“Does  your child suddenly seem to not like swim lessons? Does he refuse to try a certain skill? I CAN’T EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH: Evaluate your feedback.  Experts agree that young children are motivated to learn through what they perceive as to be fun or play. Our Parent & Me and Swim 101 course reflect this philosophy. It is critical that teachers and parents are sensitive to this developmental perspective.  Try not to ever force an adult work ethic upon young children. Preschool swim lessons should be fun, playful experiences.”

Short social media messages like that are invaluable.  You can communicate your philosophy, observations, and share tips in an informal manner.  You eliminate personal confrontation and give the parents a chance to digest what you’re saying.  Last but not least, you keep their attention because you aren’t writing an essay.  Let’s face it.  Attention spans are not very long these days, even with adults!

One more tip: Try to pretty regularly open with a question to engage your reader.  This can make or break whether they even take a look!

Hope this helps! you.  Anytime you have a question for me feel free to email me at swimprofessor@sc.rr.com

1. I email my current staff to find out which Swim Instructors will be back to teach for our spring and summer sessions, and how often and at what times they can teach.

2. I create a Staff Schedules for all eight of this spring and summer’s locations.  In the beginning planning stages, I just use a basic word table to organize and project how many new swim instructors I will need to hire, train, and mentor.

3. I “tweak” last year’s Help Wanted ad (if needed) and I pay to have it published in the Daily Gamecock (our local university’s newspaper).  I NEVER provide my phone number in the ad.  I provide my email only.  I will call them IF I like their pre-interview questionnaire which I will get to in a minute.

4.  I set the dates of this year’s classroom staff training.  This year I will lease a conference room at the Columbia Wingate Hotel on Sunday March 11th, 18th, 25th, and April 1st from 1PM – 6PM.  All new instructors will be required to attend.  All returning instructors are encouraged to attend and are paid a minimum wage for attending.  New instructors are not paid, however, their certification cost is “on me.”

5.  I respond to every swim teacher candidate who emails me expressing their interest in the swim instructor position (which is the first step of my hiring process).  I email them a “Pre-Interview Questionnaire.”   My questionnaire includes items such as contact info., summary of experience, availability for spring and summer, ability to attend all training sessions and mentoring sessions, and the phone number of their previous two employers).  This helps me weed out candidates who wouldn’t work out and waste my time interviewing.  I only want to interview candidates who sound great on this pre-interview questionnaire.

6.  I schedule Interviews at my office.  I pencil in all candidates I like that and are ready to accept the position.  I ask them if I can have their permission to submit their information for a background check at that time.  Once I fill all my swim instructor positions, I continue to offer “potential positions.”  I always offer the next half dozen or so applicants free training with a potential position.  I invite them to attend the training with the understanding that I may or may not have an immediate opening.  Those candidates who do the training always make a really good impression because it shows me that they are very enthusiastic about the position.  In addition, it never fails that candidates who accept the job end up changing their minds or their plans for whatever reason.  When that happens, you have an enthusiastic instructor trained and ready to go!  If it doesn’t happen, then I didn’t break any promises and they benefited from the free training.  And nine times out of ten, you eventually get them on board, and both you and your new instructor feel blessed!

So this is the beginning of my “To Do List” for the summer.  Of course there are many other items, i.e., website updating, determining which local events to be an exhibitor, where to advertise, etc. that will come up.

Please let me know if you have any questions and feel free to comment.  I hope this blog helps you, and I wish you the very best for your upcoming Summer Swim Lessons season.  If you would like to adapt the Swim Lessons University Instructor Training and Certification program, please let me know so I can get you started.  And I hope to see you at our next Swim Lessons University conference in New York.  And don’t forget, if you would like to do a “one-on-one phone consultation,” I CAN help you improve your swim lessons program/business!

NEVER BUY AMTRAK POINTS! The Amtrak Rewards system  doesn’t add up or make any sense. They had an Amtrak Points Rep tell me to buy $270 worth of points to and my next trip would be free.  It ended up being a free trip via Coach which is worth about $100.00. Their terrible policies don’t even let their managers refund my $270 for the points I purchased three days ago!  Their excuse:  Because points are through a 3rd party service, points.com!   Well someone has by $270 and I would bet Amtrak has most of it!  Talk about bad customer service. My blood pressure is off the charts right now!  By the way, I called points.com.   They told me they didn’t have authority but Amtrak did.  They put my call back to Amtrak.  Do you see the pattern?  I feel like I have been robbed.

