Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-19

\ HE'LL So tHdI he may grasp tnc
| General idea of the game
-Four lessons ought to suffice the aver
are person but | have had some of the
boys pick up the idea at the .lrst lesson
1t was almost as if they learned as soon
as they hit the water. Others may re-
quire ten lessons before they grasp the
dea OF the swimming game"
=. = - X
You teach the breast stroke, of
course?' said the reporter with vague
idea that he had heard tn s somewhere.
Il do not" replied DR.. Hudson, las a
general thing. | do not care for the
breast stroke, as it is obsolete and I'M
practicable. L teach all beginners the
dog paddle and find it more effective"
Yes" he continued in an absent-mind-
ed sort of a way, for DIR. Hudson has the
habit of thinking of his beloved swim
I ming rool more to himself than TO out
siders, yes. very many people have the
very same idea of the dog paddle that
YOU have. They imagine that il is moth
ing but grand splash. where one bangs
around In a hit or miss fashion, with the
main idea of preventing asphyxiation By
water
They think of it as a stroke resortei
to by those who could not master any
thing else.
In reality it is, if properly done. the
| most natural. the simplest and the most
effective stroke for beginner. But not
as it is praoticed in the spluttering fash
ion by most persons. 1t really isn't pad
ding UP and down the pool on the arms.
There is very definite crawl movement
an arm stroke together with kick And
II is the stroke that is being taught il,
the United States army, the Young Men,;
Christian Association and many other ,ip-
to-date swimming schools.
+. But before beginner learns any
stroke at all the most important point i,
to get rid Of his fear of the water He
must learn to get his head under water
and open his eyes, and then get his head
up and get the water out of his eyes, ears
and nose without bringing up his hands
to assist any of them.
ITO keep the hands down is the first
point 1 try to impress on novices. This
Is more essentially important than anv
other single lesson that can be taught
in the swimming school. 1t is nervous
ness more than any other thing that is
responsible for drownings of inexpert
swimmers
How would il be in an accident if a
man went down and then when he came
up. instead o. using his hands to assist
himself in swimming, began to try to
fight the water out OF his eyes, hose and
mouth?
IF the man failed to use his hands to
swim with and wasted time to wipe the
water from his face he would be drown
ed He'd go dow, again.
Yet ii is the most natural thing in the
woriG for a man On fre3ing himself from
water to atte.nnt to wipe the Wa .er from
his face. 1t seems TO be one OF the hab-
its of human nature that only careful
practice and amending patience can final
~ rid completely.
Few people who have never swan
realize how hard it is to teach this sim
pie fact to a beginner. 1t seems impos-
sibie al the first lesson. with the thought
that he must not be afraid of the water
and that he must not attempt to strike
from his face the water which has ac-
cumulated there.
"At each lesson try to teach the boys
an advance stroke. / try to show them
something that they have not learned be-
fore. This is the only method that 1 can
see-general instruction at first and after
that individual attention. according to
the boys needs. 1t is remarkable how,
after learning the rudiments of swim
ming, the talents of boys, will differ
One boy will progress rapidly. Another
will fail 1t Is necessary to. watch each
boy"