Purpose: substantiating and developing the structure and content of theoretical training of swimmers at the stage of initial training and determining the effectiveness of traditional and interactive means of theoretical training on the level of theoretical training of athletes.
 Material and methods. A sociological survey by means of a questionnaire was conducted among qualified swimmers and trainers-teachers in order to establish the actual problems of the theoretical training of swimmers.
 The total number of interviewed qualified swimmers was 32 people, the average age of the interviewed athletes was 17.40±0.48 years, 68% were male, 32% were female. The experience of playing sports is 10.62±0.47 years.
 The total number of interviewed coaches was 17 people. Among the interviewees were 3 coaches of the highest category, 1 of them is an honored coach of Ukraine, 6 people are coaches of the first category, 8 people are coaches of the second category; the average age of the interviewees was 43.49 ± 0.44, 65% were male, 35% were female.
 Young swimmers aged 8–10, who were practicing at the stage of initial training, took part in the pedagogical experiment. The total number of athletes was 19 people. Two experimental groups were formed, in the preparation of which both generally accepted means and methods of theoretical training were used, as well as the author's interactive means using the game method.
 Mathematical and statistical processing of the research results was carried out using such criteria as: Shapiro-Wilkie (to check the normality of the distribution of the studied indicators of swimmers), Student's t-test (for independent and dependent samples in the case of normal data distribution), Mann-Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon (in the absence of a normal distribution of data); correlation analysis between the competitive result and the level of theoretical preparedness of swimmers at the stage of initial training.
 The results. Educational and training classes according to the developed program with the use of the author's interactive means of theoretical training contributed to a reliable (p<0.001) increase in the general level of theoretical training of swimmers at the stage of initial training by 161.00%. At the same time, educational and training classes with the use of theoretical training tools provided by the state curriculum turned out to be less effective and contributed to an increase in the overall level of theoretical training of young swimmers by only 39.87%.
 Conclusions. Theoretical training is an integral part of the system of training athletes. The use of interactive means of theoretical training with the use of the game method (computer games) in the process of theoretical training of young swimmers significantly increases its effectiveness, in contrast to classes in which only traditional means and methods were used (study of special literature, story, conversation, demonstration of stands, documentaries) theoretical training. At the same time, it was established that there are no gender differences between the indicators of theoretical readiness of boys and girls swimmers 8-10 years old. In addition, a high correlation was found between the general level of theoretical preparedness of swimmers of the main group and the time to cover the competitive distance of 50 m, which indicates that with an increase in the level of theoretical preparation, the time to cover the competitive distance decreases.