If you’re going to have a “guest rewards” system, shouldn’t the goal be to make your guests feel special?  Well I feel “especially ripped off.”

If you’re in business, whatever you do, do what you can to make your guest feel special.  Let them know that you care.   Throw out policies that will make them never want to use your business again and tell their 800 plus friends about their bad experience on facebook (which is what I just did).   I guess big companies, especially those that have a monopoly on their market can afford it.  I know my swim school can’t.   And I know one thing for sure… I NEVER want to make a customer as mad as Amtrak made me today, especially without ever coming up with a solution to make things right.  Every business is going to fail their customer at one point or another for one reason or another.  But what makes you great is how you react and respond to the problem.   I was going to tell all my Swim Lessons University and Swim Lessons Company friends and followers about how Amtrak fixed my problem.  Instead I am telling anybody and anyone who wants to listen that it feels like Amtrak just robbed me of $270.00.

So my first tip in this week’s blog is to make sure that you keep your current customers happy!   Never argue with a customer, and always go above and beyond their expectations so they will tell all their friends GOOD THINGS about you!  And with facebook and social networking, this is 100x more important than ever!

What about your list of customers from say… the past year or two?  This list is like gold!  I sure hope you have one!  Constant contact is the key  not only to keeping current customers, but also bringing back previous ones.   Let’s be honest, very few swim lesson families keep their kids in lessons 12 months out of the year.   Because of this, it is so important that you stay in touch with them.  That you keep yourself in front of them.  That you remind them of the importance of ongoing instruction.   If YOU don’t…WHO WILL?

With Black Friday coming up, I thought I’d share my “email of the week” with you.  That’s right, I send an email out every week all year long, with very few exceptions.  And oh yeah… guess which day of the week we do the most swim lesson registrations?  You guessed it!   We do the most registrations BY FAR within 24 hours of my weekly email.  Most of them register online on our website too, which is great because I can cut back on my office staff in the off-season (Would you like a great registration program?  Feel free to call me at 1-866-498-7946 and ask me about ours).

By the way, if you are looking for some more great ideas and tips on improving your swim school, you may want to consider a little gift for yourself!  Invest in one of our “SLU One Day Super Conferences” as low as $85.00 and/or my One-on-One Phone Consultations.  The phone consults start at just $25.00 and I personally promise that little investment will come back to you tenfold in no time at all!

Well here is this week’s newsletter…feel free to use it yourself!

SUBJECT LINE:  What gift should you consider BEFORE Black Friday?

Swim school owners must do the same.  What questions should you be asking?  Here are a number of good ones to get you started:

• How can we improve our staff training?
• What incentives do we offer our instructors to be even interested in improving what seems to be already working?
• How can we improve our customer service?
• What can we do to increase referrals?
• How can we advertise more cost effectively?
• What can we do in order to encourage ongoing instruction and repeat business from the students we already have?
• How can we use social networking more effectively?
• What costs do we have that are “wants” vs. “needs?”
• How can we communicate more effectively?
• What can we do to make doing business with us easier?

The list of questions you have to ask almost endless.   As business owners, we have to ask these questions and then act upon them if we are going to continue to improve.  As the saying goes,  “If what you did yesterday still looks good today, then you haven’t done much today.”

The best in any business don’t turn a blind eye to the negatives that are present–even when the business is successful.  The best are always looking to get better. Like a great coaching staff, you have to pick apart every aspect of your game and find ways to get better.

What if things aren’t going well for you?   Then double the importance of everything we just discussed.   Be resilient, find a way stay positive, and refuse to quit.  Be determined and enjoy the challenge.  Sometimes you have to take chances.  But learn every day, drink from good books, and seek help from those who have been there.

Barb Limbo, Aquatic Director for the Rapid City Aquatics Recreation Department in South Dakota comments, “We have adapted the Swim Lesson University program. The ease of training staff is great. The videos show the instructors how to interact with children, not just show the progressions of the strokes.   Swim Lessons University is wonderful and has been great to work with on the switch at our facility–making our transition much easier.”

