Our Method
At Swell, we provide one on one lessons because we know that this is the most effective way to get each swimmer to reach their full potential in the water. Every child is unique; every lesson will be tailored to fit the individual while on track to accomplish these foundational goals of a safe and happy swimmer!
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What you can expect from our lessons?
Safety first- we pride ourselves on preparing our swimmers for any situation. First and foremost, we teach our swimmers to survive in the event of an emergency. We never stop at survival. We want our swimmers to be skilled and confident, navigating the water in an emergency and recreationally. These foundational practices help us achieve these goals.
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Face in water on first and every lesson. The first thing to happen in an emergency is a child’s face going underwater. We want our swimmers to be prepared and know how to hold their breath and open their eyes as soon as they are underwater.
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Horizontal swim position. A pillar of swim success is productive kicking in a horizontal position. When a child becomes vertical in the water, they start to sink and are fighting to stay on top of the water. Flippers and instructor techniques are used to counteract the muscle memory our kids have that make them try to walk or run in the water. Practicing with flippers helps retrain muscles in the water. The more you practice with them the more it becomes muscle memory and eventually your child won't need them anymore.
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Navigating to safe places in the pool. Standing in shallow water, Coming off the step or wall and getting back to it.
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Independent breathing. We teach swimmers to float on their backs and then to roll over and float on their backs to breathe in a sustainable ‘horizontal’ position. This strategy also lends itself to be able to breath properly while learning strokes. When a swimmer pops their head to breathe on their stomach, their hips drop and they start to sink vertically. This means they have to quickly get a breath before going underwater. Many times this makes swimmers rush their breath and feel anxious. Floating on their back, allows them to take as long as they need to breathe and then continue swimming; thus creating sustainability for long swims across the pool.
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Strokes and swim team skills. Once a swimmer can confidently navigate the pool safely on their own, we will begin teaching strokes. Focusing on correct technique from the beginning will create a solid foundation of skills (race starts, flip turns, streamline, etc) that they can utilize both recreationally and competitively. ​
How do we accomplish these goals?
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Swimmer/Instructor connection built on kindness, love, trust, and excitement about progress. Our instructors are chosen specifically because we know they are compassionate and skilled. They are patient and empathetic, while simultaneously setting and holding developmentally appropriate expectations so that swimmers can attain the skills needed to be safe and happy in the water.
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Building confidence in every swimmer. A child lacking confidence in the pool equals a child’s lack of success in the pool. We cannot safely progress to next skills if a swimmer does not have confidence; doing so only yields an anxious swimmer that is not safe in the water. We measure confidence through independent performance of each skill and build upon them accordingly. Just like every child is different in all areas of their development, the rate at which confidence grows has many factors and can come quickly or slowly. We highly encourage families to speak positively about swim, even if they themselves are feeling anxious, because the child will naturally feed off of whatever feelings the parent is portraying. Parents are the main contributor of a child’s feelings about the water. We encourage you to verbally build your swimmer up and steer clear of fueling anxieties as much as possible. We know it’s tricky, but trust us - Confidence breeds success!
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Firm parameters about water safe behavior. Learning to swim is a non-negotiable life skill. It is not a sport that the child can choose to participate in, or a play date they can opt out of because they do not want to go. At some point every child will come into contact with the water and need to safely navigate any water scenario. Feeling nervous, scared, or simply not wanting to are all expected and normal reactions. Our instructors will continue to teach your swimmer through their anxious emotions because consistency and firm parameters create safe swimmers.
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Intentional play & real life scenarios. We believe that a safe swimmer is a happy and confident one! We integrate intentional fun and play in to every lesson because we know that is how kids learn best! Our swimmers (age and skill appropriate) sit on a whale floatie, go down the slide, and jump off the wall & diving board. While these experiences are fun, more importantly they provide opportunities to build confidence and work through challenges. We want our swimmers to be able to tackle anything in the water. A child that won’t do something in the pool or thinks that they can’t, is not a safe one. We have an "I can do hard things when supported and taught" approach. A child that can only perform a life saving skill in one controlled scenario is not as safe a swimmer than one who can consistently navigate multiple experiences in the water!
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Swell & family partnership. We want our swimmers to be as successful at home and beyond as they are in our pool. Communication is key in the success of your swimmer. We want to know how things are going at home so we can support and progress your child accordingly. You can communicate directly with their instructor or reach out to our office staff if a more detailed conversation is needed. Fears and anxieties for both swimmers and parents subside much quicker when families and instructors communicate respectfully during the child’s journey to independent swimming. We are never unsure if a swimmer can learn to swim. We know they will thrive when supported by all parties.