We have very exciting news! You can now book your swimming classes online from the convenience of your own home, or wherever you happen to be. You can easily see the availability of the courses and get all your information in one place. Choose between locations and different timings as you make your online booking and get confirmation right away. It is that easy!
Visit our website, and select book now. Please find the course of your choice and create an account. The account created would be in the name of the person who makes the booking (usually the parent). Once the account details are completed, the personal details of the swimmer can be added.
The next time you would like to register for a course you just need to click sign in on our booking page, enter your password and you are ready to go.
Select the class of your choice from our wide variety of classes, in the menu on the booking page. All of our classes can be booked online from the‘learn to swim’ classes, ‘swim squad’ classes, ‘adult’ classes and special events like registration session, swim camps, swim clinics and holiday programs.
We have lined up some F.A.Q.’s which might be helpful when booking a swimming class online.
I would like to book a swimming class for more than one child, should I book them separately?
Once an account is created, multiple bookings can be made through this account and more than one swimmer can be registered on one account. Do you have a family who is passionate about swimming?All your bookings can be easily made in one place, please follow the below steps.
• Log in to your account and select ‘Make a new booking’
• Next step is to select the course of your choice and click ‘Book’
• On the next page, where account holder details appear, you will have the option to enter a new swimmer or select a swimmer which is already registered.
Can I register more than one child,of the same family, at the same time?
No problem! It is possible to enter multiple children for a class. First the parent’s details will be requested and then the swimmers details are entered.
How do I pay for the courses ?
You need to pay the term fees to the HPSC administrator or coach at the swimming pool. This can be done in cash, cheque (made payable to High Performance Swimming ) or credit or debit card. Your course is confirmed as soon as the term fees have been paid.
Where can I find the schedule of swimming classes I would like to book?
Happy to help you with this one! Find the swimming class on the booking page and click ‘book’. Next, select the ‘Info’ button. The third tab is the‘Schedule’ section; by clicking it you will be able to see the schedule of swimming classes for that course.
I would like to sign up my child for the Swim Squad course. How do I sign up for all the sessions?
Please select the section Swim Squad Hamdan Sports Complex and find the course with the amount of sessions your child like to swim per week.We also run Mini and Development Squads in our other venues, but only during term time while the squad sessions at Hamdan Sports Complex run the whole year. Available days and timings of the sessions are given in the information section, let us know which session(s) your child will attend by sending an email to info@hpsc-dubai. Please disregard the timings of the class displayed during sign up and follow the schedule given in the information tab, shown before clicking ‘book’. Once you click ‘book’ you will find the fee of the swim course, you will be able to enter your child’s details and confirm the booking. You will be informed by HPSC staff about your childs correct swimming schedule.
Can we still join the course even when the term has started?
No worries at all! Courses can be enrolled in throughout the term, until the course is full. If you start in the middle of the term, you will only pay a course fee from the week the swimmer starts until the end of the term. This fee shown to you is the fee you pay from the day you start.
Can I change my booking?
Yes of course you can, please email the details of the course you like to change to and the reason, to info@hpsc-dubai.com and we will do this for you.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions about online bookings. Our team is also happy to help you book your classes online at the poolside, all you need is your mobile phone and an internet connection.
We look forward for you and your children to join our swimming program and look forward to receive your online bookings.
Most of us know swimming is a low-impact exercise and one of the least dangerous sporting activities however this doesn’t mean that injuries never happen. We’ll take you through some of the most common injuries and give you helpful tips on how to avoid them.
Swimmers Shoulder
Swimmers shoulder is an injury that affects the shoulder joint. It occurs as a result of the inflammation of the tendons that surround the rotator cuff.
Swimmer’s shoulder can be from the wrong swimming technique. An example would be in freestyle stroke as the problem occurs when your hand enters thumbfirst, or it crosses the middle of your body when it extends to the front.
