Just finished final preparations for my first talk in at the Swim Lessons University Super Conference in Indianapolis and Las Vegas.   Take a sneak preview of what will be addressed and swim lesson ideas in the talk titled:  Infant-Toddler Swimming:  Practical Benchmarks and Progressions

• Brand new benchmarks for Infants & Toddlers
• 3 Types of Infant-Toddler Swimming Lessons
• How your product will determine your success
• Should your lessons involve crying?
• VIDEO FOOTAGE of my Parent & Me classes including some that NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN BEFORE!
• What parents KNOW (and what they DON’T KNOW!)
• A waste of time?
• Is the next Michael Phelps in your class?
• What parents need to know
• Educating your Swim Lesson parents
• A personal email to Jim Reiser

I hope you will join me to hear “the rest of the story” at the Swim Lessons University Super Conference in Indianapolis or Las Vegas.  Register now for just $75 and receive 5 FREE Online Tests & Certificate programs ($50 value) PLUS MUCH MORE!

Trust me, I am making this conference worth your while!  Register today at www.swimlessonsuniversity.com

TOO MANY PARENTS THINK THAT WHEN THEIR CHILD CAN SWIM UNDERWATER THAT THEY DON’T NEED ANY MORE LESSONS!

Does your swim school experience this problem?   Of course it’s not only a problem for swim school business, it’s a very serious problem for the child’s safety.  I would like to share with you today a couple ideas I have when it comes to SWIM LESSON OBJECTIVES.

Number one, I have created a motivational awards bracelet system that includes a safety component: Water Safety System.

Number two, I have developed a set of Benchmarks/Swimming Proficiency Test Questions to help swim parents understand not only the importance of learning to swim, but what  children are capable of and should learn at a variety of given ages.  Here they are:

Would your child survive?

Only automobile accidents take more lives than drowning for children ages 1-14.   How well does your child swim?    Would your child survive an accidental fall into the water?

Can your child pass the following swim tests?

1 – 2 years olds: Can your child comfortably hold his breath and swim a short distance for up to 5 seconds?  Pass / Fail

2 – 3 years olds: Can your child get back to the side of the pool from a standing entry?  Pass / Fail

3 – 4 years olds: Can your child swim with the face in the water and get a breath when needed for at least 15 feet?  Pass / Fail

4 – 5 years olds: Can your child swim 30 feet of backstroke and freestyle with side breathing?  Pass / Fail

So can YOU or YOUR business benefit from Social Networking? Are you resisting the idea of Facebook, Twitter, blogging, etc.? Technology changes are always hard for me and I was resistant at first too.   In fact, I have been only using twitter for a few weeks but I have been trained in it now and I am confident of the benefits.

The best news about it is that . . . it’s FREE!   MOST IMPORTANTLY, in my mind, it’s the BEST REFERRAL PROGRAM ever invented.   I expect our enrollment to increase because of the way we are using it.

For my local business, I focus on getting local news coverage which is free, and I advertise and pay about $400 per month to be in a Parent magazine.  In addition,  I have a small listing in the yellow pages (which is almost a dinosaur),  and do several children exhibits, water safety talks at schools and libraries, etc..  But over the years I have drastically reduced my advertising budget (I have done radio, TV, billboards, other magazines, newspaper, etc.)  and have eliminated most of them.   I really depend on customer referrals which has improved from our in-house “customer loyalty” training program which leads me back to social networking.

There’s no better advertising than a referral from one friend to another.  The “trust” barrier is almost eliminated from the start and presto: you have a new student!     The hard part about referrals is while your swim parents may love you, they are not going to walk around with a “sign on their chest” promoting you.  With facebook, it is easier and more comfortable to tell all their friends about you!  It’s actually quite exciting and amazing when you see how your “friends” or “followers” begin to multiply.

Sounding tempting yet?  Get this, as of 2009, Facebook had over 250 million users and that number is growing rapidly!   If you haven’t used facebook before, it is very user-friendly and it won’t take you long for you to see and understand the benefits.

What I have learned to be most important about twitter is that what I “tweet” is informative and worthwhile.  This way your customers will “want” to stay in touch with you.   For Swim Lessons University, I am tweeting to swim teachers, both my local teachers here at The Swim Lessons Company in SC and Swim Lessons University teachers from all over the world in over 20 different countries who are using my teacher training DVD’s, lesson plans, online testing program, etc.   Now with Twitter and Facebook, I can give back by “tweeting” a TEACHING TIP A DAY from Twitter or Facebook or both!  So when my followers get my tweet (which is simultanously posted of facebook), all those signed up can receive a useful teaching tip every day that will help them with their teaching.   Because the information is useful, valuable, and even personable, it is an invaluable training resource to my staff and yours, and it takes just 5 seconds a day to read!   I have listed below some of my recent tweets I have done via facebook with my blackberry that go directly to twitter.  Here you can see what I’m talking about in terms of tweeting info. swim teachers want:

Follow Swim Lessons University on Facebook and/or swimprofessor on twitter!

