

Mine can both swim, dive in and are really confident in the water but this scheme made them disbelieve their own abilities because they couldnt get past level 5.

So what if there strokes arent text book perfect, and butterfly stroke is quite hard when your only little (my dc's are 7 and 8).

I take them swimming at least twice a week now and we do a few a lengths and then play on the big floats. Im sure the ASA will have to look at the scheme again when parents refuse to sign up for another term at level 5!

[cazzybabs]

Oh dear.. there is not alot of hope for my dd - who still hasn't got the hang of frontcrawl..am well impressed at a 6 tear old doing butterfly!!!!

The compnay my kids swim with has dropped the ASA badges and now do their own system

[titchy]

Aahh so is that why our swimming club no longer refers to level 3, etc, but colours like blue intermediate instead?

If so thank goodness. It's taken ds (8) years to get to level 3 as it is...

[mimsum]

just to put a different point of view here ... my 6 year old dd can do butterfly - not very far, it starts breaking down at about 20m, but actually the earlier they learn the easier it is, especially dolphin kick - and once they've got that sorted they're on their way

the other thing is, she doesn't realise it's supposed to be really hard, so she just does it - they all do in her group!

[Joe90]

My son has got also stuck at Level 7 and refused to carry on, he got ASA silver several years ago and has done short rookie lifesaving and survival courses, I was hoping he could get through level 7 to get onto the more interesting and useful stuff and possibly go onto a lifesaving course, he is probably now put off for life! The Swedish system sounds better surely there should be badges for children who don't want to compete but do want to show they are profficient swimmers with useful skills?

[GrimmaTheNome]

Oh, is that what happened? I didn't realise - DD got a level 7 badge some time ago (presumably before this change) and then nothing - 'failed' 200m because of imperfect strokes. But the pool she went to didn't emphasise the badges really, they just did them when pushy mums made a fuss I think.

Anyhow, DD went up a class to a level that really suited her... started to learn to dive .. and then that class was cancelled and there weren't any other times that suited us at the right level. So we gave it a break... looks like we won't be going back. But I would like her to learn a decent basic dive (I never did, so can't teach her)

No-one except a competitive swimmer needs to do butterfly. I mean, even the serious lane-swimmers never do it, even though its not banned like backstroke. Can you imagine the chaos in pools if we raise a generation who like swimming butterfly?

[Insanity]

It would be chaos

See, the problem I find is that not every child is a great all rounder at strokes.

My sons butterfly is pretty impressive (well, it is for me as I cant do it!) but his breast stroke is just too painful to watch! My daughter on the other hand cant do butterfly but is great at breast stroke and back crawl. But because they are not perfect at all the strokes they were constantly stuck at one level and therefore became disheartened.

It is for that reason I pulled mine out, they never really wanted to be competitive swimmers but they really enjoy swimming. They had just learnt to dive too and whilst on holiday and practising they have improved with the diving. I take them to the pool now for fun, although I do make them swim some lengths first, but I have their names down on a waiting list with a pool that uses its own swim scheme.

[lexcat]

Sorry to hi-jack but dd lessons are about to change to the new levels in October. She's working towards her level 10 (old asa levels) at the moment. With the new asa level she going to be working in the level 6 group.

All stokes (except her front crawl) are good. She also does lessons with the swim club (1hr lengths). She want to join the swimming squad but I'm not sure she's really because of her weak crawl. She does the asa classes as and alternative to the squad but looking at the new scheme I can't see she enjoying it. It really looks like she will be going backwards which she will then get bored and mess about and I'm just wasting my money.

Has any one had a positive result with the new scheme or is just awful and do I need to think of alternatives. Plus is it just me but there seem to be a big different in Level 10 old asa and level 6 new asa.

[lexcat]

Things are looking up as I talked to her teacher pretty good chance she will get her level 10 meaning she will be in the next group up which will be stage 7 with the new scheme.

Anyway dd and my self are much happier for now we will just have to wait and see what happen when to new scheme starts.

[missmem]

Why don't you send him to a swimming club and not lessons as they tend to move up if the core strokes are good and they can achieve a good distance as they are a competitive club.

[chillistars]

My DC is 6 and he has had to repeat stage 4 - he can swim 5 lengths, can pick up items from the bottom in 2.8m of water and do good butterfly, front crawl and back crawl but he doesn't always do his feet properly at breast stroke.
I think it's daft.

[dizzyday07]

My DD has swimming lessons twice a week - at different pools.

Pool A (where she first started lessons) was on the ASA new scheme where she was just about to get Stage 5 when they switched over to the STA scheme. She has progresserd through the 3 levels of Goldfish and 1 level of Angel fish in a matter of months.

At Pool B, they were on the old ASA scheme when she started and she was roughly on a par with the new scheme at pool A. Pool B has now switched to the new scheme just as Pool A has moved away from it.

Are you still all with me? LOL!

At Pool B she is "stuck" on Stage 5 (just recently not moved up again) because of the butterfly. BUT it is the stroke that they practice the least and if she was assessed on it properly they would find she can do it for the required 10m!

[HarrietJones]

Our pool has their own levels/Certs and I was frustrated transferring dd 2 from ASA as we couldn't match them up. Quite pleased now.

[Nickoka]

I got really annoyed with the STA scheme too (the 'Goldfish' etc one). My kids had got level 4 in the other scheme but then they moved to the STA scheme. It just seemed like a money making thing to me. Too many easy stages and going backwards from the level they had been at.

[Falkera]

I'm also joining the long list of people fed up with the ASA stages.
My dd is nowhere near as good as some of the kids mentioned above and it took her ages to get to stage 3 and I can now see her getting stuck there since her backstroke is pathetic and she's getting frustrated by the lack of progress. Money spinning exercise methinks.
Two weeks on holiday though, constantly in the sea, had more effect than 6 months of swimming lessons so I have just taken her out of swimming lessons and we'll be going in the deep pool to practice good ol' breaststroke. All I really want is for her to be safe in the water should she fall in. At the end of the day, how many strokes do you need to save yourself? And a shark will always be faster...

[Jj2337]

To get past the levels 4 and 5 you have to achieve asa standard at that level. This isn’t the same as technically perfect stroke. Each level you go up the standard needed at the stroke as well as the distance get higher, but it’s not correct that it has to be perfect at level 5.
Levels 1/7 pass would be swimming all strokes to a reasonable standard. 8/10 is a higher standard but I still wouldn’t say perfect.
Kids like to get the certificates but it’s more important their swimming is safe.
My son has done them all. Some levels took him months to pass, others weeks. As long as they are improving, that’s the main thing

[ErrolTheDragon]

I'd imagine the DC mentioned in this thread can all swim adequately by now, the 'new' system referred to is 10 years old.

[WidowTwonky]

This thread is 10 yrs old @Jj2337