Easy Steps to Avoid Swimmer’s Shoulder
To begin with, always make sure you are swimming with the right technique. Consider asking our swimming instructors to evaluate your strokes and point out mistakes. Also, avoid over training by making sure you have enough recovery time in between sessions??
Swimmer’s Knee
Swimmer’s Knee or breaststroke knee is an injury caused by the repetitive movements of the breaststroke kick. In breaststroke, your leg whips out to help propel your body through the water. When your legs extend and then are brought back together, your knees are forced to an external rotation for which they were not designed for. If you want to avoid swimmer’s knee try to follow these tips:
Neck Injuries
Neck injuries can be another common swimming-related injury, but they are not necessarily associated with a specific stroke. Neck injuries might occur as a result of hyperextending during breaststroke, over-rotating while repetitively turning for breath during freestyle, or overexerting your frontal neck muscles during backstroke. To avoid getting a neck injury follow the advice below:
Lower Back Injuries
Lower back injuries can be quite painful and are typically a result of incorrect technique. When swimming freestyle, you might be swimming with a high head position and your hips and legs sink. Consequently, you could be kicking intensely to keep your legs up and be overarching your back. In such a situation, you need to work on your position and balance in order to find a comfortable horizontal position.
When swimming the butterfly stroke, poor technique could mean you’re lifting your upper body from the water with your back’s strength. In such a situation, you need to work on your style as well as a dolphin kick so that it is the body wave that lifts the upper body from the water and not the back. Also, stretch and warm up properly before trying butterfly stroke.
Most injuries are from incorrect form and technique, and we might make the same mistakes that cause us these injuries over and over again without knowing it. We hope the tips we’ve included here help you avoid these injuries and remember you can always ask one of our friendly swimming instructors to check your technique if you’re worried.
If your child is starting swim lessons, you want to make sure that you get him or her the right equipment. Without a good pair of goggles and a swim cap, being in the water can be very uncomfortable. You want to make sure that your child enjoys their time in the water so investing in a pair of goggles and a swim cap that fits well is a good move. Here’s how to pick the right gear:
Goggles protect your child’s eyes from the chlorinated water in the pool. They also help children see better when they are swimming underwater. Without goggles, children can come home from the pool with red, dry and irritated eyes. A good pair of goggles will allow your child to swim comfortably and build confidence.
When you join HPSC swimming lessons we will provide a free cap for the swimmer. Caps help protect your children’s hair and keep it out of their face when in the pool. If you want to buy a cap here’s how to choose the best fitting cap:
Your child may want a cool design or color, but you should insist on the best fitting goggles and cap. Once you find a few items that fit well, then you can be concerned about the color and design.
Take the proper effort to find the best fitting swim equipment for your children and they will have a much better chance of enjoying their swimming experience.
Are you an adult who wants to learn to swim? Maybe you are looking to spend more time with your family in the pool. Or, you might want to learn to swim in order to get in better shape. Whatever your reason, learning to swim is an exciting adventure HPSC can guide you in.
“Swimming or taking classes with Gerrie feels more of having fun and learning at the same time. I personally enjoyed every class, and many more to come.” Mila – Participant HPSC Adult Swimming Classes
However, it does take time and effort, so you need to prepare yourself to embark on swimming lessons as an adult.
When you watch other people gliding gracefully through the water, it may seem like swimming is easy. But it is harder than it looks. You need to have the right expectations before you start learning to swim. Otherwise, you might give up when the going gets tough.
People who are not prepared to invest the time and energy into learning to swim often get discouraged and give up. Having the right expectations helps you to work through the tough parts to achieve your goal.