Infant-toddler Swimming will be the emphasis in my first presentation at the Swim Lessons University Super Conference this fall (both in Indianapolis and in Las Vegas).  We have come so far in this area, but some go “too far” and others “don’t go far enough.”   I will be address this and share video as well so you know exactly what you are looking to accomplish on various skills and exercises.

As you probably know first hand, you are teaching the parents as much as the babies or toddlers in this class, and how you approach that is instrumental in your success.  In addition, my personal experience is that some parents often have unrealistic expectations, while others don’t realize what their little one can accomplish if they just “stick with it.”  Because of this, I came up with a set of practical benchmarks for infants, toddlers, and children of all ages and what children, on average, are capable of accomplishing at different ages.   I have found that by sharing this with parents that it helps incredibly in terms of their expectations and keeping them involved for the long term.

Teaching Babies Better is my goal.  Making learning a child-focused, enjoyable experience, though, has to be the backbone of our philosophy.   If you attend the Swim Lessons University conference this fall, I know that it is yours too!

Please feel free to email me at jreiser@swimprofessor.com any topics or problems that you would like me to address in my Infant-Toddler Presentation. I will be happy to try and work them in, and at the very least, address them in the Questions and Answers part of the talk.

Look forward to seeing you.   You are going to love the power point presentation which will include plenty of video of our precious little baby swimmers!

The Swim Lessons University Super Conference is a one-day, information packed event with an EARLY BIRD RATE of just $75.00 (the rate will increase 30 days prior to the event).   Don’t miss out on Jim’s enthusiastic delivery of four state-of-the art presentations featuring video and power point content that you can actually take home and put to use in your swim school!

Plus–the SLU Conference is conveniently held the day before two other great conferences you may want to attend:

• ASCA World Clinic: You could attend the ASCA Conference in Indianapolis during the SLU Conference.  The SwimAmerica portion is held on Saturday.  Call Julie Nitti at ASCA to register at 1-800-356-2722  for more information.  ASCA Clinic Registration is $380 prior to July 31st, $400 on site.
• US Swim School Conference: You could attend the U.S. Swim School Association’s conference on the Wednesday following the SLU Conference in Las Vegas thru USSSA.   Registration is $450 thru September 11th, and then increases to $600 on September 12th.  Call Holly Holmes at 480-837-5525.

LOCATIONS & DATES

Friday, September 3, 2010

Indianapolis, IN

Embassy Suites Indianapolis – Downtown

110 West Washington Street

Indianapolis, Indiana, 46204
Tel: 1-317-236-1800

*ask for Swim Lessons University group rate of $149 which includes Hot Breakfast Buffet & Free Happy Hour Drinks!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas Hilton

3000 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, 89109

*ask for Swim Lessons University group rate of $109.00. Mention the group code “SGSWIMO”

“The Swim Professor” speaks:

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Teaching Babies Better

10:00 AM – 10:20 AM YOUR QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

10:45 AM – 11:45 AM Tricks to Making Learning More Fun for Preschoolers

11:45 AM – 12:05 PM YOUR QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

12:05 PM – 1:30 PM Lunch Break

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM More Effective Ways to Teach Skills, Strokes, & Progressions

2:30 PM – 2:50 PM YOUR QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

3:15 PM – 4:15 PM Secrets to Growing Your Swim School

4:15 PM – 4:35 PM YOUR QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Register Online  & GET the Early Bird Rate of just $75.00!

PLUS register this week and receive five (5) FREE Online certification programs (a $50 value)!

Register at Swim Lessons University or call 1-866-498-7946

Dear Teachers & Parents:

I received an email today with a VERY COMMON QUESTION from a parent who has a young two year old in our Parent & Me class who is doing wonderfully.  However, and I think this happens often, there was a misunderstanding that because of the progress the little one was making, that continuing in the same class may be a waste of time.  As instructors and swim school owners, it is vital that we communicate the message that I did today.  If we don’t, the child’s progress will likely stop.   So here it is, enjoy:

Dear Coach Jim,

We are really pleased with Laura’s progress in her swim lessons.  Her teacher, Coach M.,  said she thought Laura was physically ready for the next class, but your 101 class is 3 and up…Laura is only 2 and 6 weeks.  Do you think she could enroll in 101 despite her age, or is that a strict rule?  We just don’t want her to lose the skills she has already gotten, and it seems a waste to take the Parent and Me class again.

Thanks!

Allen

Dear Allen,

Your question is a common and I believe this is a great question and one that I will blog about for you and other parents, not to mention to “hammer home” to my Swim Lessons University teachers.   Secondly, I also want you to know that what I am about to recommend for Laura and all of our other wonderful young toddler swimmers, is the same route that I take for my own children.  My oldest, Jeb, now almost 7, did my Parent & Me curriculum until he was 3.  Nolan, now 23 months, will do the same.

