2 nd icoachkids International Conference Leeds 5 th & 6 th Sept 2018 Developing Effective Environments for Children in Sport SWIMMING FOR CHILDREN WITH A VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN LITHUANIA BIRUTĖ STATKEVIČIENĖ, LSU birutest@gmail.com @icoachkidseu www.icoachkids.eu #ickconference Supported by
Lithuania Population 2.81 mill, area 65,300 km 2 GB 60.8 mill, area 209,331 km 2
City of Kaunas Population 295, 525
The number 1 Sport in Kaunas and Lithuania is Basketball
Rūta Meilutytė and Danas Rapšys
After classes pupils can choose various leisure activities provided in schools or attend sports, music, fine arts, aviation, choreography schools. Professional artists, athletes, coaches and teachers work with the children in these schools
The most popular children s sports institutions are Sports schools and sports clubs which are in all cities and regions in Lithuania. The Sport schools are budgeted by the city councils. Sports clubs they are mainly private and for children are not as popular as Sports schools.
Sport Number of sports clubs Basketball 26 Baseball 2 Wrestling 6 Judo 5 Tennis 7 Handball 7 Swimming 9 Football 16 Figure skating 5 Track and field 8 Rowing 7 Body building 27 Number of Sports Clubs in Kaunas City Athletic clubs for disabled 10
Name of School Sport schools in the city of Kaunas Sports and Coaches 1. Kaunas Swim school Swimming, water polo, diving, pentathlon, triathlon, equestrian sports (43 coaches) 2. Startas 3. Gaja Swimming, volleyball, swimming for disables, gymnastics, track and field (74 coaches) Boxing, badminton, cycling, judo, fencing, Greek-Roman wrestling, free style wrestling, orienteering, chess, checkers, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo (approximately 40 coaches) 4. Aisčiai Basketball, (15 coaches) (9 boys teams, 7 girls teams) 5. Tauras Football (14 coaches) 6. Baltų ainiai Winter sports: figure skating, hockey, curling, artistic development coaches (15 coaches) 7. Bangputys Sailing, rowing, canoe, (11 sailing coaches -16 rowing)
Sport Schools Objectives To develop and to nourish healthy individuals to inspire a love and need for physical education to promote the training process through sports competition and health promoting activities
Sports schools employ qualified coaches. The categories granted to the coaches depend on their education and the success of his/her athletes in various competitions.
Are visual impaired children the same as children with normal vision? In my view, except for their inability to see, there are no differences between them. Visual impairment is not an overwhelming handicap in teaching them to swim and to use swimming for fun or to take part at the competitions.
Number of visually impaired people (by WHO) (2010) Blindness No. in millions (percentage ) Low vision No. in millions (percentage) Visual Impairment No. in millions (percentage ) World 39.365 246.024 285.389 Europe 2.713 (7) 25.502 (10.4) 28.215 (9.9) America 3.211(8) 23.401 (9.5) 26.612 (9.3) Africa 5.888 (15) 20.407 (8.3) 26.295 (9.2) China 8.248 (20.9) 67.264 (27.3) 75.512 (26.5)
What Causes Blindness? Glaucoma Macular degeneration destroys the part of eye that enables to see details. It usually affects older adults. Cataracts cause cloudy vision. A lazy eye can make it difficult to see details. It may lead to vision loss. Optic neuritis is inflammation that can cause temporary or permanent vision loss. Retinitis pigmentosa refers to damage of the retina. It leads to blindness only in rare cases. Tumors that affect your retina or optic nerve can also cause blindness.
This is what some people see Cloudy vision
An inability to see shapes
Tunnel vision
Spots and double vision
Poor night vision
Blindness
Mindaugas
Mindaugas
Marius, Žygis, Paulius
Former Olympians visit sports camp and display medals
Paulius, Oksana, Mindaugas
Presidental awards
Marija and Marius
Everyone who wishes to work, or is already working with visual impaired and blind children must experience their disability. As if, to figuratively get inside their skin. It is not enough just to close your eyes and walk across the room or to try to swim with eyes closed, to run in a stadium, or walk the street with a blindfold. That is not the same feeling that the blind persons experience because you have the ability, as soon as fear strikes you, to open your eyes.