“I joined HPSC at the end of November 2015 with limited swimming skills under the coaching of Gerrie van Beek. HPSC’s strive for excellence, clear vision and alignment with my goals lead to a successful completion of half Ironman swim just two months from the start of my program. As a result of my lessons with HPSC I am now a confident swimmer taking part in multiple races as well as swimming for leisure.” Anastasia – Participant HPSC Adult Swimming Classes
A good example is our adult swimming class participant Anastasia, she had a clear goal in mind and together with her coach Gerrie a plan was created to reach this. Communication with your coach is vital to make sure your expectations are aligned with the coach’s vision. We are very proud of Anastasia’s progress and happy we could be part of her journey.
Investing in the right equipment at the beginning is helpful and can spare you a lot of frustration.
A great instructor is critical to your success. Make sure you communicate with your instructor frequently about your progress and how to improve. At the High Performance Swimming Club, we have experienced instructors that can help you to learn to swim quickly.
With HPSC’s professional guidance and coaching skills I overcame my fear of water and step by step I managed to come out of my comfort zone and swim in to the deep side of the pool. Mila– Participant HPSC Adult Swimming Classes
There is a lot you can do to prepare yourself for adult swim classes. But don’t forget to have a good time. Learning to swim is an exciting process!
Does your child not want to join the swimming class? How can you convince them that swimming can be fun and beneficial?
Many children are worried to get into the swimming pool, in spite of seeing their friends having fun in the water playground. This is quite common but with the right approach from the parents your child will become confident in the water. The most effective way to help your child overcome their aqua phobia is to encourage them to learn how to swim. We will explain how we make your child’s swimming lessons fun right from day 1 and what you can do as parent to help.
As a parent, it’s imperative that you relax and express confidence in your child. This may be hard, but you can definitely do it. If you become evidently anxious, your child will also become anxious. You should realize that children take cues from their parents about what is safe or unsafe.
Showing confidence in your child when you sign them up for a particular swimming class and reassuring your child that everything will be ok will help your children get over their fear of the water.
This can be an ideal factor for your children, particularly if they have a fear of the water. You can choose the right class for your child by joining the free swimming assessment first. The swimming teacher will show your child the much-needed instruction on how to enter the pool, how to enjoy the water and that there isn’t anything to be afraid of.
Our HPSC swimming instructors use several methods to help your child feel comfortable in the water. These methods include:
Overcoming the fear of water is usually a very gradual process. An instructor may start your child just sitting on the pool side with their feet in water. If they do this, even for a couple of seconds, this makes it easier to persuade them to go a bit further using positive reinforcement when they complete these steps until their entire body is in the water.
Children may also not like the water in their eyes and therefore the Instructors will get children used to the water with goggles first to show them there is nothing to fear.
HPSC instructors are using a swim fin, kick boards and noodles to make your child feel more at ease in the water, this can be reinforcing and minimize fear they might have. An instructor may use these floating devices in combination with specific swimming strokes until your child shows the correct form, and with help of the instructor come to do the swimming technique by themselves.
If you reward short, attainable goals for your child, then you can reward them for their efforts. For instance, you could promise to buy them a new toy or do something fun when they pass their first swimming class. This not only gives them a goal to work towards, but it will build confidence in their ability to swim. With this, you will encourage the child to associate their adventures in the pool with a positive outcome.
In the beginning of swimming lessons, it is natural for most children to be worried of a swimming pool. They are usually afraid of swallowing some water, hurting their eyes, drowning, and other factors that make children fearful of deep waters.
It’s important as a parent that you keep your child calm despite their fear of the water and reinforce their milestones as they advance their skills in the water. Our swimming instructors have a lot of experience with children like this, and know how to make your child feel relaxed in the swimming pool. Please let our swimming instructor know that your child has a fear of the water so we can give them the right guidance and teach them some great swimming skills.
When the swimming instructor is working with your child parents we kindly ask parents not to get involved. When your child cries the instructor will comfort your child however the instructor will carry on with the class. It is very normal that a child cries and this is not reason to stop the lesson. Your child will quickly start enjoying the swimming lesson and as parents you will be proud of them soon.
