Our Method
At Swell, we provide one on one lessons because we know that is the most effective way to get each swimmer to reach their full potential in the water. Every child is unique which means every lesson will be tailored to fit the individual while on track to accomplish these foundational goals to safe and happy swimming!
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What you can expect from our lessons?
Safety first- we pride ourselves on preparing our swimmers for any situation. Starting with how to survive in the event of emergency.
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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 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 to 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 kids don’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 their hips drop and they start to sink into the water. This means they have to quickly get a breath before going underwater. Many times this makes swimmers rush their breath and feel anxious. If they learn to float they can take as long as they need to breathe and continue swimming. This creates a sustainable way to continue to breathe for long swims across the pool
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Strokes and swim team skills. Once a swimmer can confidently navigate the pool on their own, we begin teaching strokes with a focus on correct technique that can get lost in the shuffle at a team practice, race starts, flip turns, streamline, etc. ​
How do we accomplish these goals?
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Swimmer/Instructor relationships built on kindness, trust, excitement about progress and love. Our instructors are hired because we know they are the most compassionate people on the planet. They are patient and genuinely love each swimmer. This gives all our swimmers the perfect support to accomplish safety and happiness in the water.
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Building confidence in every swimmer. Without confidence in each skill, swimmers won’t be successful in performing in our pool and beyond. We can measure confidence through independent performance of a skill, hesitation to perform a skill in our pool or at home (asking if they have to do it, saying I don’t want to, etc), wanting control of what will happen in the water. We cannot, safely, progress to next skills when a swimmer doesn’t have confidence. Skills with no confidence yields an anxious swimmer that is not safe in the water. Confidence is individual to each swimmer. Just like every child is different, the rate at which confidence is built has many factors and can come quickly or slowly.
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Firm parameters about water safe behavior. Learning to swim is a non-negotiable. It isn't a sport that a child can choose if they want to participate or not. At some point they will come into contact with the water and need to safely navigate any water scenario. Our instructors continue to teach through tricky emotions: even if we’re feeling nervous, scared, or simply don’t want to because swimming is a skill that can save a life. We will provide parameters and then encourage through expectations.
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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 to every lesson because we know that is how kids learn best! Our swimmers (age and skill appropriate) sit on a whale float, jump off the wall & diving board and go on the slide. Although these things are fun, we are also working on building confidence and working through challenges. We want our swimmers to be able to tackle anything in the water. A child that thinks they can’t or won’t do something in the pool is not a safe one. We have an "I can do hard things when supported and taught" approach to the pool. A child that can only perform a life saving skill in one controlled scenario is not as safe as a swimmer that can consistently navigate multiple experiences in the water safely!
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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 encourage you to ask questions, communicate strategies that work well for your child and let us know how things are going at home so we can support and progress your child accordingly. You can communicate directly with their instructor and our office staff for the highest quality experience. Quickly fears and anxiety subside when families and instructors cooperate to support each swimmer in their 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.