U N D E R 8 Y E A R S AGE MANAGER HANDBOOK Proudly sponsored by Sydney Northern Beaches Surf Life Saving www.surflifesaving.net.au THE 21 CLUBS ON THE NORTHERN BEACHES Unit 2/5 Vuko Place, Warriewood NSW 2102 tel: 02 9913 8066 fax: 02 9913 9066
INTRODUCTION The Youth Activities Age managers Course has been developed for those who manage, supervise and assist with basic coaching and instructing of children in Surf Life Saving. The course is not an accredited coaching or Training Officers Certificate but basic knowledge and skills for coaches, Instructors, managers and supervisors to coordinate, organise and implement fun for youth activity participants. Information contained in this course is only a guide and may be superseded by SLSA or State/Branch Bulletins/Circulars. Age Managers should check annually in September with their Club Secretary on current Bulletins or Circulars. It is important to remember that you could be a child s first perception of Surf Life Saving, so it is essential that they perceive it as an enjoyable, social and educational activity based on having fun. AIM The aim of the Youth Activities is to develop children and give them surf sense in a fun atmosphere where they can advance at their own pace. By participating in this course, you will be able to achieve this and make a positive contribution towards their development. POINTS RELEVANT TO THE U/8 AGE GROUP Concentrate on the basics - basic surf awareness ( identifying rips, safe/dangerous waves, swimming between the flags, sun smart, etc) - basic surf skills (getting comfortable with the surf/waves) - basic sand skills (running, diving without getting sand in their eyes, etc) - social skills (how to interact with other children, teamwork) Do not focus on competition. Most children already have a natural competitive instinct and this is something they should be allowed to develop in their own time. U/8 s are eligible to compete at carnivals, however this should be a decision made by the participant even if you feel that the child has potential do not be too eager in getting them to compete.
UChild Protection Policy URationale: Whilst child abuse has not been shown to be common in Surf Life Saving, law & policy has been developed to protect young people from harm & those working with them from accusation. 1) The Child Protection (Prohibited Employment) Act 1998 requires that Surf Life Saving Clubs and organizations determine whether any volunteer employee or contractor of Surf Life Saving is a prohibited person under the Act. 2) It is an offence for a prohibited person to apply for or to remain in child related employment (or volunteer work) unless they gain an order from a relevant Tribunal that the Act does not apply. 3) A prohibited person means a person UconvictedU of a Userious sex offenceu before or after the commencement of the Act. Further details are set out in the U Prohibited Employment Declaration U that must be signed by all volunteers working with children. There are Heavy Fines for people working with young people (U/18 s) who do not sign this declaration. URisk Management Measures Surf Life Saving Australia has designed measures to protect its members and minimize the risk of any misunderstanding of their behaviour. 1) Do not engage in any of the following: Abusive initiation ceremonies Inappropriate undressing/dressing in front of youths (under 18 s) Invading the privacy of youths whilst showering or toileting Photographs of youths undressing/dressing, showering or toileting Sleeping in closed quarters with youths without a second adult representative/parent Aggressive, physically distressing or sexually provocative activities Sexually suggestive comments to or about youth Inappropriate or intrusive touching of youth Joking, ridiculing, rejecting, isolating or taking the mickey out of youth 2) When conducting meetings, briefings, conducting excursions, transporting youth, performing interviews etc have an open door policy: invite all youth, parents, friends & other leaders to participate. 3) Encourage teamwork between leaders and allow for members of the team to point out inappropriate behaviours. Do not tolerate inappropriate behaviour- deal with it immediately. 4) Encourage youth members & remember each individual s capacity for Surf Life Saving Activities. Don t pressure them to participate or allow others to do so. 5) Respect each youth member s privacy and expect them to respect yours. 6) Do not become involved in excessive attention seeking behaviour, physically or sexually, by a youth. Be mindful of the very needy youth and help them re-focus their attention on Surf Life Saving activities. 7) Maintain your status as a ROLE MODEL to youths and other adults. Be friendly, courteous and kind. Don t abuse your position. Always set a good example in dress, behaviour, language etc.
