Brain as the Orchestrator: Frontal Lobe and the Path to Efficient Swimming

Imagine watching a young swimmer moving smoothly and efficiently through the water. What are you actually seeing? Muscles, technique, the result of long hours of training? Yes, but at the same time you're observing something much more fascinating – you're watching the brain in action.

Just like an orchestra conductor coordinates dozens of musicians to create a harmonious whole, the young athlete's brain orchestrates a complex dance of nerves, muscles, and senses. But not every brain is equally developed, and not every "orchestrator" has the necessary skills to create a perfect symphony of movement.

Swimming is not just about physical strength or endurance. It's a complex neurological process where the brain must receive, process, and interpret vast amounts of data – from the sensation of water on the skin, through perceiving body position in space, to the precise timing of every movement. For a young athlete, this process is even more complicated because their nervous system is still developing.

We must realize that a young athlete's brain is primarily shaped by movement in a terrestrial environment. Their neuronal architecture is the result of sports performed on dry land and is not naturally adapted to the aquatic environment. In water, they receive completely different sensory inputs and must build a new neural network based on these different stimuli.

When we focus in training not only on the physical aspect but also on neurological development, we open doors to a transformation that transcends the boundaries of a single sport. The story we present to you today shows how properly guided training can awaken the "sleeping orchestrator" in a young athlete's brain and unlock their hidden potential.

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Part 1: Brain as the Orchestrator

Control Center: Frontal Lobe

Imagine the frontal lobe as the CEO of a company – it doesn't have to do all the work, but it decides what, when, and how things will be done. This part of the brain, located behind the forehead, performs several key functions in our body:

Planning and Decision-Making: When a child learns a new swimming technique, their frontal lobe evaluates what movement they should perform, in what order, and with what intensity. It's as if they create a "mental map" of the movement in their mind before executing it.

Attention and Focus: Do you know how challenging it is to maintain the attention of a 10-year-old child? Their frontal lobe is responsible for that. When a coach demonstrates a new technique, the child's ability to watch, perceive details, and ignore distracting stimuli – all of this is controlled by this part of the brain.

Impulse Control: Why is it so difficult for children to "just kick with legs without moving arms"? Because their frontal lobe and other centers are not yet fully developed to stop automatic, learned movements. It's similar to when you try not to eat the last piece of chocolate on the table – you need a "brain muscle" that says "stop."

Problem Solving: When a swimmer realizes they're getting tired quickly, their frontal lobe should analyze the situation: "Maybe we're not rotating our body enough? Maybe I'm breathing incorrectly?"

In everyday life, we can see the frontal lobe in action when a child learns to delay immediate gratification (not eating candy right now), plan homework, or change behavior according to different social situations.

The problem is that the frontal lobe develops slowly in children – it doesn't fully mature until around age 25! That's why children can't "just listen to instructions" and immediately execute them correctly. Their brain's "CEO" is still learning the job. When a 10-year-old child says: "I'm trying, but it's not working," they're telling the absolute truth – their brain doesn't yet have fully developed tools for precise body control.

It's important to realize that the frontal lobe develops continuously, with every new action, when acquiring new knowledge or movement technique. The key question is whether it has the right methodology, the right guidance.

For this reason, it's essential to ensure that the training methodology is adapted to the particular brain configuration of its "owner." Otherwise, incorrect neural architecture will be created, which will need to be rebuilt in the future, assuming you find the right person who can help you.

Internal Body Monitor: Insular Cortex

While the frontal lobe is like a director, the insular cortex (or insula) is like an internal monitoring system that continuously tracks what's happening inside the organism. This deeper part of the brain processes signals from our body and allows us to "feel what's happening inside."

What is interoception? It's the ability to perceive internal body sensations. It's not just about feeling hungry or thirsty – it's a complex perception of how fast your heart is beating, how hard you're breathing, how much energy you have left, whether your muscles are getting tired. It's like an internal dashboard with all the indicators of your body's condition.