Having fun in the pool is the perfect way to instill in your child a love of swimming. Swimming skills will stick with them for life and your child will thank you for raising them with water confidence. Here are our top games for playing in the pool from our years of experience:
This Game Teaches: Swimming With and Against Currents
How To Play It: Ideally this exercise will have as many children as possible joining in, but you can also play it in a smaller pool if you only have a few people. Have everyone form into a ring lining the pool – adults too! – and start moving in one direction. If you do this for a little while, the consistent movement from everyone in the pool will create a small whirlpool that can go faster and faster.
After about five minutes of this, blow a whistle and have everyone turn around and start wading in the opposite direction. They’ll be fighting against the current, getting an outstanding workout while simultaneously learning how hard it is to oppose the flow of water.
This Game Teaches: The horizontal swimming position, which will be used in most swimming activities
How To Play It: Start by one end of the pool. Gently hold your child under their arms with them facing you, then slowly begin walking backward. After you’re moving fast enough to raise them into a front float position – this happens naturally if you’re doing it right – start spinning in a circle and encouraging them to kick their feet. Once they’re used to it, let them put their arms around your neck – this will help them get used to both the sensation of speed and the position that swimming is done in.
This Game Teaches: Directional Control
How To Play It: Stand in the water (it should be waist to chest deep), with your legs spread wide. Your kid’s goal is to swim between your legs and emerge on the other side without touching you. New swimmers don’t always have very good directional control while underwater, games like this help them rapidly develop that particular talent.
If you have several adults, challenge the child to swim through everyone’s legs in one go.
This Game Teaches: Breath Control
How To Play It: Completely submerge your head under the water and blow out a stream of bubbles. Then, when you get to the surface, put a smile on your face and put your ear into the water to ‘listen’.
You can pretend with your child to talk to sea creatures during this game, or simply practice the movements. The explanation you give isn’t important – what matters is teaching your child to be comfortable having all parts of their body underwater, and showing that you’re having fun is a key way of reassuring them.
This Game Teaches: Propulsion and Kicking at any speed
How To Play It: Place your child by either a stair or one of the walls – they’ll want to be holding onto something. Once they’re ready, start calling out the colors of a traffic light.
In addition to reinforcing traffic colors and meanings – an important part of child development all by itself – this game can teach your child to go from any speed to any other speed whenever they need to. Be sure to randomize the order of colors you call out.
This Game Teaches: Diving and efficient swimming
How To Play It: Find some small, easy-to-grab items that can sink to the bottom of the pool (some specialty stores sell toys that do exactly this). When you have some space, start tossing these items to the bottom of the pool and encouraging your child to grab them and bring them back. Be sure to time them on this and see how many they can bring back. Keep the time limit longer at first – say, three or four minutes – and slowly increase it as they grow more aquatically adept.
This Game Teaches: All Swimming Skills
How To Play It: Collect a large number of pool toys, ideally of different types, then place them in various parts of the pool. Each of these toys should be associated with a swimming activity of some kind, and your kid’s goal is to interact with each of them as quickly as possible. As this can test many different skills – swimming styles, diving, holding their breath, etc. – it’s best saved for when your child has learned the basics.
In addition to reinforcing everything they’ve already learned, the Relay Race further enhances their ability to change what they’re doing on a moment’s notice – and when they’ve mastered this game, you can say they’ve truly become an outstanding swimmer.
The upcoming festive break is a great opportunity for you and your child to spend some quality time in the pool. These fun and simple games can help you teach your child a love for all things aquatic. It’s a great way to introduce swimming skills in stages in addition to the weekly swimming classes. So grab your towels and let’s go!
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Find out how to Fast-track your Swimming Skills with our HPSC swimming camps.
Do you want to see quick improvement and take your swimming to the next level? Join one of our swimming camps which are held during the school holidays and fast track your swimming. Read on and we’ll explain why they are so effective.
