Level of swimming ability of primary school pupils

This study is aimed at determining the relationship and influence of different forms of basic swimming training on the swimming ability of primary school children in the Bansko-Bystrica region. The research was carried out in the school years 2023/24 and 2024/25 and involved 332 second and third year primary school pupils with an average age of 7.6 years, an average body height of 132 cm and an average body weight of 26.5 kg. Swimming ability was assessed by 5 tests of swimming skills (deep water dive, deep water exhalation, breaststroke and backstroke, catching objects) and 5 tests dealing with the mastery of swimming techniques, starts and turns. The testing was conducted after the completion of the swimming training, and the pupils scored an average of 1.9 points on the swimming skills tests (T1 - T5), with girls showing better average results than boys (2.1 / 1.7). The results from the tests focusing on mastering the basics of the starting dive (T6) indicate a set level of 1.6 points, and 2.3 points in the swimming stroke (T7), with the breaststroke stroke being the most frequently chosen stroke although most pupils were able to correctly perform the crawl pendulum stroke. Pupils mastered the gross form of the breaststroke stroke at an average of 1.94 points, the crawl stroke at an average of 1.64 points and the breaststroke at an average of 1.66 points. On the basis of the results and average scores of probands we evaluate the level of swimming ability of the children of the monitored groups, especially due to the insufficient time subsidy of the implemented swimming training as adequate and corresponding to the requirements and performance standard.