Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Flip

Original poster

ASA swimming ducking awards

17 replies

susieroxs · 08/01/2017 23:46

Hello,

My 4 year old has just started swimming lessons. She seams to really enjoy them her teacher said she is good at kicking but needs to practice bowing bubbles.

Has anyone else had there children doing swimming lessons on the ASA framework. I know she has only just started but wondering roughly how long it usually takes them to achieve the stages.

OP posts:

catkind · 08/01/2017 23:54

Our swim school seem to find something to award them most terms what with duckling awards then ASA awards and distance awards and water safety something or other. The first duckling ones don't involve any actual being able to swim, the last one might? You can look up online what they need to do if you want. 4 is a good age to get going.

Original poster

susieroxs · 08/01/2017 23:57

Her lessons are independent i dont go in the pool with her im not sure if she is working towards discovery ducklings or duckings

OP posts:

Original poster

susieroxs · 08/01/2017 23:58

Thanks catkind i have looked but a bit confused which stages she starts at

OP posts:

catkind · 09/01/2017 00:16

They didn't have Discovery Ducklings when we did it! It sounds like that's more for babies swimming with parents though, I'd guess Ducklings if she's 4/Preschool and Ducklings or possibly straight into normal ASA stages if she's 4/Reception. Do your swim school not say which scheme they use?

Original poster

susieroxs · 09/01/2017 00:25

she turned 4 in november so still in nursery i read on the fusion web site they do asa levels. i will ask them next lesson which one the receptionist was very unhelpful when signing up the teacher was great tho

OP posts:

TeenAndTween · 12/01/2017 19:46

#1 It's not a race. Take her in between lessons and enjoy swimming.

My DD started lessons when she was about 3.5.
She is now 12 and has got her ASA stage 6 and also a 3k distance badge.

Some people on here seem to get the ASA stage 7 by the time they are about 8.

DD has poor motor skills which might account for slower than average progress. Or maybe only the people who sprint through the stages tend to post. Or maybe many others stop at stage 4/5 once basic skills are mastered for the 3 main strokes.

DomesticAnarchist · 12/01/2017 19:56

DS1 started lessons at 3.5 and is now at ASA Stage 5 at 5.5. He doesn't seem to have moved faster than others he started with, but it does seem like a fast progression.

It looks like he'll be at stage 5 for a bit longer than the other levels. There seems to be more of a focus on technique now.

TeenAndTween · 12/01/2017 20:10

There you go

I think where my DD goes there is strong focus on technique from the start, so maybe they also have their own 'unofficial' criteria before they move them up.

Though DD is bottom 1% for motor skills, so the fact she is achieving what she is, is fantastic. She has only just about got confident walking downstairs properly.

BackforGood · 12/01/2017 20:28

Aw - you've made me reminisce now to the days I was sewing little ducks onto trunks and swimming costumes.
As others have said it really isn't a race. Neither of my 2 older dc were racing through awards, but they both work as lifeguards now

From what I remember the first awards are all about fun things that give them water confidence.

DomesticAnarchist · 13/01/2017 17:23

Of course, Tween, it could be that DS1 is so annoying to teach they get rid of him to the next stage fast! (He's the boy mucking around underwater instead of listening/watching. It drives me crackers!)

And as BackforGood says: it's not a race, or a competition. They all develop at their own pace. DS1 can swim well, but he can't ride a bike yet still.

TeenAndTween · 13/01/2017 18:23

(Though where DD goes that wouldn't work as broadly by default you stay with the same teacher, just move to a lesson 30mins later)

soontobemrsmckeown · 04/02/2017 18:24

My dd was 3.5 when she started in ducklings. She was petrified of water and completed all 5 stages of the and asa 1 by the time she was 4.10 years old. She has just gone 5 (last month) and is nearly there on stage 2. Just 1 more thing to tick off.

Lowdoorinthewal1 · 06/02/2017 16:57

At DS's swimming club they will assess them for entry once stage 7 is complete. They have to be able to move on from the bottom squad by the time they are 9, so realistically would have had to completed stage 7 (in order to get into the club in the first place) by 8yo.

DS is 6 and just went into the bottom squad. He swims 3.5 hrs a week covering about 2000m a week.

Gizlotsmum · 06/02/2017 17:03

My 5 yr old is stage 2 but seems to have stuck there. My 8.5 yr is stage 5 and seems to have stalled ( she can swim but it's about perfecting technique)

Original poster

susieroxs · 08/02/2017 14:48

Thanks I'm awear it's not a race, that wasn't my question she is on ducking award level 1 ATM and has only hadn 4 lessons and has already improved massively. My question was for others who have had children recenrlyish in the asa ducking class roughly how long did it take them to get one badge A month, 6 months a year... I don't mine how ever long she takes just wondering roughly how long they take

OP posts:

HarryTheHippo · 08/02/2017 14:53

I think ducklings is v vague. Whatever duckling level you got at our swimming pool they all started at stage 2 once they started school or 4.5

My daughter had a couple of months of private one to ones at nearly 5 and went straight into stage 3.... Definitely saved us a couple of years of lessons we'd had with the other child'!

Hairyfairy01 · 12/03/2017 22:37

At 4 they don't do ducklings around here, they go straight to level 1. My dd started lessons at 4 already able to swim and was put in a stage 3 class. It took about 18 months to move to stage 4 which she's now been in for about 15 months. My ds is 10 and stage 6. He moved up quickly though stages 1 & 2 but it's taken forever since then. He's a strong swimmer but not 'technical', they are very picky!

Flip