HARASSMENT & DISCRIMINATION POLICY AND PROCEDURE Harassment is defined as unwelcomed and unreciprocated behaviour. Generally it is a comment, conduct, or gesture directed toward an individual or group of individuals, which is insulting, intimidating, humiliating, malicious, degrading, or offensive. Unlawful Harassment is behaviour that is unwelcomed and unreciprocated and that contravene the Anti Discrimination Act. HARASSMENT CAN INVOLVE UPHYSICALU body gestures, invasions of personal space, shoving/pushing, fighting, punching, kicking, slapping, initiations UVERBALU name calling, using offensive language or threatening others, slander (mischievous remarks about people not present), using aggressive and intimidating tones when speaking to others UWRITTEN or PHOTOGRAPHICU written notes which contain offensive comments or language, graffiti, pornographic literature or materials REMEMBER Harassment is taken from the perspective of the receiving person, NOT the offending person. Saying I WAS ONLY KIDDING won t hold up. WHAT TO DO STEP 1 ASK THE PERSON TO STOP Try to sort the matter out yourself. Give the offending person an opportunity to alter their offending behaviour. STEP 2 SPEAK WITH A CLUB OFFICIAL If the offending behaviour continues report the matter to a responsible club officer eg. Club Membership Protection Officer. STEP 3 REPORT THE MATTER to the local Police and Surf Life Saving New South Wales CONTACT NUMBERS Dee Why Police - 02 9971 3399 Mona Vale Police - 02 9997 1444 Surf Life Saving NSW - 02 9984 7188 DOCS - 132 111 www.community.nsw.gov.au Kids Helpline - 1800 551 800 www.kidshelp.com.au
AGE REQUIREMENTS Under 8 s Before commencing any Junior Activities training or competition, all participants aged under 8 years old must have undertaken a preliminary evaluation consisting of: A 25 metre swim (any stroke) & A 1-minute survival float UNOTE:U Because competition does not play a significant part in this age group, a Run-Swim- Run is not necessary to complete before participating in the Junior Activities. A timed pool swim is also not required. PARTICULAR ASPECTS IN RELATION TO THE UNDER 8 AGE GROUP Modified Sports young children, such as the under 8 age group, love to participate and mimic their older counterparts but aren t always capable of handling either the equipment or the level of competition, so modified sports can be very suitable. Modifying activities encourages the playing and is often a safety factor as well due to physical changes in growth and development. UWays to modify sports include: Shortening races (eg; sprints, surf races, etc) Limiting the craft or equipment used (eg; foam boards instead of fibreglass, wade instead of swim, etc) Handicapping events to make them more even Intensity training and participating for children, particularly of this young age, should not be of a high intensity. A maximum of 3 sessions per week (including any competition) should be conducted for no longer than ½ an hour 45minutes for Under 8 & 9 year olds. Endurance Events/Weight Training long events are not recommended for children, and are not permitted for the Under 8 year category. Weight training is also not permitted in this age group. Exercises do not have children doing exercises that can injure the growth plates, ie; do not allow them to do full squats or knee bends, bouncing stretches or exercises that predominantly use one side of the body. Basic stretching is acceptable to assist in preventing injuries. It is important to use common sense when designing and conducting a programme for children, and always take into account the varying maturity rate of each individual child and plan the activities/training in accordance to their individual needs.
