Coach the Coach

“Do I need to be in the pool with my baby/kid?” 

"How soon can my baby/kid be able to swim?"

"Is the water in open pool too cold?"

"How can I make my baby/kid submerge underwater?"

"How can I stop my baby/kid cry when entering the pool?"

These were questions asked by countless parents.

Here, I would like to offer my summary view of children swim training — so every parents can find the perfect approach that works for them and their children.

Most parents did not seek me out when their children could not swim. They sought me for help when their children were not progressing after several terms of swim sessions elsewhere and/or displaying swim disability. Especially, when parents were amazed by professional videography by performing swim schools or swim coaches. But little do they know, many of those videos were choreographed & only a handful of young children can achieve it in a short stint of training. Thus, to maintain the authenticity of our training, dip! videos with learners were always made impromptu & only with a mobile phone during a swim session.

My reply to the parents would always be "Coach the Coach".  Swimming & parenthood is related. You cannot cheat in swimming. From a swim, coaches can profile a child's behaviour and character, which is a reflection of parenting. Thus, parents are the best coach for their children if the parents can understand the needs & how to manage.

This is where swim coaches come in to balance the parenting & the child's swim behaviour, to decrypt the signals from the children before curating the appropriate swim drills to ensure the learning curve is gentle, effective & seamless for the children's swim development. Most often, it was the inexperienced handling of our little ones that impeded their progression.

Parents saw me as "Funny" & "Playful" in the pool, but the children saw me as "communicating" & "Reaching out". Often, swim parents were not sensitised on their slightest actions, words, tone of voice, grip, vibes, etc. influenced the way their children behave in water. It’s not easy to look in the mirror and admit, “I am the problem.” But with kindness, love & patience, I think, have helped many swim parents overcame that. Some swim parents, years later related how the experience totally transformed their children's and their own lives.

The pool is a different universe for young children especially for infants. Swimming is the only sport that the coach yells to swimmers to breathe and swim parents should try to understand, the mental & emotional challenge the junior swimmers were processing at the same time.

As our junior swimmer handlers. we have to be firm but gentle at times, and solve disputes quickly and cleanly, without fighting & tears, then move on to the next thing without bitterness or regret. While coaching our juniors, it has to be clear and simple rules. Parents tend to compare with the complexity of the adult interactions.

I grew up in a harsh era. Learn to adapt and to work with what I have. Swim or sink. 

It turned out to be a way of living that conceived my urge to evolve, innovate & create. From an early age, I knew I love to work with children & I knew I had a gift for it. I did not have any formal training, or access to scientific studies, but I did have my passion for training children and the advantage of attaining Taekwondo (TKD) black belt at 11 years old, allowed me to have the opportunity to lead.

The challenge of training the older aged children at the Boy's & Girl's Home back then was arduous. Under the tutelage of my TKD instructor, we spent 2 years side by side with them, working with them, and, most of all, observing them. I am proud of how I was able to use my ingenuity to become successful at rehabilitating hard-to-reach and “last chance” children at later years.

Since I began as a "Children Swim Coach", I’ve had the opportunity to work with hundreds of different swim children & parents at home & foreign land. Through these experiences, I’ve learned that in the vast majority of cases, it’s the swim parents/handlers who usually needed the most training. 

I understood my own experience and special ability to bond with children were not comprehensive enough. So, I reached out to some of the most experienced and acclaimed swim schools, coaches, and child behavior professionals. I am so grateful that so many of them shared their knowledge with me.

Some professionals disagreed with me in the past, but as time gradually moved on, I saw my coaching methodology & drills being adopted. Which is a beautiful thing, and it tells a lot about bettering the lives of junior swimmers & swim parents.

I'm grateful that Singapore is a small place yet spoilt for choices. With so many choice of swim coaches available, swim parents are sure to find someone that works for them and their children.

We provide 20 mins free online consultancy on swim development. Feel free to contact for more information on swim behaviour and progression.