More Drop-In Classes

The kids continued with the drop-in soccer and swim lessons on Thursday and Friday. I had planned on leaving early on Friday morning but the lessons (and our hostess) were so wonderful we stayed a little longer.

Wesley learned a little backstroke.
I think this is a great way to teach freestyle. Wesley had on a backpack and was holding a barbell. This allowed him to concentrate on the arm that was doing the stroke and then switch to the other arm. The coach who worked with Wesley on Thursday was also one of the soccer coaches. His dad was the other soccer coach and his mom was Lydia's swim coach and his sister also helped with swim lessons. What a cool family! They really know what they are doing when teaching the little kids.

I can't say enough good things about the swim lessons and I am not sure why more swim lessons aren't done the same way. All the kids in the intermediate (James' level) and beginner (Wesley and Lydia's) level start out with a backpack and barbell. The beginning level was divided up into three groups with Lydia being in the lowest and Wesley being in the highest group. The kids worked on strokes (well in Wesley's group at least) with the barbells and backpacks, then with just the backpacks, and then the backpacks were usually taken off.

Lydia had no problem participating and staying with her class on Wednesday and Thursday. Here is what she can do sans floatation device.

Wesley participated a lot more at soccer on Thursday and Friday. However, he really wasn't motivated to learn the different skills. Maybe that is because he has never really seen a soccer game.

As I watched Coach Henry working with James and Wesley, I thought, "If Henry could find a way to bottle all of his patience and sell it to moms of preschoolers he would be a rich, rich man."

During these drop-in soccer classes (that cost $3) the kids first practice skills for about 30 minutes then they play a game. The coaches do a good job evenly dividing up the teams.

During the game on Thursday Wesley and James got interested in chasing a butterfly. I wish I had videoed that! I think I was too busy laughing. At times they were off the playing field chasing the butterfly and at other times they were running through the game after the butterfly. Several times Coach Henry encouraged them to leave the butterfly alone. Finally the butterfly left the area and James returned to the game; however, Wesley started playing "red light, green light."

These lessons were just one more reason why we had such a good time with our friends at the beach. Now I want to spend the summer there too! (I can dream, right?)