ULESSON PLANS based on a 10 week program Under 8 years Following is a brief outline of what the 10-week program will entail. Further on, each week is detailed in a lesson plan format. Don t hesitate to put your own individual touch and ideas into play the lesson plans are a guide only. Lesson *Aspect of Learning* Duration 1 Who goes to the Beach? To encourage participants to identify who uses beaches and aquatic venues and to identify the activities they engage in there. 30 mins 2 All about Lifesaving To develop the participant s awareness of Surf Lifesaving activities and the role of a Lifesaver. 3 Hazards & Safety Rip Identification, safe/dangerous waves 4 Skills Beach Running To develop participant s ability to run over sand. 5 Skills Beach Flags & Turns To develop the participant s basic beach flag turning skills 6 Skills Wading To develop the participant s wading ability in the surf. 7 Skills Diving Under the Water To develop the participant s ability and skills to dive into the water and under the waves safely. 8 Skills Position on a Board To develop the participant s balance and positioning on a board. 9 Skills Introductory Board Paddling To develop the participant s basic awareness of board paddling and skills to paddle a board. 10 Skills Balancing and Turning To develop the participant s ability to turn whilst sitting or lying down on a board. 30 mins 30 mins 30 mins 30 mins 30 mins 30 mins 30 mins 30 mins 30 mins UNOTE:U You may feel that one or more of the Aspects of Learning requires more than the ½ hour allocated. Instead of running the lesson over time, address it the following week or during any organised training sessions during the week, as after half an hour, young children will start to tune off, become careless or overworked and that s when injuries can occur.
ULESSON ONE TOPIC Who goes to the Beach? OBJECTIVE WARM UP To encourage participants to identify who uses the beaches and aquatic venues and to identify the activities they engage in there. It is important that the children go for a run around before not only partaking in a physical activity, but also before any theory lessons so that they are alert throughout the lesson. LEARNING ASPECTS Find a place in the shade (preferably outside) where the children can sit comfortably. Ask the children what type of people go to the beach and what activities they take up there. Brainstorm. Go for a walk along the beach and list who is there and what they are doing. Meet back at your shady area and discuss what type of people you saw, what they were doing and what possible things could go wrong (who is most likely to need rescuing and what types of activities are more likely to cause injury or distress). Prepare a table on butchers paper and have the participant s document the possible answers. Types of People What are they doing? What could happen? Eg: Infants Playing near the water They could be swept away Elderly people Walking in the hot sun Heat exhaustion Examples of answers: People children, families, women, men, boys, girls, pets Activities fishing, kite flying, swimming, ball games, surfing, walking, jogging, etc. OUTCOME Participants should be able to recite at least 3 examples of people and activities that can be found at the beach as well as those most likely to cause or be involved in an accident or injury.
ULESSON TWO TOPIC OBJECTIVE WARM UP All about Lifesaving To develop the participant s awareness of Surf Lifesaving activities and the role of a Lifesaver. It is important that the children go for a run around before not only partaking in a physical activity, but also before any theory lessons so that they are alert throughout the lesson. LEARNING ASPECTS Find a place in the shade (preferably outside) where the children can sit comfortably. Have a group discussion about Surf Lifesaving Australia s history and what the participant s know now. Talk about the number of members, clubs, rescues performed and famous Lifesavers since the association began in 1907. (information attached) Arrange for an on-duty Lifesaver to address the group and answer any questions the children may have. Ask the participant s how to identify a Surf Lifesaver and what they do on the beach. Also ask them to identify the red/yellow, red, blue patrol flags and describe what they mean. Red & Yellow Safety Flags (swim between the flags) Red Beach Closed/No Swimming Blue Surfing Flags (surfers stay OUTSIDE the blue flags) ACTIVITY Ask participant s to identify the Surf Life Saving Australia Logo and it s colours. (An idea could be to draw the logo onto butcher s paper and let the group colour it in or collage it with bits of coloured paper). Blue Red White Yellow Fig: 1.1 OUTCOME Participants should be able to identify the Surf Life Saving Australia Logo, recognise all 3 types of flags and their meanings as well as identify and describe the role of a Lifesaver.