LSU Students simulating blindness
In one of the schools where my students attend there is a special class which is engulfed in total darkness. When I was there I came to a full realization what a blind child feels when he finds himself in a strange environment. I in the class was overwhelmed and for several minutes I was unable to move. Even as a teacher takes you by the hand and in total darkness guides you, there remains a feeling of unease. The teacher then must not only guide you but explain the surroundings and let them touch everything in near them. Thus bringing the children to the swimming pool it is necessary to explain the environment they are in: the changing room, lockers, showers and how to turn them on, toilets and the pool itself. This requires several lessons.
Swimming ability is necessary and important. If a child can swim, he can enjoy nature in watery environment, play in the water and help non-swimmers. Fundamental requirement in swimming for fun: a child must know how to swim. Swim lessons must be directed at swimming correctly, to learn competitive swim styles. Being in the water without the objective of learning to swim is a waste of time. Swimming correctly is useful and pleasant.
The most rational swim styles are the competitive styles: Crawl (Free), Back, Breast and Butterfly. Mastering them, a child can easily move in the water, dive, jump and play. A person who can swim is a person who can remain on water s surface for 30 minutes or longer, using two of the four competitive strokes.
Swim apparel The children have never experienced it. Everything must be demonstrated; working with each individual it is necessary to explained how to put on swim caps and goggles and to inform them where these items can be purchased.
Swimming caps
Swimming goggles
Swimming suits
Swimming pool
Teaching to swim consist of two parts: 1. Preparatory exercises in the water 2. Teaching competitive swimming styles
Switch on your smile
There are 6 groups of Preparatory Exercises for teaching to swim 1. Various arm and leg motions standing in shallow water 2.Mobility on the swimming pool bottom in vertical position 3. Plunging into the water and opening eyes 4. Rises and lies on the water's surface 5. Breathing 6. Gliding in the water and under the water (diving)
1. Various arm and leg motions standing in shallow water
2.Mobility on the swimming pool bottom in vertical position
3.Plunging into the water and opening eyes
Competitive swimming styles
The most rational swim styles are the competitive styles: Crawl (Free), Back, Breast and Butterfly. Mastering them, a child can easily move in the water, dive, jump and play.
Mass of human body parts Body parts M (kg) % Head 5.2 6.7 Trunk 33.4 43.3 Arm 1.9 2.5 Forearm 1.3 1.7 Hand 0.5 0.6 Hip 11.2 14.5 Calf 3.4 4.4 Foot 1.1 1.4
The mass of a human head is approximately 6 to 7% of the total body mass
How many kilograms does a human body weigh in the water?
Body weight in the water depends on body composition: muscle, bone and fat content and on inhalation and exhalation.
Body floatation depends on person inhalation
A man s body in the water weighs approximately 2.7 kg, while a woman s body is approximately 1.1 kg (Organ L.W., Eukland A.D., Lebeter J.D. (1994) *
Drowning
4. Rises and lies on the water's surface (mushroom float)
5. Breathing
Exhalation is performed through the nose
6. Gliding on the surface
Preparatory Exercises in the Water for Learning Swimming is the same as the Letters in Reading Nobody could read without knowing the Letters and Nobody can Swim without Skills of Preparatory Exercises in the Water
All preparatory exercises for swimming can be adopted as games for children to play in the water 1. Various arm and leg motions standing in shallow water 2.Mobility on the swimming pool bottom in vertical position 3. Plunging into the water and opening eyes 4. Rises and lies on the water's surface 5. Breathing 6. Gliding in the water and under the water (diving)
Teaching competitive swimming styles Backstroke, Breaststroke, Crawl (fee style)
Exercises on dry land
Exercises in the water
Visual impairment is not an overwhelming handicap in teaching them to swim and feel comfortable in water. Demonstrating love for them and their desire to learn, sharing your creativity and perhaps giving up a bit more of yourself than you would for children with sight, putting more emphasis on spoken words on the subject you teach. Visual impaired children feel the teacher s power better than others. Be brave, these children trust their teacher.
Swim camp for my blind swimmers
Gliding on the surface on the water
Thanks!