Welcome to Mini Sharks – Learning to Swim with a Competitive Edge!

At Leicester Sharks Swimming Club, we are excited to introduce the Mini Sharks Swimming Scheme – a fun, engaging, and structured learn-to-swim program with a competitive edge. Perfect for young swimmers 4 years upwards, who want to build a strong foundation in swimming while having fun!

What to Expect at Mini Sharks

Your swimmer will be greeted by one of our team, who will register them before directing them to their highly skilled teachers and dive into a well-rounded session. Each session is:

  • Varied and Structured: Designed to develop essential skills at every stage
  • Fun and Engaging: Keeping your young swimmer excited to learn
  • Led by Qualified Teachers: Our lead coaches are experienced swim teachers, ensuring your swimmer is in the best hands.

Our Mini Sharks program is overseen by our Development Coach Jordan Chappell, alongside our passionate and dedicated teachers. Every lesson is overseen by a lead teacher, who sets the session plans according to the Mini Sharks Scheme of Work, working to a maximum 10:1 ratio to ensure individual attention.

Want to dive into the fun? Book a trial session with us and see what Leicester Sharks is all about! 

Just drop us an email at Book A Trial

Please include your child’s name, age, and any previous swimming experience. We can’t wait to welcome your little swimmer to the pool! 

 

Mini Sharks Stages 1-4

 

Our program starts with Mini Sharks 1, the perfect starting point in our swim program! Here, we focus on building your child's confidence in the water while introducing them to essential movement skills. With plenty of fun and engaging activities, they'll learn important aquatic basics like buoyancy, streamlining, and moving through the water. We also place special attention on body positioning to help set them up for success as they develop a strong leg kick in future stages. It's a fantastic and exciting way to begin their swimming journey!

 

Mini Sharks 2 takes the fun to the next level! In this stage, we continue building your child's confidence in the water while focusing on developing their kicking skills. With less reliance on equipment, they'll enjoy fun, hands-on learning while mastering core aquatic skills. We place a strong emphasis on perfecting the flutter kick both on their front and back, and we'll also introduce the basics of the breaststroke kick. Plus, we'll continue refining body positioning to help them glide through the water more efficiently. It’s a fantastic step in their swimming journey!

 

Mini Sharks 3 is where your child takes their swimming skills to new heights! In this exciting stage, we focus on perfecting the kicking technique for all four strokes, helping them move through the water with confidence and ease. Swimmers will build key aquatic skills like gliding, floating, and travelling—now without relying on equipment. We’ll continue refining the flutter kick and symmetrical breaststroke legs, while also introducing the butterfly leg kick and improving foot positioning for breaststroke. It’s a fun and rewarding step that brings them closer to mastering the full range of swimming strokes!

 

Mini Sharks 4 is where everything starts to come together! In this stage, swimmers will learn how to coordinate their arm movements and timing with the skills they've already mastered, like gliding and travelling, to become even more efficient in the water. They'll also begin to develop important skills like treading water and deep water jumping, all in preparation for the exciting challenges of the next stage. While we continue to focus on kicking for all four strokes, swimmers will now add basic arm movements to enhance their technique and stamina, helping them swim further with confidence. It’s a fun, dynamic stage that builds strong, capable swimmers!

 

Pre-Pups Stages 1-2: The Next Step in Competitive Swimming

 

Once swimmers progress through Mini Sharks, they move on to our Pre-Pups Programme, designed to develop competitive swimming techniques.

 

Pre-Pups 1 is an exciting step in our program, where swimmers begin to master the art of catching and feeling the water with their arm pulls. This stage focuses on developing essential competitive skills, including diving, turning, and underwater swimming. With practice in deeper water, swimmers will continue refining their treading and other key water safety skills. They’ll also start swimming lengths and work on sculling, a vital technique that helps them 'catch' the water for stronger, more efficient strokes. It's an energising and rewarding stage that prepares swimmers for even greater challenges ahead!

 

Pre-Pups 2 takes swimmers to the next level with a focus on refining breathing techniques and mastering timing patterns for more efficient swimming. In this stage, competitive skills like diving, turning, and underwater swimming continue to be developed, and swimmers will regularly swim 25m lengths, working towards 50m without stopping. We’ll place a strong emphasis on effective arm pulls, now enhanced by correct timing for strokes like breaststroke, butterfly, and front crawl side breathing. These new skills will help swimmers move through the water with speed and efficiency, making each stroke count while conserving energy. It’s a thrilling step towards becoming a faster, more confident swimmer!

 

Session Details

Our Mini Sharks sessions take place every Sunday from 4-7 pm at the Enderby Leisure & Golf Centre.

Join us and let your little Shark dive into an exciting swimming journey with the Leicester Sharks!