HISTORY OF SURF LIFESAVING Swimming in the surf first became popular in the 1880 s and 1890 s. At that time laws forbade bathing between 6am and 7pm. Then, in 1902, a Sydney man called William Gocher defied these laws by surfing at noon on a Sunday. By 1903, daytime bathing had been legalised and surfing became a popular pastime. With crowds of people bathing, the dangers of surfing quickly became obvious. By today s standards, early rescue attempts seemed clumsy; joining hands to form a human chain was not a very successful method, and boats were cumbersome in rough seas. Later, thick ropes with heavy belts attached were installed on many of the beaches, and the Bronze Medallion was awarded to people who had been trained to use them. Small groups of regular surfers began to form lifesaving bodies to help weaker, less experienced surf bathers. Formal surf lifesaving clubs were formed, probably the first at Bronte Beach in 1903 and then at Bondi in 1906. Soon after, the members of various clubs decided to form a central body, and in 1907, the NSW Bathing Association was born. It was later renamed the Surf Life Saving Association of Australia, and then Surf Lifesaving Australia (SLSA). Fig: 1.2 Fig: 1.3 So far, SLSA has performed over 370,000 rescues and has over 17,000 active members who patrol 254 beaches around the country. SLSA provides regular beach patrols, surf rescue training, testing of skills and official competitions. The Association introduced the Bronze Medallion in 1910 to help set the standard of Rescue Proficiency and is still the basic qualification of anyone wanting to perform surf rescues. SLSA competitions play a big part in the development of surf rescue skills, as well as being challenging and fun. The annual Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships is one of the world s most exciting sporting events. Only the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games have more competitors!!!
ULESSON THREE TOPIC Hazards and Safety OBJECTIVE To develop the participant s awareness of Rip Identification and knowledge of safe/dangerous waves. WARM UP It is important that the children go for a run around before not only partaking in a physical activity, but also before any theory lessons so that they are alert throughout the lesson. LEARNING ASPECTS Find a place in the shade somewhere on the beach where the children can view the surf. Have a group discussion about whether the beach is a safe or dangerous place. Why? How? (Can be safe if people behave correctly and follow the Lifesaver s instructions. Things to look for include rips which can carry people out to sea and dangerous waves). How can we identify a rip BEFORE we go into the water? 5 ways - floating debris (seaweed, driftwood, litter, etc), discoloured water caused by the sand being stirred up from the bottom UORU darker water because it is deeper, foam out past where the waves are breaking, ripples where it is otherwise calm or waves breaking on either side of a flat section (the rip). What are the 3 types of waves that we can find on the beach? Which are safe? Which are dangerous? ( Spilling safest, as the lip just tumbles down the face. These are the only ones we should catch. Dumping most dangerous, as the lip crashes down the face with a lot of force. We should avoid these ones. Surging can be safe UORU dangerous because they don t actually break. Safe because they can t dump us, but dangerous because they can pick us up and move us into either a rip, a deep hole or into a breakwall. ACTIVITY Take the group for a walk along the beach and make stops along the way so they can see the rips or different types of waves. Draw a rip in the sand and show them how it works as well as how to escape if you get caught in one. (See next page for explanation and diagram). OUTCOME Participants should be able to identify a rip from the water s edge as well as how to escape from a rip if necessary. They should also be able to identify the different types of waves.
LESSON THREE ACTIVITY During your walk along the beach spotting rips and wave types, stop and get the children to stand in a circle whilst you draw a picture of a Rip in the sand (see Fig 1.4). Explain to them that waves break where it is shallow (on sand banks or reefs) & they bring a lot of water on to the beach, but that the water can t stay there because then we wouldn t have any beach left. Then tell them that the water has to go back out to sea but can t go the way it came in because the waves will just keep pushing the water back to shore, so the water has to find somewhere deep to go out in between the banks or reefs, creating a run-out of water known as a Rip. Fig: 1.4 Sometimes, people might find themselves caught in a rip, either because they haven t followed the Lifesaver s instructions or because the rip has moved. If you do get caught, there are ways to escape from the rip quickly and safely. If you are not a very good swimmer, or are very tired, swim across the rip (parallel to shore) for 30-40 metres and then back to shore using the waves to bring you back in (see diagram above). If you are a strong swimmer, swim back to shore on a 45 angle using the side currents of the rip to assist you. Ask the group questions to reinforce it on the walk back. You may also try to look for any environmental factors that may be affecting the conditions of the surf zone during your walk.
