LECTURE 1 SWIMMING.docx.pdf

LECTURE IN (SWIMMING) INTRODUCTION Swimming, act of moving through the water by using the arms, legs, and body in motions called strokes. The act of propelling one’s self in the water by natural means. The most common s...

LECTURE IN (SWIMMING) INTRODUCTION Swimming, act of moving through the water by using the arms, legs, and body in motions called strokes. The act of propelling one’s self in the water by natural means. The most common strokes are the crawl, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and sidestroke. Swimming is an integral part of almost all water-based activities. It is also a competitive sport itself. Some scientists believe that human beings are born with an instinctive ability to use their arms and legs to stay afloat. That instinct, however, disappears within a few months after birth. Later in life many children and adults learn to swim in order to be safe around the water, to have fun, and to participate in competition. History of Swimming Man probably learned how to swim from watching animals because the earliest form of swimming stroke discovered was known as the human stroke or the “dog paddle”. The manner of swimming here was imitated from man’s best friend – the dog. One of the earliest representations of swimming is an ancient Egyptian wall relief that shows soldiers of Pharaoh Ramses II (reigned 1290-1224 BC) pursuing their enemies by swimming across the Orontes River between ancient Egypt and Asia Minor. Swimming was highly esteemed in ancient Greece and Rome, especially as a form of training for warriors. In Japan, competitions were held as early as the 1st century BC. In Europe, swimming was less popular during the Middle Ages (5th century to 15th century), when immersion in water was sometimes associated with the recurrent epidemic diseases of the time. In the late 1800’s, John Arthur Trudgen introduced as over-hand stroke (sometimes called hand-over-hand stroke), using the scissor kick and hand recovery out of the water. He discovered this from the South American Indians. This stroke was later called the Trudgen stroke. In 1844, North American Indians entered swimming meet in London the style of swimming used by the Indians was similar to windmill action. Each arm thrashed the water violently in circles while the feet beat the water in an up and down action which was form of a crawl stroke. In 1878, Frederick Cavill, an English man, went to Australia. After observing that the natives leg action resulted in exceptional speed, he combined it with the double overhand stroke. These stroke become known as the “Australian crawl”. The only difference between the “Australian crawl” and the “American crawl” was that in the American crawl the kick was timed to the stroking of the arms – six beats of the legs for every revolution of the arms. In the late 19th century amateur swimming clubs began conducting competitions in the United States and Britain. In the United States, colleges and universities such as Yale University, Indiana University, and the University of Southern California played an important role in spreading interest in swimming as a competitive sport. In 1875 Matthew Webb of Great Britain became the first person to swim across the English Channel Webb swam between Dover, England, and the coast of France near Calais, where the channel is more than 32 km (20 mi) in width. By 1896 swimming had become well established. It was one of the sports at the first modern Olympic Games, held that year in Athens, Greece. The highest level of swimming competition occurs at the Summer Olympic Games, held every four years and governed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Fédération Internationale de Natation Amateur (FINA; French for “International Federation of Amateur Swimming”) governs almost all other international competitions. The two most important meets are the long-course (50-m) world championships and the short-course (25-m) world championships, which are held in alternate years. Each winter, FINA also sponsors a World Cup circuit held in 25-m pools. Many regional meets are held every two or four years. These include the Pan-Pacific Championships for nations in Asia and the Pacific Ocean region, the European championships, the Pan American Games for the countries of North and South America, and the African championships. In the Philippines (Philippine Amateur Swimming Association) RULES FOR SAFETY MEASURES IN SWIMMING 1. Never swim alone, (Buddy System) regardless of your skill or experience. 2. Misjudging a dive and hitting one’s head on the bottom. 3. Holding one’s breath too long, becoming exhausted. 4. Do not overestimate your ability. 5. Never depend of air-filled floating devices. 6. Avoid strenuous swimming after eating 7. Never go swimming during a thunderstorm. 8. Leave the water if you begin to feel chilly. 9. Don’t clown around. 10. Always look before you jump or dive. 11. After a violent exercise, sudden chilling can cause cramps. Don’t over heat muscles before entering the water. 12. If you feel ill, do not swim. 13. If you get into trouble, call for help. Relax and follow instructions from the rescuer.