Congratulations to Emily for being Swimmer of the Month!

Emily was chosen because she has really excelled this past month. She has been extra brave! Emily is swimming further and jumping bigger all by herself. She also comes to class very excited to learn!

Emily is 4 years old and a Level 2A swimmer. She loves bike riding, Disney Princesses, and piano. Emily’s parents and baby sister, Evelyn, are very proud of her! Emily’s mom told us that she enjoys swimming very much.  It is the highlight of her Saturday!

We are very proud of Emily and see great things for her in the future! Congratulations Emily!

Samuel loves going to swim class each week. When he started lessons, he had tears but would still participate. Eventually, we  had new students in the class with tears. Samuel stopped his tears and told the new kids “no more tears”. He began to lead the class and the others watched him. Now Samuel is so brave and tear-free! He comes to class super happy and ready to swim. His kicks are getting stronger every lesson, and he is able to swim off and back to the wall. Samuel is also very comfortable doing his back floats. He is becoming stronger in the water at every lesson.

 Samuel is a Level 2A swimmer and is 3 ½ years old. He loves playing with his toy cars and trains; and playing on the computer. Samuel loves getting outside and going to the park to play. His proud parents are Jennifer and Edward.

 Samuel, we are so proud of you and your accomplishments!!

 Sheridan is a Level 6 swimmer and is quickly moving towards perfecting her breaststroke! Her instructor enjoys having her in class.

 Sheridan is 10 years old and in the 5th grade. In addition to swimming, her hobbies include horseback riding, computer games, and taking pictures. Sheridan is involved in church activities; and is a member of the National Elementary Honor Society Chorus.

 Sheridan has a large family. Her proud parents are her mom and stepfather, Shelly and Mark; and her father, Paul. She also has a step brother and three step sisters.

 The SafeSplash Staff is very proud of Sheridan! Keep up the great work!

Current level: 2B

Level started at: 1

There are many lessons we can take away from this, but one of the most obvious is the importance of enrolling your child in swim lessons at a young age. If Heather’s parents had put her in swim lessons as a child, this may have saved her the trauma of experiencing a near-drowning. Heather and I had many issues to work through while she was in my class. It took several long and grueling months before Heather even felt comfortable floating without support and submerging her face. There were many tears and frustrations, that as an instructor, I felt could have been spared if she had been exposed to swim lessons as a child.

Unfortunately, many parents (who love and only want what is best for their children) fail to enroll their children in swim lessons. Why is this? For many years agencies like the American Academy of Pediatrics discouraged swim lessons for younger children. However, they have recently withdrawn that position and new research shows the invaluable importance of swim lessons for children. Research from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) proves swim lessons can have a protective effect against drowning.

Of course, swim lessons alone do not prevent drowning. The National Drowning Prevention Alliance cites many “layers of protection” that parents can utilize to protect their child from drowning:

• Adult supervision during any/all activities in or around bodies of water
• Use “touch supervision” –  An adult should always be within arm’s length
• Do not use floatation devices as a substitution for supervision
• For home pools and spas, make sure there are barriers (like fences, pool covers, gates, etc.) that limit access to the water
• Learn CPR and take a Water Rescue Course

There are plenty of other measures a parent can take, but swim lessons is one of the easiest and first steps a parent can take to help make their child is safer in and around water.

~ By Kelsey Olson

Ethan is 8 years old and in the 2nd grade. Blair is 10 years old and in the 4th grade. Their hobbies include swimming and playing the piano. Their mom and dad are Doreen and Eric.

Congratulations to Ethan and Blair. We are very proud of your accomplishments!

Aiden is our April Swimmer of the Month! He is always happy when he comes to swim lessons at SafeSplash.  He has been swimming with us for the past six months and has made huge progress. He has gone from playing on the stairs to being a focused 2B swimmer in the lane.

Aiden is very comfortable in the water and is always willing to try new things!

Aiden is 3 years old.  He loves to play with his cars, water Sponge Bob, and spend time with his sister and Quaker parrot. Aiden’s proud parents are Jennifer and Edwin.

Congratulations to Aiden!  We are proud of your accomplishments!

As Level 8 swimmers, the girls have the skills required to compete competitively with a swim club or a school swim team.  In fact, Jahnavi hopes to try out for her high school swim team in the fall. Jahnavi started with us as a Level 4, and Maddy started as a Level 5 swimmer. They have worked very hard to complete the higher levels and both are great swimmers!

Jahnavi is in 9th grade at Williams High School. Outside of swimming, her hobbies include reading, listening to music, and playing the violin. Her brother, Asihant is also a SafeSplash swimmer.

Maddy is eleven years old and in the 5th grade. In addition to swimming, Maddy enjoys hula hoop, duct tape art and crafts, and running. Maddy’s brother, Alek, is currently one of our instructors! Her other brother, Kyle, was a SafeSplash instructor until he went to college last fall.

We are very proud of both girls! We hope to hear big things from them in the near future!

 At SafeSplash, we want your family to have the best swim lesson experience possible. Check out these five tips to make your time at SafeSplash a great one!

 1. Consider your child’s daily routine:

When scheduling your child’s swim lessons, take into account their daily routine and how swim lessons fit into that. Lessons close to when your child naps or eats lunch can cause discomfort during their lesson. Try to pick a time when your child is most relaxed and ready to learn!

 2. Arrive early:

At SafeSplash we want to encourage a fun and friendly atmosphere, and arriving on-time and prepared for lessons is one of the easiest ways to do this. The less rushed your child feels, the more comfortable and prepared they will be for lessons.

 3. Get to know the staff:

Make your SafeSplash experience a great one by getting to know the manager, front desk staff, deck supervisor, and instructors at your facility! We are here to help, share information, and make sure your child is confident and comfortable in our program. If you ever have a question or concern, don’t hesitate to stop one of us and ask!

 4. Encourage your child:

At SafeSplash, we seek to foster a life-long love for swimming. Our instructors and staff will do their best to encourage your child and make them comfortable in the water, but parents can always help with this too! If a parent is anxious, nervous or worried, a child can sense this negative body language. Parents who stay positive, relaxed, and encouraging will help their child transition much more smoothly into swim lessons.

 5. Bath time = Practice time:

Practicing swimming skills at home reinforces what your child learns at swim lessons. Splashing in the bath, practicing blowing bubbles, or getting their face wet are all great way to continue the learning at home! Practicing these skills at home also helps with your child’s comfort level when they come to lessons.