A PROPOSAL FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING SWIMMING TO PEOPLE WITH COMPLETE TETRAPLEGIA

A DESCRIPTIVE AND PROPOSITIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Swimming is a sport that forms part of the current Paralympic Summer Games program and was first contested in Rome at the 1960 Games. Since then, Paralympic sports have been developed and structured, with the creation of sports classification systems and national and international Paralympic committees. As a way of contributing to the development of the sport and the field of Sports Pedagogy, this study presents a proposal for teaching and learning swimming to people diagnosed with complete quadriplegia. A descriptive and propositional methodology was used, through task evolution, starting with simpler activities and working up to more complex ones. The proposal involves five points: initial orientation, exploration of the liquid environment, movement in the supine position, movement in the prone position, and technical improvement for movement in the supine and prone positions. The five aspects of sports teaching and learning processes were also considered: human movement, multiple intelligences, philosophical and psychological aspects, social learning, and the health aspect. The presentation of this teaching-learning model aims to contribute to the development of the field of Sports Pedagogy and the teaching of Para sports, as well as help guide physical education professionals interested in starting or improving their professional practice in the area of adapted swimming.