Dear Swim Profesor:

I hope you can help w/more advice. I”m still a beginner swimmer. My teacher told me I need to work on my kicking, and I’d like to get some fins. Saw some lightweight flippers at Todd & Moore, and then just regular swim fins (I guess). I think I need “short fins” or something like that. Suggestions? I haven’t looked at Dick’s Sporting Goods yet, but might tomorrow. thank you.

– Roxanne D.

Dear Roxanne,

Swim fins can be helpful for all swimming ability levels.  Personally, I would strongly recommend the Finis Zoomers.  For others reading this blog, for a limited time (while they last), we have children’s zoomers on sale right now for just $12.99 regular $37.95!  Here are the reasons why I prefer the short blade Zoomers over other versions.

1.  Short Blade – Long blade fins do have a purpose, for instance, scuba diving.  If I have to get away from a shark, I want the longest blade possible, LOL 🙂   But seriously, long blade fins are a nice training tool for elite competitive swimmers for “sprint assisted” swimming.   Research shows that one way to improve sprint speed is to train at speeds faster than you can normally go.  The long fins allow for that.  Of course there are other ways to do that too, i.e., sprint assisted work with tubing.  But long fins can serve that purpose for a coach who has lots of swimmers in the pool.

So why do I recommend the short blade fins for swimming instructors and their swim lesson students?  Very simple.  If you study closely the movement pattern of the kick with a short blade fin, it will resemble very closely the movement pattern with no fins at all.  ON THE OTHER HAND, if you observe a kick with the long blade fin, the kick is a little different.  For competitive swimming especially, when races are won and lost by fractions of a second, you would clearly want to gain a training edge.  So when you are training with fins, you would ideally replicate that movement as closely as possible (I will touch on swim fins for beginners again at the end of the blog).

2.  Negative Buoyancy – The zoomers (at least the Original Zoomers did) are constructed with a rubber that give the fins negative buoyancy.  In other words, they sink.   Why is this an advantage?  From a training standpoint, your legs will experience the strengthening benefits that are a result of the fins making your legs work harder.  Floating fins, on the other hand, won’t work your legs quite as hard.

Let’s get back to swim fins for swim lessons, beginners, and novice swimmers.   When I am teaching a non-swimmer or beginner to swim, you don’t want the teaching tool to give more assistance than necessary.  It goes back to my lesson plan philosophy with flotation devices, holds, supports, and progressions.  The best artificial support is the one that gives the student just enough support to be successful.  If you give the learner too much support, they become dependent on it.  Then when you ask the learner to perform the skill on their own, it’s like asking them to climb a mountain instead of a small hill.  If you take baby steps, the learner will not only experience physical success  faster, but he will experience a psychological success as well,  and more importantly–his confidence will grow.

I believe this directly applies with swim fins for beginners.  If you give your beginner swimmer this big flipper that provides extraordinary propulsion, that’s all well and good until you remove the fin and ask them to swim without it.  Suddenly, their feet feel like rocks instead of flippers,  often resulting in a discouraged student who was on the verge of success, only to learn it was the flipper, not him!   The Zoomers, on the other hand, make the transition much easier because while they do provide additional propulsion, the kick with the Zoomers feels very similar to  the kick without the Zoomers–because it is!

So there you have it!  I hope my recommendation helps you and many others!

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has named Jim Reiser the recipient of the 2015 Virginia Hunt Newman Award for his curriculum and approach in teaching infants, toddlers, and children to swim.  Jim was the first American to win the award in 10 years.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University certification program and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com 

We have training and certification programs designed for both private instructors as well as organizations like YMCAs, Recreation Departments, Athletic Clubs, and more.

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

How Can You Make Your Swim Instructors Smile?

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 our Foundations of Teaching Video Course, 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

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has named Jim Reiser the recipient of the 2015 Virginia Hunt Newman Award for his curriculum and approach in teaching infants, toddlers, and children to swim.  Jim was the first American to win the award in 10 years.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University certification program and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com 

We have training and certification programs designed for both private instructors as well as organizations like YMCAs, Recreation Departments, Athletic Clubs, and more.

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

 

Are you discouraged when you have swim lesson classes with openings?

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!

The article posted on CNN.com and posted on the USSSA Owners group by Ria Mackay, What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents is a fabulous article.  Every parent and teacher should read it…

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.

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has named Jim Reiser the recipient of the 2015 Virginia Hunt Newman Award for his curriculum and approach in teaching infants, toddlers, and children to swim.  Jim was the first American to win the award in 10 years.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University certification program and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com 

We have training and certification programs designed for both private instructors as well as organizations like YMCAs, Recreation Departments, Athletic Clubs, and more.

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

Well our Swim Lessons University Swim Instructor Conference is Las Vegas in the books, but the New Orleans Swim Instructors Conference is just around the corner!  Of course if you missed these, we will hold two more conferences this spring, one in Orlando in February and one in NY in March.

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.

While many parents may think there’s not much to teaching a child to swim, you know that is far from the truth.  There’s a lot that goes into being a great swim instructor, and like most anything in life–you can learn from your mistakes.  So keep the faith.  You are always getting better.

Here are some Do’s and Don’ts that should help:

1.  Don’t be too task oriented.  Do stay child focused.    Keep it fun and the kids will love you, want to come back, and they will  be inspired to learn.

2.  Don’t be overly critical.  Do focus on what you like vs. what you don’t like.  As Dale Carnegie stressed decades ago, focus on the positive not the negative.  Your students will be much more motivated to learn.

3. Don’t correct mistakes that you weren’t focusing on.  Do correct mistakes.  In other words, keep your feedback congruent with what you were focusing your students on.  And sandwich corrections with two positive comments.

4.  Don’t allow for too much “down time.”  Do maximize practice time.  Young children rarely misbehave for you intentionally.  They’re not bad kids.  You are just boring them by requiring them to sit still.   Keep them busy and your class management skills will improve overnight.

5.  Don’t focus on the details of the strokes.   Do be a technician when it comes to making sure your students are using equipment correctly.  If they use it correctly, it will help them.  Use it incorrectly, and learning is often hindered.

6.  Don’t focus on the details of the strokes.  Do focus on the fundamentals.  When you have a young learner, a beginner, they can’t handle details.  But they do need to understand the gross overall action.  Teach it.

7.  Don’t force skills on a child.  Do encourage them to the point that they “believe” they CAN do it.   This is most easily accomplished by using progressions.  Make each step in the learning process achievable.

8.  Don’t overstay your welcome.   Do keep classes short enough that they aren’t getting bored , but make them long enough so that they get plenty of repetition.  For children age 6 months to 9 years, classes held on the 30 minutes work nicely.  If you go longer, make sure it’s play time and that parents aren’t misled thinking they’re getting 40-45 minutes of instruction.

9.  Don’t be late.  Do be prompt.  5 minutes early is 10 minutes late.  Surveys show you will satisfy your clients simply by being on time.

10.  Don’t frown.  Do SMILE!  Your smile communicates that you love what you do, and most importantly, that you love teaching the parent’s child to swim.  How can a parent not be flattered by that?

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University Online Swim Instructor Certification  and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).