Play games like Eye-Spy to keep the participants interested. ULESSON FOUR TOPIC Skills Beach Running OBJECTIVE To develop the participant s ability to run efficiently over sand. WARM UP It is important that the children go for a run around before taking part in a physical activity, and also that they do some basic stretches. LEARNING ASPECTS Before the group arrives set out an area 20m by 15m.on the sand that is out of the way of the general public. Ask participants to jog the 20m and then walk back together. Repeat at least 5 times. Complete some stretches to help prevent injuries. Tell the group that stretching and warm ups are important before doing any activity as they stop you from getting hurt and make you go better and faster! (Examples of stretches can be found on the next page). Lie participants down on the starting line, on their bellies, facing the finishing line. On Go!, ask the group to race from a belly start for 10m. Repeat at least 10 times, handicapping if necessary (eg; Jonny keeps winning by 1m, so have him start 1m behind). Split participants into two groups and have them line up in those groups one behind the other. Have them undertake a series of jumping and hopping exercises, including standing long jumps, one-legged jumps with both legs, etc. If any child shows appears to need special attention, eg; they are running on the inside of their ankles instead of landing flat footed, address this and show them how it should be done as well as inform their parents. Any techniques that need guidance don t hesitate to help out or get someone who knows how to lend a hand. A specialist runner in the club could be a special guest. ACTIVITY OUTCOME Take the group to 3 or 4 different surfaces such as grass, soft sand, hard sand and sloppy wet sand, and get them to run on the different surfaces and tell you which was the hardest and the easiest and why they thought so. Time them over the same distances and compare which surface is the fastest. Participants should be able to lift their knees up and swing their arms when running on sand. Land flat footed while running on sand. SAFETY POINTS Remind the group of the importance of warm ups and stretching, and find out about any previous injuries from parents prior to lesson. Have ice and First Aid kit on hand as a precaution.
STRETCHES A Hamstrings, keep the back & knees straight. B Quads, opposite hand holds foot. C One leg behind the other, keeping the back leg straight then turn away from rear leg. D Put your hand on the front knee. Push the back knee towards the floor & keep back straight. E Pull elbow across to opposite shoulder. F Hold onto door at arms length. Turn away from the door letting shoulder roll in. G Keep hips on the floor. H Hold arm across body, thumb pointing down. I Pull elbow behind head with opposite hand. J Elbow straight, pull back top hand. K Stretch forward pushing head between arms
Fig:1.5 ULESSON FIVE TOPIC Skills Beach Flags & Turns OBJECTIVE To develop the participant s basic beach flag turning skills. WARM UP It is important that the children go for a run around before taking part in a physical activity, and also that they do some basic stretches. LEARNING ASPECTS Before participants arrive set out an area 15m x 20m with a line drawn in the sand at each end. Ask participants to lie on their bellies and on command, get up and sprint forwards. Repeat 5 times. Get the participants to lie on their bellies, and on command, turn 180 degrees and stop. Repeat up to 10 times. When turning, the participants can either jump up and turn, or pivot on the knee on the opposite side to the way they turn as they get up. The jump start is much easier for learners. Have the participants lying on their bellies and then on command, get up, turning 180 degrees and run about 10 metres. Repeat up to 10 times. Using the proper flags course set up earlier of about 15m in length, at one end have the participants lay down facing away from the other end. At the other end, set up the same number of rubber hose pieces (flags), as there are participants. This enables all to receive a flag. ACTIVITY OUTCOME Although beach flag turning is a basic beach sport skill, people lying on the sand have often had to react quickly to an incident or danger that requires them to get up and run in a different direction from the one they were facing. Have the participants act out imaginary episodes where people lying down have to run to the assistance of others on the beach, using this newly acquired skill. Participants should be able to perform a 180-degree turn, from their bellies, commencing in a stationary position, and then run in the new direction. SAFETY POINTS Don t encourage children to dive for flags at this age. Allow them to just run and slide or to reach down to pick up the flag to prevent any injuries such as sand in the eyes or a bang to the head. Find out about any previous injuries from parents prior to lesson, and make sure you have ice and a First Aid kit on hand as a precaution.