Imagine learning to play the piano. At first, you have to think about every finger, every note. But gradually you begin to "feel" the music – your fingers seem to know on their own where to go. The insular cortex works similarly in swimming – it helps swimmers transition from "thinking about every movement" to "feeling the right movement."

Why is this important for swimming? A good swimmer can perceive:

• Exactly when they start feeling fatigue

• How efficiently they use energy with each stroke

• What resistance their body creates in the water

• When their breathing changes and how it affects their performance

Children typically have less developed interoception. Therefore, they often:

• Unexpectedly "run out of all energy" without warning

• Cannot describe why they got tired

• Have trouble adjusting pace to their energy reserves

• Cannot distinguish between different types of fatigue (physical or mental)

For a coach, the challenge is to help children start perceiving these internal signals. It's not just about learning technique, but about learning to "listen to their body" – and this requires time, patience, and specific exercises that help develop this internal awareness.

Brain Teamwork

Just like a football team needs cooperation between defense, midfield, and attack, the brain needs coordination between different areas to create smooth, efficient movement. It's not just about the frontal lobe and insular cortex – it's a complex network of cooperating systems.

Cerebellum: Expert in coordination and fine timing. Think of it as a choreographer who ensures that every movement is precisely timed and executed with accuracy.

Basal Ganglia: A system that helps automate repeated movements. When a beginner learns to swim, they must think about every movement. An experienced swimmer, however, swims "automatically" – thanks to these structures.

Motor Cortex: Sends specific commands to muscles. It's like an implementation team that transforms plans into concrete actions.

Sensory Systems: Provide continuous feedback – vision helps with orientation, the balance system informs about body position, proprioception (perception of one's own body position) assists with coordination.

When these systems communicate effectively, movement looks natural and elegant. The problem, however, is that in children this communication is not yet fully developed. It's as if individual departments of a company don't yet have well-established communication channels – information is transmitted more slowly and with more errors.

Practice clearly confirms that children's brain centers are often insufficiently developed and communication between them is not optimal. This is one of the main reasons why children sometimes stagnate in swimming development. We must patiently wait and systematically work to help the brain mature through proper methodology and guidance, which subsequently manifests as improvement in movement performance both on land and in water.

We should be careful about what we tell children. I hold the belief that at every single moment, we are perfect. There is no reason for it to be otherwise. The question is whether the people involved in teaching and guidance realize what an important role they play in society and what responsibility they have when they undertake to teach someone something. Or they should know how to say and admit to themselves: "I've got this" or "I don't have what it takes."

Child brain plasticity is, however, an enormous advantage. The child's brain is extraordinarily adaptable – new connections form faster than in adults. Every movement repetition, every new experience creates and strengthens neural pathways.

It is extremely important that the methodology for learning new technique is correct and based on understanding child brain development. An effective methodology – capable of dynamically adapting to the individual needs of each child – must also consider the child's current responses – how they feel, what they perceive, and what they understand. This information provides a real picture of the developmental level of individual brain centers. The coach must be able to fluidly adapt the training approach according to these current changes in the child.

This plasticity is like wet clay – it forms easily, but when it dries, it holds its shape. Therefore, childhood is a critical period for developing motor skills. Neural pathways created at this age can persist throughout life. At the same time, this means that incorrectly learned movements can become problematic habits that are difficult to change, and their negative effects may manifest sooner or later in deteriorating individual health.

This was exactly Nino's problem – he was incorrectly guided, and rebuilding his movement patterns required a time-consuming, physically and mentally demanding process. As a result of incorrect guidance, he didn't get the opportunity for his brain centers to develop properly, which would have resulted in his ability to swim the breaststroke technique efficiently.

Training that respects this developmental phase uses the natural plasticity of the child's brain to create strong, efficient neural pathways – not just for one specific sport, but for lifelong motor intelligence.

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Part 2: Nino's Journey - Theory in Practice

Initial Assessment

Nino, a 11-year-old tennis player with two years of experience, came to his first swimming training with the goal of improving his swimming skills and supporting overall physical development. Besides tennis, he could train in water only once a week. At first glance, it seemed like a common situation – an active boy who wants to learn to swim better. However, a more detailed assessment revealed a more complex picture.

