Introduction
With the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic having taken such a toll on the lives of so many, especially children (1), it is critical for swim teachers and coaches to understand what this might mean for their practices at the pool.
Authoritarian-style imposed lockdowns/restraint, social isolation, exclusion and general loss of power, control, choice and freedoms, and life-threatening fear of contracting Covid-19, has been traumatising for many (2,3).
A sense of profound helplessness sits at the core of this mass traumatisation as it does with any event that causes trauma to develop (4). In this blog we will learn about how trauma impacts on the future of aquatics.
What Can We Do?
To help prevent inadvertent retraumatisation of children during swim lessons, it is essential to ensure practices don’t unintentionally recreate reminders of the same dynamics experienced during the pandemic.
For example, any aquatic teaching practice that even momentarily recreates a feeling of restraint, loss of control, loss of power or choice, helplessness, isolation, exclusion and fear, has the potential to retraumatise a child.
Get started today here with Trauma-Informed Aquatics training.
Trauma-informed teachers, coaches and frontline staff:
Now more than ever before, there is an urgent need to replace teacher-centric teaching styles and behaviourist conditioning approaches with approaches that are, ‘trauma-informed’ in order to optimise the wellbeing and learning outcomes for our children (5).
What Does it Mean to be Trauma-Informed?
What does it mean as an aquatic professional to be trauma-informed? Some things for us to think about when interacting with children in lessons are summarised below.
- Be mindful that many children (and their families) have experienced trauma in life including from the pandemic and other negative life experiences
- Implement learner-centric teaching practices including progressing at the child’s pace
- Ask yourself the question - are the skills that involve submersion child-led/initiated submersions?
- Remember learner choice and consent are essential
- The need for calming spaces, times or activities is essential
- Ensure learners are engaged though fun, play-based practices that create a sense of safety for the nervous system, thereby optimising capacity for learning
Becoming a trauma-informed aquatics professional is an ethical, professional responsibility and essential part of your duty of care.
Get started today here with Trauma-Informed Aquatics training.
References
1. Wescombe KL. COVID-19 further highlights the importance of trauma-informed education and care. The Sector: Early Childhood Education News, Views & Reviews. Quality; In The Field; 2022 Mar 09 [cited 2022 Oct 26]. https://thesector.com.au/2022/03/09/covid-19-further-highlights-the-importance-of-trauma-informed-education-and-care/
2. Bridgland VME, Moeck EK, Green DM, Swain TL, Nayda DM, Matson LA, et al. Why the COVID-19 pandemic is a traumatic stressor. PLoS ONE (2021);16(1): e0240146. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0240146
3. Prideaux E. How to heal the 'mass trauma' of Covid-19. BBC: Future; 2021 Feb 4 [cited 2022 Oct 26]. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210203-after-the-covid-19-pandemic-how-will-we-heal
4. Bloom SL. Humanising Mental Health Care in Australia: A Guide to Trauma-Informed Approaches: Trauma Theory. Abingdon, OX: Routledge; 2018. [cited 2022 Oct 26]. p. 3-29. https://sandrabloom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018-BLOOM-TRAUMA-THEORY.pdf
5. Kezelman CA, Stavropoulos PA. Organisational Guidelines for Trauma-Informed Service Delivery. Blue Knot Foundation. 2020 [cited 2022 Oct 26]. https://blueknot.org.au/product/organisational-guidelines-for-trauma-informed-service-delivery-digital-download/