Fig: 1.6 ULESSON SIX TOPIC Skills Wading OBJECTIVE To develop the participant s wading ability in the surf. WARM UP It is important that the children go for a run around before taking part in a physical activity, and also that they do some basic stretches. LEARNING ASPECTS These activities are in sequence. Make sure participants are well warmed up and stretched before participating. Check the depth and ocean floor quality (eg; sandbanks, potholes, gutters, etc) before sending the participants into the water. Ask participants to walk on the sand lifting knees high and swinging arms high to shoulder level for 25m. Repeat 2 to 3 times. Ask participants to walk on the sand lifting knees and ankles out wide for 25m. Repeat 2 to 3 times. Ask participants to walk in ankle deep water lifting knees and ankles wide of the body for 30m. Repeat 2 to 3 times. Ask participants to run in ankle deep water lifting knees and ankles wide of the body for 30m. Repeat 3 times. Ask participants to run in and out of the water lifting knees and ankles wide of the body up to knee depth. Repeat 4 times. ACTIVITY NOTE OUTCOME Split the group into two even groups and put them approximately 25m apart in mid calf deep water facing each other. On Go! get them to, one at a time, run to the opposite group and tag the next person to go. Continue through the group at least twice. To make a relay out of it, split the group into two again and have the two groups race each other. Handicap if necessary. If possible, it is a good idea to organise an older member to be the special guest for the lesson to assist in demonstrating the correct procedure for wading. Participants should be able to run in and out of the surf up to ankle depth using basic wading skills. SAFETY POINTS Remind the group of the importance of warm ups and stretching, and find out about any previous injuries from parents prior to lesson. Also remember to
consider things such as sandbanks, holes or gutters, rips, wave speed and general surf conditions before entering the surf at speed. Have ice and First Aid kit on hand as a precaution. ULESSON SEVEN TOPIC Skills Diving under the water OBJECTIVE To develop the participant s ability and skills to dive into the water and under the waves safely. WARM UP It is important that the children go for a run around before taking part in a physical activity, and also that they do some basic stretches. LEARNING ASPECTS These activities are in sequence. Make sure participants are well warmed up and stretched before participating. Check the depth and ocean floor quality (eg; sandbanks, potholes, gutters, etc) before sending the participants into the water. Encourage participants to assist in finding a safe place. Have the participants stand in chest deep water and then duck under the water. Repeat 5 times. Ask participants to stand in chest deep water and then dive forward so their bodies are under the water. Repeat 3 times. Have the participants stand in thigh deep water then fall forward into the water. Repeat 3 times. Ask participants to stand in thigh deep water with feet shoulder width apart and dive forward with arms outstretched and head down. Repeat 3 times. ACTIVITY Split the group into groups of 4 or 5. Have the groups stand in a line about 2 metres apart with the first person in each group facing the rest of the group in the line. On Go! the person facing the group dolphin dives between the legs of each person in their group one at a time, remembering to keep their head down and arms out in front. When they reach the end, they call out and the new leader turns and follows the same route. NOTE OUTCOME If possible, it is a good idea to organise an older member to be the special guest for the lesson to assist in demonstrating the correct procedure for diving under waves safely. Participants should have the confidence to dive under waves. SAFETY POINTS Remind the group of the importance of warm ups and stretching, and find out about any previous injuries from parents prior to lesson. Also remember to consider things such as sandbanks, holes or gutters, rips, wave speed and general surf conditions before entering the surf at speed. Have ice and First Aid kit on hand as a precaution.
