Game version
Picture-it pairs: on the deck, tell your partner what your perfect dive looks like, then swap. Breathe slowly together first.
Balloon Belly Breaths
Breathe slowly into your belly like a balloon to feel calm before practice.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Lie on your back with a hand on your belly.
Core: Three. Beat your own calm.
- Ages
- 7 and up
- Time
- 5 min
- Players
- Just you
- Space
- Small room
- Bring
- Mat
- Level · skill
- Beginner · Focus & Courage
The steps
How it works
- Lie on your back with a hand on your belly.
- Breathe in slowly through your nose so the balloon fills up.
- Breathe out slowly through your mouth so it goes down.
- Do 8 slow breaths.
Coaching point
Slow in, slow out.
Safety: Your coach decides when a dive is ready. Saying "not yet" is always fine, and no one should push you.
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Challenge
Pick a level: Less (one deep breath), Core (three), More (picture a full dive). Beat your own calm.
Story
You are a movie director picturing your best dive.
My best
Beat your own count
Beat your own calm. Only your own number counts: today against last time.
Practice makes progress
Print it now, or save it free
Free for families and teams
Save this drill to your child or team, free
Sign up and the free diving week for this age opens in your child's planner, kept to healthy limits. A coach can send this drill to the whole team as homework, and parents see every session logged.
14 days free for a family, no card · Running a team is always free
Does your child's coach know about this?
An email from you to the coach, with the words ready. Nothing is tracked and nobody is rewarded.