Swim camps are a great way to see quick improvement no matter what level of swimmer you are. Every school holiday we’ll be running camps at different venues in Dubai. Our camps are for swimmers of all abilities from complete beginners to fitness swimmers and competitors, adults as well as children. There’s something for everyone, join us to make a splash!
Why are SwimCamps so Effective?
Apart from being a fun activity, swim camps are one of the best ways to establish technique and correct style. Because you or your child is swimming daily you get to practice what you learnt yesterday without any chance of forgetting. The improvements you’ll see from swim camps are very rewarding.
And did we mention that they are also great fun?!
We’ll put you in a group with swimmers of your age and level, our coaches will work with your group to analyise your technique and you’ll get one to one feedback and coaching on how to improve. For fitness swimmers, good technique is important to ensure you get a good workout. For those aspiring to swim competitively, technique is everything!
Our swim camps keep you and your children active and busy. All swimmers meet and make friends and get a sense of achievement when they see how quick they are improving. It’s a fun way to learn to swim or learn to compete.
The focus in our swimming camps will be on;
Dive In
Swimming isn’t just for the children. HPSC also offers adult only classes as well so don’t be shy, come on down and make it a family affair! Whether it’s for fun, exercise or with an aspiration to swim professionally, dive in at HPSC and we’ll show you how it’s done.
Getting your child ready for a swim meet can be stressful, especially if it’s your first time. Not only do you have to help your child prepare mentally and physically for the competition, but you also have to make sure you have everything your child will need for the big event. The good news is it’s not as overwhelming as it sounds, or at least it doesn’t have to be.
With a little preparation, you can rest easier knowing that your son or daughter will be ready, and your child can focus on what’s important—having fun! Here are our top tips on how to prepare your child for a swim meet.
The first thing you’ll want to do is figure out what your child will need for the swim meet. Coaches can provide more specific guidance, but here is a list of items you’ll generally need.
Bonus Tip: Talk to your child’s coach and get a full schedule for the event so you know exactly where your child needs to be and where. Make sure your child understands the schedule, too.
Nutrition plays a huge role in your child’s success as a swimmer. While a balanced diet is essential year-round, it’s important to boost carb intake several days prior to an event, and especially the night before.
But this doesn’t mean your child should engage in “carb loading.” Loading up on cookies, candy bars and french fries won’t give your child a competitive edge—more likely, it will make him or her feel sick. The simple sugars found in most junk foods provide a quick boost of energy, but not one that is sustainable. And since most of these foods are high in fats and low in nutritional value, they only serve to slow your child down.Instead, focus on foods that are high in complex carbohydrates and nutritional value. These include starchier foods, such as vegetables, pasta, whole grain cereal, rice, bread and beans. For example, the night before a meet, you could serve your a child a whole-grain pasta dish with vegetables.
It’s also important to fuel up the morning before the event. A light, high-carb breakfast, such as whole-grain cereal, toast or bagels is a good starting point. If there isn’t time for breakfast, or your child is feeling too nervous to eat, you can also pack something and carry it to the meet. But do try to make sure they eat with enough time to digest and don’t skip breakfast completely. They don’t want to be swimming on an empty energy tank.
After an intensive competition, your child’s energy level will need boost. It is best to refuel within 15 to 30 minutes after finishing to repair muscles and replace energy. A great after competition snack is a whole wheat sandwich with peanut butter, chicken breast, tuna or beef.Remember, this isn’t the time to try new things. Make sure your child is eating foods that he or she is familiar with, foods that agree with their systems. You definitely want no surprises come swim time!It’s also important to make sure your child stays hydrated before, during and after the event. Finally, make sure your child has a fun time. If they love what they are doing then they are more likely to perform well and be motivated to train hard.
By the time they’re five years old, the average child can learn to swim a decent distance in about twenty to thirty lessons – and that’s assuming they have 45 minutes lessons at least twice week.
Older children, between six and nine years old, can usually learn basic swimming skills from eight to twenty lessons.