Here’s a little background on toddlers and swimming progression and why the Parent & Me class is the right one for toddlers under 3 years of age:

#1  For safety reasons, I always want the parent with the toddler until they are 3 because they need that “hands on” supervision while they are learning to follow directions.   It is too risky for a 2 year old to be in even a semi private lesson without the parent because of the risk of them entering the water without the instructor seeing it.  One extended submersion could cause a toddler who was doing great to take major backward strides, not to mention the other risks.  This is also another reason we use the Power Swimmer flotation device with our 3’s and I recommend it for our 2’s.  However, unless the child has his/her balance in the water, they could still take in water even with the Power Swimmer or Type 3 Lifejacket (ski vest).

#2  From a progression standpoint, the skills Laura is developing in Parent and Me, i.e., front kicking, back kicking, breath control, breath holding, and swimming are the same skills we practice in Swim 101.   All of these skills will continue to improve with more classes and practice no matter which course she is enrolled.

For example, let’s touch on the skills we are teaching in Parent & Me:

• Kicking on the Front: The kicking technique will continue to evolve and become more efficient with repetition no matter which course a toddler is enrolled (Parent & Me or Swim 101 (which we don’t do).
• Back Kicking: You should be (with the guidance of your instructor) going thru our back kicking progression in Parent & me to the point that Laura can kick on her back without any assistance from you or the teacher.  To make this progression more achievable, I recommend coupling the SwimWays Power Swimmer and a Noodle at about age two, and then eventually going away from the noodle to where you are using the head and hip support, head support, and then no support at all.  This is taught in Parent  & Me the same way we teach it in Swim 101.
• Breath Control: The dolphin dips (breath control exercise) teaches toddlers how to get their breath in a hurry and return to the inline position.  Some form of breath control exercise is not only practiced in Swim 101, but also Swim Strokes 201.   The only difference is at three years of age, the child is asked to put their face in the water by their own will, using their won decision making abilities, whereas we “assist” the toddler’s face in the water in Parent & Me unless they are resisting.  But here again, the end result is the same skill is being continuously refined throughout the “Parent & Me” learn to swim class.
• Swimming: The swimming will improve as her kick improves coupled with her breath holding ability.  All this will occur in Parent and Me and just as it would improve in Swim 101.  Kick practice is kick practice.  The kick will become more refined over time thru manipulating the legs properly and simply more class time / practice time to refine the skill.

*The ONLY exception in terms of a “new skill” that we introduce in Swim 101 is the “Pop up Breath” or “Roll-over Breath.”  My experience is that from a motor development standpoint, most 2 year olds aren’t ready to do the pop-up breath.  If the toddler can kick on her/his back without assistance, then the roll-over breath is possible upon mastering back kicking.  I have had some older two year olds do the “pop-up” breath, but it is a skill that you have to pay close attention to because of the risk of the child breathing in water before their neck muscles, etc. are strong enough and their breath control skills are so well developed that they have the ability to get the breath in a hurry.

• Safety Skills: At age two, my son Jeb could perform Safety Skill #2 without any assistance.  I remember one day spotting him and he jumped in and swam back to the wall at least a dozen times in a row without any assistance from me whatsoever.   This is a skill that we DO NOT practice in Swim 101 AND WE DO PRACTICE in PARENT AND ME because it is so appropriate for two year olds.   In Swim 101, we spend the additional practice time on learning the “pop-up breath” whereas the toddlers generally aren’t ready for that as I mentioned earlier.   I believe the toddlers are better served by working on the Safety Skills, which require less swimming and they can focus on learning how to swim themselves back to the side of the pool, which is why we do that in the Parent & Me curriculum.

Lastly, I want to just touch on the way we begin our Parent & Me classes.   We start it with some “one on one” time to get the infants and toddlers acclimated and then we do the group acclamation songs, etc.   I have found no matter how monotonous it may seem for us adults, the toddlers absolutely love that time and the socialization aspect of it is quite beneficial.

I hope that all my teachers and swim parents can see that I put a tremendous amount of thought, time, research, and regularly apply my countless experiences with Parent & Me classes into developing the Swim Lessons University curriculum which is what I feel is the best infant-toddler curriculum possible for my children and yours.

I hope my input and feedback will help you and all our current and future students.

SwimmingSafercerely!
Jim Reiser, M.S.
“The Swim Professor”

2010 Life Saver of the Year by National Drowning Prevention Alliance
2008 Adolph Kiefer Water Safety Person of the Year by USA Swimming
Water Safety Chairperson – Safe Kids Midlands
Local Partner – “Make a Splash” Initiative

Founder, President -Swim Lessons University
www.swimlessonsuniversity.com

Founder, CE0 – The Swim Lessons Company, LLC
www.swimlessonscompany.com

I just got off the phone with my dentist, who called for some advice about her two year old’s swimming lessons.  She said, “Coach Jim, we just had our first lesson and it was awful!  Am I wasting my time?”

I put together a list of 5 Strategies and an analogy that will help make sense of it for you!  I am about to record it and make it a podcast You will be able to access it at Swim Lessons University by 6/11/2010 and I will announce it in my next newsletter (sign up free if you haven’t already).

Hope you enjoy it!

Pediatric Drowning Prevention Guidelines Updated