Physical Prerequisites: Nino had flat feet, which had lost their natural functionality. It could be said that he was fortunate that their influence had not yet spread negatively to other parts of his body. Nevertheless, this postural problem was not just a cosmetic matter – it directly affected his movement patterns, stability, and efficiency of movement in water and on the tennis court.

This situation presented not only a physical challenge but also a long-term risk. Ineffective technique could deepen his postural problems and potentially lead to injuries. At the same time, it could reinforce inappropriate movement patterns that would later negatively affect his tennis performance.

In my practice, I often encounter children who haven't even reached 12 years old, are actively involved in sports, and are marked by a pathological form of scoliosis that in many cases requires wearing a brace during the night. For many children, this condition is psychologically demanding, as wearing the brace is painful. This is why it's extremely important for a child to be properly guided from the beginning when they start engaging in sports.

Swimming Technique: His breaststroke swimming technique was ineffective. After swimming 25 meters, he showed significant signs of fatigue, had to stop and grab the pool edge. His movements were uncoordinated, with excessive energy expenditure to cover a relatively short distance.

Cognitive Aspects: The most interesting were the results of the cognitive assessment. Nino:

• Didn't know how to adjust swimming speed to reduce energy expenditure

• Couldn't describe the movements of individual parts of his body during swimming

• Didn't understand the connection between technique and energy demands

• Couldn't estimate how long he could swim without a break

These deficits were directly related to insufficiently developed frontal lobe functions. His "brain orchestrator" lacked the necessary tools for controlling efficient movement in water. He was missing the ability to:

• Monitor and analyze his own movement (metacognition)

• Plan long-term strategy for covering distance (executive functions)

• Perceive subtle fatigue signals and adapt to them (interoception)

From a neurological perspective, the problem was clear – the neural architecture needed for complex swimming was not sufficiently developed. Nino simply didn't have the "hardware and software" necessary for efficient movement in water. As he said himself: "I don't know why that part of my body moves when it shouldn't."

Training Approach

When creating a training plan for Nino, it was clear that the traditional approach of "repeat this movement a hundred times" wouldn't work. Child brain neuroplasticity needs more than just mechanical repetition – it needs meaningful, diverse stimuli that activate multiple brain areas simultaneously.

Gradual Building of Neural Architecture

Instead of immediately focusing on the entire breaststroke technique, training began with simpler elements that taught Nino to:

• Be aware of body position in water (proprioception)

• Initiate movement from different parts of the body consciously, not reflexively

• Stop unwanted movements that automatically "attached" to intended movements. These basic exercises looked simple, but they were actually building critical neural pathways that Nino's brain needed for more complex movements.

Cognitive Engagement

A crucial element was that Nino wasn't just a passive executor of instructions. With each exercise:

1. He received an explanation of WHY the movement is performed in a specific way

2. He was guided to predict what would happen if he performed the movement differently

3. After execution, he was asked to describe what he felt and observed

4. He had to compare the actual result with his prediction

   This cycle of "prediction - action - reflection" activated the frontal lobe in a way that mere movement repetition cannot achieve. This approach utilizes a child's natural curiosity and helps build "mental maps" of movement.

Interoception Development

Specific exercises were designed for Nino to start perceiving internal signals from his body:

• Swimming at different intensities followed by reflection on how the feeling of fatigue differed

• Breath-holding exercises with gradual extension to learn to perceive body signals before acute need for breath

• Alternating fast and slow sections to experience contrast between different physiological states

  These exercises stimulated the insular cortex and helped Nino create finer distinctions between different bodily states.

Connection with Tennis Training

A key aspect was creating connections between swimming and tennis skills:

• Discussions about how body rotation in water relates to rotation during a tennis stroke

• Identifying similarities between breathing timing while swimming and during a tennis stroke

• Comparing feelings of fatigue at different intensities in both sports

  These connections helped Nino see broader relationships and built transferable neural pathways that he could use in both sports.