There are several real advantages, in addition to it being more cost effective solution for recreation departments, YMCA’s, and swim schools.   To name a few, all training can be done in-house.  SLU training features video-based courses so swim instructor candidates get to learn from watching real learn-to-swim classes and expert instructors vs. the traditional textbook approach.  Swim Lessons University training is also very convenient as swim teachers do all their testing online.

Former USA Olympian, 1988 Silver Medalist, and swim school owner Beth Barr speaks of Jim Reiser and Swim Lessons University:

“Your appreciation and knowledge of the sport, your business sense and your understanding of children and how they learn is revolutionizing the swim lesson industry.   Your efforts have not only given me the confidence to start BARRacuda Swim Works, they have also reminded me of the critical importance of our profession. Your passion is apparent and catching – it is important to teach children and their parents how to enjoy the water, safely, and to help them develop a skill they can enjoy their entire life.”

Jim Reiser, Swim Lessons University’s Executive Director, just received the President’s Award for his contributions to learn-to-swim world wide at the World Aquatic Babies & Children Conference.   The conference was held in Clearwater Beach, Florida at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort where 17 countries were represented.

For more information on adapting the Swim Lessons University curriculum and Swim Instructor certification program, contact Jim Reiser at jreiser@swimprofessor.com or call 803-665-8709.

Dear Swim Professor:

How would you encourage, insist, demand, or coax an excellent instructor into smiling and quit frowning?  I have tried everything.  He loves what he does… he just doesn’t and cannot display pleasant facial expressions, and has a natural “concerned” look most of the time.  He is excellent, he gives high fives, kids like him.  It bothers me and I feel parents don’t see him as a great teacher.  They have referred to him as a “structured” teacher.  I’m worn out addressing issue with him and lost.  He says he’s trying but I don’t see it!

Judi M., Swim School Owner

Louisiana

Dear Judi:

This is such a great topic.  Smiling is such an important aspect of swimming instruction, customer service, and even customer loyalty for our swim schools.  I have put together a fairly extensive article for you to share, and I hope other swim schools and learn to swim programs will benefit from today’s blog as well.

In 1989, my sophomore year in college, I started my first Swim Lessons Program at California University of PA.  I was entering unchartered territory, having convinced the university to allow a student (me) lease their swimming pool to teach swimming lessons to the children in the community.  Up until that point, I had been my father’s assistant.  My dad was also a Water Safety Instructor, and he was my first mentor.  I remember standing in my dorm room.  I was both excited and nervous at the same time and he knew it.  He told me, “Jimmy, just smile while you’re teaching, maximize practice time, and your classes will go great.  What great advice!  22 years later I remember it like it was yesterday.

I will say this:  Smiling is not always easy for young teachers.  They do have a lot to think about, a lot of responsibility, and they know it.   My best advice to get a young instructor smiling is to tell them to “be a little silly.”   If you can make your students laugh now and then, you are bound to smile and laugh with them.  How can you not?  Smiles and laughs are contagious, especially when they are coming from children.  I would caution young teachers to be careful not to lose the integrity of the class, use good class management skills, and keep it structured—but you can have both structure and fun.

While I don’t think we can “make” our swim teachers smile, we can help them if they want to be helped and we can try to inspire them by sharing the benefits.  Of course if they don’t want our help or they aren’t making an effort to improve, we need to decide if we want to keep them around representing us.  Our instructors are the lifeblood of our business, and for many of us, our business is the lifeblood of our paycheck.  Like you, I have swim teaching techniques, philosophies, and lesson plans that I expect my swim school staff to follow so we can be consistently successful. But if we’re going to be successful, we as swim school owners and program directors need to be great leaders.  To quote John Wooden, we should “Strive to build a team filled with camaraderie and respect:  Comrades-in-arms.”

So what research has been done on the smile?  What are the experts saying?

In his article, “Teacher, Do You Smile,” Mr. Harekrushna Behera, Unchahar shares how a teacher touches the heart of a student through the magnetic touch of smile. He adds that a smile creates confidence & love among the children. ‘Unless the children love the teacher, how can they love the subject?’ The smiling face of the teacher says “love and caring,” and creates a positive vibration among the children who become fearless to express everything. They begin to ask questions. ‘Freedom automatically happens when smile exists in the classroom’. Asking questions then empowers their capacity to learn.