UDIVING UNDER A WAVE Below is a diagram showing how to dive under a wave minimising the risk of injury. Notice the outstretched arms and the person s head is angled down. Should your hands strike the bottom before you had anticipated, roll yourself into a ball and perform a forward roll to prevent spinal injury. Fig: 1.7 UREMEMBER! Keep your head DOWN Keep your arms OUT STRETCHED
ULESSON EIGHT TOPIC Skills Position on a Board OBJECTIVE To develop the participant s balance and positioning on a board. WARM UP It is important that the children go for a run around before taking part in a physical activity, and also that they do some basic stretches. LEARNING ASPECTS These activities are in sequence. Make sure participants are well warmed up and stretched before participating. Locate an area that is relatively calm to conduct this lesson. Ask participants to lie on the board on the sand with weight evenly distributed. Check that the participant s chest is level with the back of the front straps, and then encourage them to paddle in the sand to see how their weight shifts. Ask participants to lie on boards in shallow water with weight evenly distributed and the board stationary for 1 min. Then ask them to move to the front of the board and try and balance, then move right to the back of the board. Ask them to describe the difference in balance and feeling. Allow the participants to attempt to paddle the board in shallow water, but don t allow them to venture too far out. ACTIVITY Split the group into two, and in pairs, get them to paddle about 25m in the 3 positions firstly, correctly positioned, then too far forward, and then too far back. Time them to prove that being centred is much more effective. Use a relay type format if desired. OUTCOME Participants should be able to lie and float on a board in a balanced position. SAFETY POINTS Remind the group of the importance of warm ups and stretching, and find out about any previous injuries from parents prior to lesson. Encourage children who are having difficulties picking up the skill. Have ice and First Aid kit on hand as a precaution. Fig: 1.8
ULESSON NINE TOPIC Skills Introductory Board Paddling OBJECTIVE To develop the participant s basic awareness of board paddling, and skills to paddle a board. WARM UP It is important that the children go for a run around before taking part in a physical activity, and also that they do some basic stretches. LEARNING ASPECTS These activities are in sequence. Make sure participants are well warmed up and stretched before participating. Locate an area where the water is relatively calm. Encourage participants to assist in finding a safe place. Revise last week s lesson by asking the participants to lie on their boards in the correct paddling position. Ask participants to use a two arm paddling technique to move the board forward at least 15m. Repeat 5 times. Ask the participants to move the board forward using a one arm paddling technique for 15m. Repeat using the other arm, and then repeat using each arm again. ACTIVITY NOTE Line the group up side by side and ask them to paddle forwards 20m at a slow pace concentrating on getting good rhythm and using one hand in at a time. Then ask them to paddle pack at a medium pace concentrating on getting a good reach and maintaining high elbows, and then lastly, paddle at a fast pace concentrating on getting through the water as fast as possible. Repeat. If possible, it is a good idea to organise an older member to be the special guest for the lesson to assist in demonstrating the correct paddling technique. OUTCOME Participants should be able to perform a basic two arm paddling technique, as well as a single arm paddling technique using each arm. SAFETY POINTS Remind the group of the importance of warm ups and stretching, and find out about any previous injuries from parents prior to lesson. If taking children out behind the break, query parents as to the child s swimming ability and confidence in the water. Have ice and First Aid kit on hand as a precaution.
ULESSON TEN TOPIC Skills Balancing and Turning OBJECTIVE To develop the participant s ability to turn whilst sitting or lying down on a board. WARM UP It is important that the children go for a run around before taking part in a physical activity, and also that they do some basic stretches. LEARNING ASPECTS These activities are in sequence. Ask participants to sit on their boards and try to balance. While they are sitting on the board, ask them to use one hand to scull the water (see diagram 1.9) and move the board around to: a) 90, b) 180 and c) 360. Repeat using the opposite arm and then repeat with each arm again. Ask participants to lie on their board and using the one handed sculling technique, turn their board around to each of the angles mentioned above. Repeat with the other arm. NOTE ACTIVITY OUTCOME You will find that many of the children will prefer one technique to the other. This is fine, however encourage them to become familiar with both so that they can use either should the need arise. Introduce an older member of the SLSC to be the Special Guest and ask them to demonstrate the two methods of turning a board. Set a course using marker buoys or balloons attached to a string that requires the participants to perform a zig zag, a complete circle and a figure 8. (See diagram 1.10). Ask them to go through the course slowly at first, then at a moderate pace and then quickly. You can run a tag-team type activity, where the group line up and one by one go through the course then return to tag the next member of the group. They can try to better the team s time throughout the lesson. Participants should be able to perform turning the board at 90, 180 and 360 in either a belly or sitting position. SAFETY POINTS Ensure that the area to be used is relatively flat and away from any boats or surfboards. If you need to go out behind the break of the waves, query the children s parents as to whether or not their child is a confident swimmer. Find out about any previous injuries from parents prior to lesson, and make sure you have ice and a First Aid kit on hand as a precaution.
