Our FunKey Strokes program is a progressive approach that ensures children learn with others at a similar level and progress through our different levels. We incorporate a swim-float-swim sequence into our lessons, to ensure each swimmer through our program is provided with a solid foundation to their aquatic education, to make them safer in and around the water. Our FunKey Strokes lessons are conducted without parental assistance in the pool, learning independently from our experienced and qualified team of teachers with a ratio of 1:4 per class.
STROKES 1
STROKES 1 is for children over the age of 3, with some previous swimming experience. If your child can independently swim without assistance, head in water in a paddle kick motion for a few metres they are ready to learn in STROKES 1. Here we master a solid breath hold, streamline float glide and kick. We focus on a strong fast kick technique as the essential base to any future swimming.
Next we incorporate and over arm swap with a rollover to breathe which creates the first foundation of freestyle. We also progress from a strong body position in back floating to include back kicking, plus a seated dive with a push to kick. For safety we learn the Reach Rescue. At STROKES 1 Freestyle is your stroke!
STROKES 2
At STROKES 2 children have learnt rudimentary Freestyle and are comfortable kicking on their back. Now we develop the breath hold and kick in streamline position, take the rigid Freestyle movement making it a smooth fluid stroke, and progress any pop up or rollover breathing habits into the side roll breath. On the back, we also develop the kick in correct body position, and learn the arm positioning, rotation, and timing.
We introduce the Butterfly kick and children begin to familiarise and train their muscle memory in the difference between alternate stroke kicks. The dive progresses from a seated position to the kneeling position, with a push to kick. For safety we learn the Throw Rescue. At STROKES 2 Backstroke is your stroke!
STROKES 3
STROKES 3 is for children who can swim introductory Freestyle and Backstroke. We develop the technique and distance in these strokes, including skills and drills to undo the typically straight body movements seen when children first learn the strokes, into the strong yet relaxed movement where the body and the water work together as one. Children further develop the Butterfly kick, and begin to learn the body positions and movements of Breaststroke, starting with legs, then arms, then adding the breath and timing.
We teach all skills in a shorter distance for better technique, ensuring perfect position is in place before adding distance. We also practice underwater work for depth confidence and breath control, and develop the standing dive from the side. For safety we learn the Wade Rescue. At STROKES 3 Breaststroke is your stroke!
STROKES 4
STROKES 4 includes a variety of technique specific drills to fine tune your child’s Freestyle, Backstroke, and Breaststroke. The focus here is for children to understand how speed is caused by technique, rather than effort. Children learn how to increase their efficiency enabling them to swim stronger for longer, and to love racing at the school swimming carnival! Having trained the body through earlier levels in the Butterfly kick, we begin to focus on the timing and coordination of their kick. Then, we begin learning the Butterfly arm positioning and movement, putting the legs and arms together, and adding the breath and timing for a smooth Butterfly swim.
At STROKES 4 your child learns all about strong starts – with a racing dive from the side, turns – with tumble and touch turns, and finishes – with reach touches to the wall. For safety we learn the scull – tread – float – call for help method. Did you know our FunKey Swim Director Julia Ham represented Australia in swimming? Butterfly was her stroke, and at STROKES 4 Butterfly is your stroke!