Smiles make things right again and say much more than words can. If you’ve goofed, said something less than complimentary, feel lost or alone, or feel down, a smile can set things right again. A smile lets other people know that you’re prepared to be open to them, and that you’re willingly agreeing to set things right where needed.

Smiles create trust and rapport. A smile is a great way of establishing mutual feelings of being on the same level as others, whether that is one-to-one or in front of a group giving a presentation. A smile says “I’m OK, you’re OK, and we’re all going to enjoy one another’s company”.

Research shows that when we smile, even when we’re not in the best mood, we begin to feel better. Marianne Douglas, a blogger for Secrets of Success for Teachers, points out that our bodies equate certain expressions with certain feelings. We can feel good and smile or we can smile and feel good. It works both ways. That’s why people who are feeling sad are asked to “smile” to feel better. We actually do. So here we are as the teacher smiling and feeling better. Our smile is reflected back at us by the students who in turn feel better. A great way to start a class! Your students will have a better chance of enjoying their time in your class too!

Steve Nakamoto says that unfriendly habits make other people feel uneasy right from the start. Your job as a master communicator is to greet every person you meet in a friendly manner so that they can feel the natural warmth of your kindness, acceptance, and recognition. Except for the more serious circumstances, a warm and enthusiastic smile creates the best starting point for a mutually enjoyable conversation.

The point here is that you must possess inner feelings of warmth, excitement, and joy in order to radiate a genuine smile. When you have real positive emotion behind your smile, you can be more effective with other people than you would be by acting with only politeness or courtesy.

Remember, by beginning in a friendly manner with a true eagerness to share, you will be developing one of the smartest communication habits for establishing or building important person

As swimming instructors, one of the easiest techniques that I believe we can use to start smiling more is to cause our students to smile.  When you make your students smile, it will be easy to smile back.

Another technique I use is to have my students do cute things that cause their parents to smile or laugh.   Same result.  Take a quick peak at the parents after you do something cute with their little one, and you’ll see them smiling.  Smile back!  In TEACH LIKE A PRO, we use what I call “Fun Feedback.”   These clever little tricks will make your swim parents smile and giggle every time.

I also wanted to share with you a few YouTube videos I found that do a wonderful job of communicating the importance of a smile.

This first short video is by Michael Kerr, an award-winning international speaker, and he talks about the importance of a genuine smile, and challenges us to make other people smile, as I just mentioned.  This is a great, entertaining little clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIretWnEAEA&feature=relatedal and professional relationships

This second short video is by Jeffrey Gitomer.  He talks about “What Makes You Smile,” and gives two inspirational lessons on the power of kindness and the power of cute kids:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY_-K0Jn4yY&feature=related

The third and final short video I wanted to share is by Cary Cavittt.   The first two minutes of this video is very informative and entertaining.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XQYsh6H8A0&feature=related

I have one last little study that many of you will find interesting.   An experiment was done where men were shown pictures of women and were asked to rate them on a scale of 1 to 10. When the same women was shown in a different picture but smiling, men gave her higher score and they thought that she was more attractive. So in addition to the mood improvements you will get if you smile often–you will also appear more attractive!

Thank you, Coach Judi, for your question.  I’d like to leave you with a bunch of quotes I found on the effect of a smile:

A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks.  ~Charles Gordy

Today, give a stranger one of your smiles.  It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.  ~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

A smile confuses an approaching frown.  ~Author Unknown

People seldom notice old clothes if you wear a big smile.  ~Lee Mildon

The world always looks brighter from behind a smile.  ~Author Unknown

If you smile at someone, they might smile back.  ~Author Unknown

Life is like a mirror, we get the best results when we smile at it.  ~Author Unknown

Always remember to be happy because you never know who’s falling in love with your smile.  ~Author Unknown

Everyone smiles in the same language.  ~Author Unknown

If you don’t have a smile, I’ll give you one of mine.  ~Author Unknown

I’ve never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful.  ~Author Unknown

