ELTE joins the national swimming program

The National Swimming Programme was launched on 31 January 2022 under the professional supervision and guidance of the Hungarian Swimming Association and with the support of the Hungarian Government. In the program’s framework, students participate in a total of 108 swimming lessons. By the end of the third year, they will be able to swim 100 meters continuously without stopping and move safely and comfortably in deep water.

“As the programme expands, the need for well-trained instructors with a real understanding of the profession will become more and more urgent,” emphasized Sándor Wladár at the press event on 28 November 2022, where he signed an agreement with the leaders of eight universities, including Eötvös Loránd University.

“The ÚNP is one of, if not the most important, initiative in the history of Hungarian swimming,” said the President of the NÚSZ, “Of course, the primary goal is not to educate competitive swimmers. The most important thing is that all kindergarten and schoolchildren should become friends with water and acquire water-safe swimming skills because we must never forget that this is a life-saving skill. At the same time, it is evident that if the program is completed in a few years, our supply base will increase in unprecedented ways, with many more of the hundreds of thousands of youngsters expected to attend training sessions regularly than ever before."

According to Imre Hamar, Deputy Rector of ELTE, who represented ELTE at the ceremony, Eötvös Loránd University is pleased to join the program because the collaboration benefits both parties: aside from the MSZ being ready to provide professional support for the training, it is also ready to welcome the students to sports professional trainings, and the best students can participate in the association's future further training courses, which will deepen their knowledge even further.

Csaba Sós, the former head of the Swimming Department of the University of Physical Education, added that just as in the case of competitive athletes, the proper qualification of coaches is essential for success in children’s swimming. “A bad instructor can do incalculable damage, so it cannot be stressed enough how important it is to have well-trained professionals in the pool who are excellent at teaching swimming and children. In addition, as the programme grows, the need for more and more instructors will increase, and it is clear that the TF alone cannot cover this; as a result, it is critical that all higher education institutions that have everything in place to teach professionals participate."

The national team captain Csaba Sós, the former head of the Swimming Department of the University of Physical Education, added to all of this that, just as in the case of competitive athletes, the proper training of coaches and instructors for children is essential for success. ‘A bad instructor can cause immeasurable damage, so it cannot be overemphasized how important it is to have well-trained professionals who understand swimming lessons and children in the pools. In addition, as the program grows, more and more instructors will be needed, it is obvious that the TF cannot cover this on its own, so all higher education institutions that provide everything for professional training must join the program.'

The programme will also take place in the facilities of the ELTE Savaria University Centre, with the participation of Katalin Biróné Ilics and Katalin Nagyváradi, two lecturers of the PPK.

Source: elte.hu