Motivational Aspect

Initially, Nino claimed: "I know everything, including how to swim properly." This confidence was natural but hindered learning. The key breakthrough came through conversations about health, body care, and long-term consequences. When Nino understood why effective technique is important not only for performance but also for his health, his motivation changed significantly. This approach wasn't just about physical training – it was actually "neurological training" that systematically built and strengthened neural pathways needed for complex, efficient movement in water.

Key transformations

Nino's transformation after a year and a half of training was remarkable – not only from the perspective of swimming technique, but also in terms of neurological development. Let's look at specific changes:

Technical Improvements:

• Breaststroke technique changed from ineffective, energy-demanding form to fluid, coordinated movement

• Nino could swim longer distances without signs of excessive fatigue

• He mastered not only basic technique but also its modifications and technically more challenging variants

• He acquired isolated activity of individual body parts and their various movement combinations

Neurological Milestones:

Frontal Lobe:

• Ability to initiate and stop specific movements of individual body parts

• Significant improvement in movement planning – Nino could predict consequences of different techniques

• Developed metacognition – ability to think about his own movement

• Improved problem-solving ability – when he got tired, he could identify which part of technique needed adjustment

  Insular Cortex:

• Refined perception of bodily signals – Nino could identify different types of fatigue

• Ability to predict when fatigue would start appearing

• Better perception of energy demands of different techniques

• Developed "predictive models" – he could estimate how long he could swim with a particular technique

  Neural Integration:

• Smoother connection between planning (frontal lobe) and execution (motor cortex)

• More efficient coordination between bodily signals (insular cortex) and decision-making (frontal lobe)

• Increased automation of basic movements (basal ganglia)

Nino's Training Videos Before and After Swimming Technique Transformation

Nino: Breaststroke Technique Transformation

Video - Breaststroke Technique Before and After

Nino first shows how he swam breaststroke before our collaboration. Then you see how his technique changed for the better after long-term work. The difference is truly significant – his movements are now correct and efficient.

Nino: Breaststroke Arm Technique

Nino: Breaststroke Kick Technique

Nino: Breaststroke Technique Above and Below Surface

Nino: Breaststroke Isolation Technique

Nino - Challenge: Connecting Two Techniques

Nino's Perspective

The best evidence of neurological development was Nino's own statements. At the beginning of training, he couldn't describe what his body was doing. After a year and a half, he could say things like:

• "I feel that when I finish the arm stroke more slowly, I get less tired."

• "I know that when my breathing starts changing in a certain way, I usually have 2-3 lengths left before I get seriously tired."

• "When I feel my arms starting to get slower, I know I need to use my legs more to maintain speed."

These statements show that Nino developed what we could call "aquatic intelligence" – a complex understanding of the relationship between his body, technique, and aquatic environment.

Nino's transformation wasn't just about new movement skills – it was about a new way his brain processed information, planned, and executed movement. His "brain orchestrator" now had all the tools it needed to create harmonious, efficient movement in water.

Beyond the Pool

Nino's neurological transformation wasn't limited to the pool – it manifested in other areas of his life, especially in tennis and daily activities.

Transfer to Tennis:

Improved proprioception (body position awareness) translated into more precise and controlled tennis strokes. Nino began to better perceive his body position during strokes, which allowed him to make finer technical adjustments.

Trunk rotation, which he learned to coordinate in water, became smoother in tennis strokes as well. This improved body mechanics not only increased the effectiveness of his strokes but also reduced injury risk.

Endurance gained from swimming manifested in better conditioning during longer tennis matches.

The most significant transfer, however, was Nino's developed ability to "feel his body" and actively adapt his movement. When he felt that a particular stroke wasn't effective, he could identify the problem and adjust his technique – exactly as he had learned in swimming.

Rehabilitation Aspects:

Swimming provided an ideal environment for addressing Nino's postural problems:

• Reduced gravity in water allowed strengthening of weakened muscle groups without excessive joint stress

• Symmetric as well as asymmetric movements in swimming helped balance one-sided stress from tennis

• Strengthening of leg muscles and improved proprioceptive awareness contributed to better foot functionl

These changes illustrate why neurologically informed training is so valuable – it's not just about athletic performance, but about the holistic development of the child.