The shortest distance between two people is a smile.  ~Author Unknown

Is a smile a question?  Or is it the answer?  ~Lee Smith

Smiling is my favorite exercise.  ~Author Unknown

Every day you spend without a smile, is a lost day.  ~Author Unknown

Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.  ~Mother Teresa

A smile is the universal welcome.  ~Max Eastman

Keep smiling – it makes people wonder what you’ve been up to.  ~Author Unknown

You’re never fully dressed without a smile.  ~Martin Charnin

A smile can brighten the darkest day.  ~Author Unknown

Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.  ~Janet Lane

All the statistics in the world can’t measure the warmth of a smile.  ~Chris Hart

Smile!  It increases your face value.  ~Robert Harling, Steel Magnolias

Peace begins with a smile.  ~Mother Teresa

Most smiles are started by another smile.  ~Author Unknown

It takes a lot of work from the face to let out a smile, but just think what good smiling can bring to the most important muscle of the body… the heart.  ~Author Unknown

A smile costs nothing but gives much.  It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give.  It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.  None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it.  Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away.  Some people are too tired to give you a smile.  Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.  ~Author Unknown

Are you discouraged when parents only enroll their children in one set of swim lessons a year?

Are you discouraged that your learn to swim advertising isn’t working?

Take advantage of the SOCIAL BOOM and use FACEBOOK to help increase your swim lessons enrollment.   You can’t afford not to!  Here’s something I did just today to help pick up or fall enrollment and remind parents about the importance of ongoing instruction.  One simple email blast to all of current and past swim lessons parents, a quick post on facebook, and fasten your seatbelt for a great response!

Dear SLC Families & Friends:

I am announcing a special promotion today for those of you who are fans of our Swim, Soccer, & Basketball Lessons Company Facebook page! So here it is . . .

THIS WEEK ONLY!!!

According to the Safer 3, the new standard in drowning prevention, swim skill attainment through “on-going qualified instruction” is one of the most important ways to keep your child safer when your child is in or around the water.

To promote that “on-going” instruction INSTEAD of one session per year (seems to be the standard in Columbia, lol)—I am going to make the following offer to our “Facebook Fans” this week!

THIS WEEK’S FACEBOOK (V.I.P.) SPECIAL!

The “On-going” Qualified Instruction Promotion

ENROLLED IN ANY SUMMER LESSONS?

• Add Fall Lessons and get 15% off!

ENROLLED IN ANY SUMMER LESSONS & INDIAN SUMMER SWIM LESSONS?

• Add Fall and get 20% OFF!!

ALREADY ENROLLED IN FALL SWIM LESSONS?

• While this offer is for “remaining spots only,” I want to be fair to everyone. So I will extend this same offer to you for the winter (which is not online yet).

WHAT ABOUT BASKETBALL LESSONS?

• If you’re enrolled in swimming or soccer lessons, call for $5 OFF basketball!

HOW DO YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE AMAZING FACEBOOK/V.I.P. DISCOUNTS?

3 SIMPLE STEPS:

1. POST on your facebook wall a suggestion to YOUR FACEBOOK FRIENDS to check out The Swim Lessons Company at www.SwimLessonsCompany.com or call us at 865-2629. Make sure to type in our website address so there is a hot link that will take them right to our site, and please make sure to tell them about your positive experience with us!

2. SEND ME A FRIEND REQUEST and “Let’s be friends!” Here’s a direct link to my facebook page.

3. POST on our Facebook wall something similar. Any type of testimonial or thank you would be perfect!

That’s it! Just CALL ASHLEY at 865-2629 in our office between 11am –3pm and let Ashley know you are participating in this week’s FACEBOOK SPECIAL!

Look forward to hearing from you!!!
SwimmingSafercerely!

Coach Jim

Jim Reiser, Founder
M.S. of Physical Education

The Swim Lessons Company

www.swimlessonscompany.com

803-865-2629

P.S. Because I am personally coaching all the Basketball classes this year space is very limited so please sign up now while space is available!

I agree, with first hand experience, that many parents take it way too far–exactly as this article points out.  Sadly, when parents get involved this way, they drive great teachers, great age group swim coaches, and great youth coaches of all sports out of a vocation in which they were providing a wonderful experience to our children.   There are a very select group of people who are capable of being top notch teachers and coaches.  Unfortunately, as the article mentions, they get out of the field because unreasonable parents pretty much push them out.  Most of the time unintentionally, but sadly, sometimes it is intentional.

