Need some Help for Gym

[Rainstorm]

So, for my Gym class, we start the Swimming Unit tommarow. Three weeks worth of changing, swimming, and all that...there's the problem.

I can't stand swimming. Having nearly drowned twice in my life, I don't want anything to do with the water, unless for drinking. Thing is, the school mandates us to take the swimming class, no exceptions.

I despise changing in the locker room. No need for explanation there. The Pool we have is practically Olympic Size, and we have to be in the middle area, which, being that I'm a very short person (not even 5'), makes it harder for me to stay afloat and swim back and forth.

The school expects us to already know how to swim and everything, and I never learned. I can barely do a front stroke, let alone a back stroke, dive, and all that.

So, I need to talk to the coach about this. What should I ask? And is there a hope I can get out of this?

[Kaleidoscope Eyes]

I don't think there's a way for you to just skip the whole swimming unit. I would explain to the coach that you never learned to swim, however, and ask if that's going to be a problem or if you'll be able to work on that and keep up still.

You say you've almost drowned before--maybe not knowing how to swim contributed to that? Learning how is likely to help you conquer your fear a bit, because you won't feel like you can't handle yourself in the water. If you can't swim, large bodies of water are going to be intimidating because you can't hardly stay afloat. When you can swim, you know you're not going to sink like a stone and it's not such a big deal. Besides, I think it's a good skill to have.

Just try your best, and talk to your coach about not knowing how to swim. This is a good opportunity to get more comfortable with the water, so just try to relax and see if you can't turn this into a good thing.

[CaptainObvious]

You should talk to your coach about your not knowing how to swim, but you definitely shouldn't try to get out of it. I know you're nervous, but learning to swim is extremely important. That, and changing is really not that bad. So talk to your coach about getting skill-appropriate instruction for yourself, but you should do this unit.

[ShatteredWings]

1) Olympic pools are very long(50 meters). Any school pool is only going to be 25yards/meters (depending if you use metric or US standard).

2) Is there any way you can get help with swimming. I can only assume you don't know how to swim well. It's not fair for the coach to assume you know how to swim, since you're probably NOT the only one who can't.
Swimming isn't dangerous
Not knowing how to is.

ask your coach if he can help you learn to swim maybe?

[sebbie]

Chances are with it being a mandatory unit it will be very hard to get out of, you might end up with doing theory based related work rather than practical swimming or something like that.

However I personally would say to go your coach and juts explain, go into the lessons with an open mind and try to learn how to swim at a pace you are ready for. It may help you to conquer your fear, plus learning to swim is something that can be fun or life saving.

[Giles]

I had to do a few month in my primary school..
It wasn't so bad, loads of people that I thought would be able to swim (you know, all the really popular sex gods etc.) actually couldn't.
It might be like that with you?

[INFERNO]

I don't think you can skip it if it is mandatory because you are physically able to swim. If you were physically handicapped (i.e. parapalegic) then you obviously cannot but in your case, it is a matter of a psychological handicap. I assume that you probably will have to do the unit anyways. Also, I think you should do the unit for two reasons. First, swimming is a very common social event and if you have children later or just if you go with people who swim, it may be unusual if you don't swim despite being able and fit to do so. Second, although you do have a rational reason for avoiding pools, don't let it impede your life and so I think that swimming can be a form of explosive psychotherapy whereby you're exposed directly to what the phobic stimulus is (i.e. water). Once you overcome your fear of swimming, then you may come to enjoy it or even if you still dislike it, you may find that you are able to swim. Perhaps you can also become more acquainted with other students as they may help you in swimming.

So overall I say don't skip it, at least try swimming. I would tell your coach though about your phobia of swimming and that you don't know how to swim so he/she knows that although you are able to swim, you'd need extra coaching on just how to swim.

[JasonClark]

swimming is a very important thing, and you SHOULD take the time to learn, even if it is to jsut stay afloat or tread water. talk ti over with your parents and have them talk to a school representative.

[CaptainObvious]

Pretend you can't swim, they will make you either 1) Walk laps around the pool, or 2) Walk inside the water, not swim.

Dunno where the hell you went to school, but anywhere reasonable they'd make you learn how to swim. What's the point of a swim instruction class if you don't learn to swim?

[INFERNO]

Pretend you can't swim, they will make you either 1) Walk laps around the pool, or 2) Walk inside the water, not swim.

I highly doubt that if the swimming part of the course is mandatory because the course is done at a school where you go there to learn. It's like saying that you go to a math class but don't know how to do the math you're meant to learn so instead the teacher lets you write gibberish on the tests or leave the room and not get penalized for it. Not something that's likely to happen.