When we stimulate the brain through movement, we build neural pathways that serve not only sports, but also cognitive, emotional, and social development.

Nino's journey from ineffective swimming to neurologically integrated movement shows that properly designed training can function as a catalyst for overall developmental leap – advancing not only physical abilities, but helping the brain itself mature.

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Conclusion

Nino's story isn't just about how a young tennis player learned to swim better. It's a story about how a young athlete's brain learns to "orchestrate" a complex symphony of movement – and how this process transcends the boundaries of one sport or one skill.

Why is training that considers brain development so important?

Traditional training methods often focus on mechanical repetition of movements without deeper understanding of the neurological processes happening in the background. It's like expecting an orchestra to play perfectly just because the musicians received sheet music – without giving them time to practice, without a conductor to coordinate their performance.

When we understand how the brain processes information, how individual brain structures develop, and how neuroplasticity works, we can create training that not only teaches movements but also develops the "control system" itself – the young athlete's brain.

Long-term Benefits

Neurologically informed training brings benefits that far exceed one sport or one season:

For athletic performance: Athletes trained this way learn new techniques faster, transfer skills between sports more efficiently, and are more resilient to stress and fatigue.

For health: Better neurological control of movement reduces injury risk, helps correct postural problems, and builds healthy movement patterns that last a lifetime.

For cognitive development: Development of the frontal lobe, insular cortex, and other brain structures helps not only in sport, but also in school, social relationships, and emotional regulation.

Practical Recommendations

For coaches:

• Spend time explaining "why" – not just "how" – this helps build critical neural connections

• Create training that stimulates different sensory systems simultaneously

• Teach children to "listen to their body" – it's a skill that must be developed purposefully

• Don't be afraid to combine different sports – it creates richer neural networks

For parents:

• Support diversity of movement activities – every new movement builds new neural pathways

• Ask children about their bodily sensations – this helps develop interoception

• Be patient – neurological development has its own timeline

• Appreciate improvements in understanding, not just performance

For young athletes:

• Learn to be curious about what's happening in your body

• Don't be afraid to experiment with different ways of moving

• Ask "why" – the more you understand your body, the better you can control it

• Remember that every training session changes your brain – you decide in which direction

Nino's journey from beginner to confident, aware swimmer is possible for every child. When we approach training with understanding of the brain as "movement orchestrator," we open doors to transformation that transcends individual sports and builds the foundation for lifelong motor intelligence.

The brain as orchestrator – this isn't just a metaphor. It's a reality we can use to help young athletes not only swim, run, or play tennis better, but to help them better understand, control, and optimize their most important tool – their own body and mind.

And when we teach young athletes how to be their own "orchestrators," we give them a gift that will serve them long after they leave the sports fields of their childhood.

Imagine a future of sport where training isn't just about what the body can do, but also about how the brain develops – and how we can guide and support this development. This future is already here – and stories like Nino's show us the way.

Knowing how to swim efficiently is a valuable skill. But knowing how to learn, how to perceive your body, how to control and optimize it – that is an invaluable art that transcends the boundaries of individual sports and becomes the foundation of lifelong health, well-being, and performance.

In Nino's case, it started with a simple question: "How to teach a boy to swim better?" But the answer led us deep into the fascinating world of neurology, developmental psychology, and sports science. And perhaps in this connection – in understanding the brain as the orchestrator of movement – lies the key to a new generation of training methods that will shape future athletes: not only stronger and faster, but also more aware, adaptable, and sensitive to their own body.

And that is a goal worth pursuing – for coaches, parents, and young athletes themselves.

Note: This article is based on my many years of experience as a swimming coach. Every child requires an individual approach based on understanding their specific needs and abilities.

If you like my training system and approach, don't hesitate to contact me and book your child for their first trial training session. I look forward to it!

Also check out more information about children's swimming training HERE.

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