UBALANCING AND TURNING A BOARD When turning a board, you must make it pivot from a central position, which can be at the middle or the back of the board. You can either: Throw your legs over the sides (straddle the board), to balance your weight and stabilise the board using your legs in an egg beater type kick to turn it or, Use your arms as paddles, turning the board either clockwise or anti-clockwise depending on the direction you wish to go. Fig: 1.9 UTURNING PRACTICE Set a course similar to that below where the participants must try to turn their board in a zig zag fashion, a circle and a figure 8 concentrating on balancing and using the proper turning technique. Fig: 1.10
USURF FREE DAYS ** When the surf may be unsafe due to dangerous waves, Bluebottles, etc. Some days, the surf may not be safe enough to allow normal club events to take place. On such a day, you can run a number of other activities that are still surf related, however will not risk injury to the participants. Firstly, you may switch lessons so that a non-water lesson can be run on that day and on the day it was supposed to be run, you could run the water-based activity. Or you may choose to conduct another activity and still stick to the lesson plans provided. Some ideas are listed below, however, feel free to choreograph your own also. USurf Club RogainingU this is a getting to know your surf club game. Before the participants arrive, draw on squares of paper a number, letter or shape and place them around the surf club and grounds at locations such as the Patrol Room, Board Room, First Aid Kit, Emergency Phone, Radio Room, Patrol Tower, etc. Make sure you throw some tricky ones in there, too! Split the group into groups of no more than 4 and hand them a sheet of paper with a list of the things/places they need to locate. Once found, they must write down the corresponding number, letter or shape and the first group back is the winner! For older children, try giving them cryptic clues to make it a little more challenging, and if playing the game more than once, don t forget to change the codes! This can also be a treasure hunt type game by replacing the codes with an object they need to retrieve. UClean up a Surf Club DayU unless your Surf Club employs a full time cleaner and/or maintenance staff, you will find that your surf club tends to accumulate dirt, grease and unnecessary equipment which not only looks untidy, but can also be hazardous. Allocate an area to each age group (such as the nipper board room, the hall, the courtyard, etc) with a parent to supervise, and supply any necessary safety aids eg: gloves to assist. UBeach GamesU Games such as beach touch footy, volleyball, neucomball, cricket, etc. Anything social will keep the members coming even on days when the weather isn t so good. Make sure that recreation equipment is always available and maintained in good condition, so that it may be utilised whenever required. UMake some up yourself!u Don t hesitate to use your own initiative by inventing and implementing any games you see appropriate to the age group under your supervision. U
Age Group U/8 s (Verbal Quiz) 1. What do these Flags mean? Red & Yellow? Blue? Red? 2. What colours do Lifesavers wear? And what is their job on the beach? 3. Which are the ways of telling if there is a RIP? (circle) 1. Discoloured brown water 2. Jellyfish in the water 3. Dumping waves 4. Waves crashing into each other 5. Debris (seaweed/driftwood) floating out to sea 6. Ripples where there are no waves breaking 7. Waves on either side of a flat section 4. What is the name of the most dangerous wave? 5. When running on the beach, you must remember to lift your knees high and swing your arms? True or False? 6. Before doing any activities like running or swimming, what should you do first to make sure that you don t hurt yourself? 7. Before running and diving into the water, what should you do first so that you don t hit your head? 8. When doing dolphin dives, remember to keep your arms and your head. 9. When paddling a board, do you use both arms at the same time or one arm at a time? 10. List 3 dangers that you might come across on the beach. Eg: broken glass. I. II. III. Name: Club: Score out of 10:. Thankyou to the Hunter Branch for the use of this resource Additional resources available at www.surflifesaving.com.au/surflife_cms/beachsafety/circulars/