Fungai Muderere
ZIMBABWE Swimming Board Control chairperson Tracy Doorman has underscored the need to have more trained swimming coaches and teachers in the country as the development will positively impact on the number of people that will take up the recreational sport.
Doorman’s call comes at a time when the Matabeleland Amateur Swimming Board (MASB) is in the process of rolling out mass swimming participation events.
Over 100 children recently underwent swimming lessons at the renovated Barbourfields Swimming Pool amid revelations that two other similar events were slated for 25 January and 15 February next year at Mpopoma Swimming Pool and North End Swimming Pool respectively.
“As a country, we need to have more trained swimming coaches. School teachers who teach children how to swim, should also be taken to class time and gain. I think this will help in having more people taking up the recreational sport,” said Doorman.
She added: “It’s pleasing that we now have more refurbished swimming facilities in places such as Bulawayo and Gweru. Swimming is a life skill and these mass participation events are purely education based.”
Mpopoma and Luveve Bulawayo City Council-run swimming pools re-opened on 1 October last year after being closed for 15 years, meaning the City of Kings and Queens now has five operational pools, which also include Barbourfields, Bulawayo City Pool, Barham Green and North End.
At the mass participation experience that was held at Barbourfields children were taught basic beginners’ swimming lessons such as water comfort, floating, kicking, which provides movement in the water, breath control and strokes (arm movement).
A team of 10 Learn to Swim teachers assisted and moderated the situation in the pool.
Learn to Swim is a private swimming school founded by Zimbabwe Aquatics Union executive member Lorna Riley to produce confident and accomplished competitive swimmers.
Six senior swimmers also helped the children get a feel of the water and become competent swimmers.