On the other hand, I do remember some great teachers that did grade so hard that it was unfair.   Kids, especially by high school,  are under tremendous pressure to make good enough grades to get into college.  So when teachers give tests that are almost impossible to ace, despite the fact that the student pays attention in class, takes good notes,  studies their rear-end off, and sometimes stay up half the night in order to make the grade!  In my opinion, these teachers are in the wrong too.

And the excessive homework, don’t get me started.  Kids should be able to participate in sports, etc., do extra curricular activities that are great for their health, well being, and development as a person.  In fact, sometimes we forget that many of life’s greatest lessons can be learned on a ball field. 

One of my favorite passages of all time was shared in a John Wooden book in Mr. Roger’s style.  The author is actually “Unknown,” but it’s called, “A Parent Talks to a Child Before the First Game.”  Here it is:

This is your first game, my child. I hope you win.  I hope you win for your sake, not mine.  Because winning’s nice.  It’s a good feeling. Like the whole world is yours.  But, it passes, this feeling.  And what lasts is what you’ve learned. And what you learn about is life. That’s what sports is all about. Life. The whole thing is played but in an afternoon. The happiness of life.  The miseries.  The joys.  The heartbreaks.

There’s no telling what’ll turn up. There’s no telling whether they’ll toss you out in the first five minutes or whether you’ll stay for the long haul. There’s no telling how you’ll do. You might be a hero or you might be absolutely nothing.  There’s  just no telling. Too much depends on chance. On how the ball bounces.

I’m not talking about the game, my child. I’m talking about life. But it’s life that the game is all about. Just as I said.  Because every game is life.  And life is a game.  A serious game.  Dead serious.  But that’s what you do with serious things.  You do your best.  You take what comes.  And you run with it.

Winning is fun. Sure. But winning is not the point. Wanting to win is the point.  Not giving up is the point. Never being satisfied with what you’ve done is the point. Never letting up is the point. Never letting anyone down is the point. Play to win. Sure. But lose like a champion.

It’s not winning that counts. What counts is trying.

So yes, as both a parent, coach, and instructor with a master’s degree in Physical Education, I loved the article.  There are some really great points in that article.  I believe  both parents and teachers should be always evaluating themselves to ensure we are doing what’s in the best interest of the children, whether they are our own or the kids we teach and/or coach.  As a coach, I know my swimmers’ parents made me better.   Were they always right? No.  Was I always right? Of course not!  But when you TEAM UP with each other, parents and teachers, we have the ability to put the best students in the classroom and the best student-athletes on the field.

I love to hear your input!  Thanks for listening.

As in the years past, Las Vegas was a great success.  We had a group of swim teachers from Eunice’s Swim School in Canada make the trip, as well as swim instructors from Georgia, Arizona, Texas, California, Utah, and of course Nevada.

Here are a few reviews we’ve received lately on the Swim Lessons University Conference:

“Hi coach Jim…thanks. loved the conference btw…let me tell you, this whole week things have been different at work for us. we’re all working a one big team now. so thank you!”   _ Sally P. – Eunice’s Swim School, Canada

I loved Jim Reiser‘s conference last year in Las Vegas. Don’t miss his conference coming up in New Orleans in a few weeks! I have used many ideas that I learned from Jim over the past years, and the kids and parents enjoyed how they become better swimmers and safer in the water through fun and play. I loved how he helped me learn to be a better child centered teacher! – Gina, Katy, Texas

I’ll bet everyone is GETTING EXCITED about the SLU Conference in New Orleans! The host hotel is in the heart of the French Quarter (at an amazing rate, I might add), and it’s a great way to improve and/or sharpen your skills, meet amazing people who share your commitment to teaching and water safety… And in NEW ORLEANS? Need I say more? One of the MOST AWESOME cities anywhere!   – Sue H., Rockledge, FL

“It is your willingness to treat everyone like your most important customer and your commitment to sharing your knowledge to help us be better aquatic professionals that ensures the you will continue to be a resource throughout the aquatic community to many for many years!” – Victoria C. – Middle Georgia Little Swimmers

I want to extend my sincere thanks to all the learn to swim teachers and aquatic directors who have attended our recent swim instructor workshops.  I look forward to seeing you again and meeting more great people who share the same passion as we do.  “Do what you love, love what you do.” How could you feel anything else when you can make a difference in a child’s life?  Helping children develop a lifelong love affair with the water is the best feeling in the world.