The Swim Professor

Jim Reiser, M.S.

How to Stop Drowning

Did you know that 70% of all childhood drowning occurs when the child was in the care of one or both parents?   Or that 75% of the time the child was missing for 5 minutes or less?  Watch this live news segment for some Tips on How to Stop Drowning:

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).

 

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April 10, 2017 at 3:13 pm Comments (0)

Does your child REALLY swim like a fish?

How often have you heard a parent say, “oh my child can swim like a fish!”  When in fact, they may only have some basic skills, or a lacking skill set.  Combine the lack of understanding of what real swimming really is and the weak skill set, you have a serious problem.  One that could quite possibly get them into trouble due both the child and parent being overconfident of their swimming abilities.

A study by the American Red Cross backs my above statement up.  In that study, 80% of those interviewed said they could swim, but when tested, ONLY 56% were accurate.

Here is an interview I did with a Columbia NBC news broadcast.   I hope you enjoy the rest of the interview (BTW, the pool isn’t really green, LOL!  That is just our camera recording the clip off the TV).

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).

 

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April 3, 2017 at 2:13 pm Comments (0)

Drowning Prevention Tips: How Parents Can Keep Their Children Safer In and Around the Water

WLTX News Anchor Darci Strickland interviews Swim Lessons University’s Jim Reiser.   Reiser shares Water Safety Tips for parents with children of all ages, highlighting strategies by the “Safer 3” as well as by Aquatic Safety Group.

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).

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March 12, 2017 at 5:19 pm Comments (0)

Swimming Goals for Children

One of the BIGGEST mistakes parents make from a water safety perspective is not giving their child the opportunity to continue learning how to REALLY SWIM! By the time a child is 5 years of age, he is capable of swimming the length of most any residential pool using formal strokes such as freestyle (front crawl) and backstroke. As a physical educator, I strongly encourage parents to have their children participate in a variety of sports and activities–BUT NEVER as a substitute to becoming a competent swimmer. If your child is five years old and can’t swim freestyle with side breathing (as seen in this video), please twice about re-prioritizing his or her activities.

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).

 

 

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July 17, 2013 at 11:31 am Comments (0)

How do Children Drown : Reiser Interview on CBS WLTX

According to the American Institute of Preventative Medicine, DROWNING is the leading cause of accidental death of children age 5 & under, and 2nd only to automobile accidents to children age 6-14.  The number of children we lose every year to drowning is very troubling.  Especially when we know that in most cases–drowning is preventable.  One problem is that too many parents have the mindset that it can’t happen to them.

There are TWO REASONS for that:

  • Parents naturally OVERESTIMATE their child’s swimming ability.
  • Parents UNDERESTIMATE how quickly and quietly a child drowns.

While most people think that there would be water thrashing and a real struggle before someone drowns, that’s not how drowning looks or sounds at all.  It’s not like in the movies, children drown without a sound.  If a child can’t swim and doesn’t grab the wall, what would happen?  Like any other drowning victim, would have one goal:  Try to breathe.  What would he breathe if his face was submerged?  Water.  So you would hear nothing.  And in far too many cases, the toddler breathes in water, slips underwater, and within as little as 90 seconds he is unconscious.   In as little as 2 minutes, even with the best resuscitation efforts, the outcome is not good, i.e., a parents worst nightmare, brain damage, even death.

For more information on drowning prevention, water safety, and learning to swim, contact Jim Reiser at Swim Lessons University.

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 is 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).

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May 28, 2013 at 4:23 pm Comments (0)

WIS-NBC Features Water Smart 101 Safety Program

After Michael Morris of The Samual Morris Foundation flew into Columbia, South Carolina to visit with Jim Reiser and learn more about the Water Smart 101 program, WIS-TV in Columbia’s Judi Gatson and Meaghan Norman were excited to spread the word about this potentially life saving program.

The Water Smart 101 program, inspired by SC State Representative Wendell Gilliard, has enormous potential in the fight against drowning, which could not only prevent drownings in children in South Carolina, but around the nation, and even around the globe which was evident by Michael Morris’s visit to South Carolina.   There is currently at least one school in Texas planing to implement the Water Smart 101 program this school year, every school in Charleston County, SC has implemented it in 2012.  Representative Gilliard is also encouraging all public schools in SC to implement this one-hour water safety course in 2013 and beyond.

Richland School District One students in Columbia, SC was the first school district to reap the benefits of the program.  Jim Reiser’s local swim school, The Swim Lessons Company, has been teaching swimming lessons and the water safety program to it’s second graders since 2006.  Reiser, the Water Smart 101 course author, has developed the course over the past 6 years into what now features an interactive video, a lesson plan, a water safety promise that involves the parent and child, a review, and a Water Smart exam the next day.

Here is the latest news coverage on the Water Smart 101 program featuring interviews from both Jim Reiser and Michael Morris of Australia:

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 is 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).

 

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September 26, 2012 at 4:40 pm Comments (0)

Water Safety Interview with Michael Morris of Australia in Columbia, SC

We were honored and humbled to have Michael Morris of The Samuel Morris Foundation visit us here in Columbia, SC all the way from Australia.   Michael and his wife Jo-Ann are on a mission to reduce drownings and near drownings in Australia and around the globe.  As Michael mentions in the interview, one of the reasons he visited us was to discuss the Swim Lessons University Water Smart 101 program.   A program that was recently introduced to 46,000 children in Charleston County schools.  A program in which S.C. State Representative Wendell Gilliard wants to see in all S.C. public schools, and a program we would love to share with the rest of the world.

Michael and his wife Jo-Ann Morris have created the The Samual Morris Foundation.  The organization is in the name and inspired by their son Samual Morris.  Samual is an unfortunate victim of a near drowning tragedy.  As a result of this accident, Samuel experienced a severe Hypoxic Brain Injury and was left with a range of severe disabilities.

We hope this interview  (and we apologize the audio isn’t better) will help parents around the world understand better how to prevent unnecessary tragedies like this one.  We hope you will look at utilizing the Water Smart 101 program to teach your children how to be safer when in and around the water, and make the water a safer place for all our children.

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 is 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).

 

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September 25, 2012 at 4:31 pm Comments (0)

Jim Reiser’s Water Smart Program now taught in Every Charleston County Classroom

With the blessing and support of Charleston County School District Superintendent, Dr. Nancy McGinley, Swim Lessons University’s “Water Smart 101” curriculum is now being taught in every elementary school in Charleston, South Carolina since May 2012.

S.C. Representative Wendell Gilliard introduced legislation last year declaring May as Water Safety Awareness month in South Carolina.  The resolution urges every public school in South Carolina to spend at least one hour of water safety instruction during the month of May.  In the May 12th press conference, Gilliard stated that this one hour of instruction (Water Smart 101 Program) has very real potential to help save lives of our children.   According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, two children die every day from unintentional drowning.  Drowning is the second cause of accidental death in children ages one to 14.

Representative Gilliard went on to say how excited he was that the Charleston Country School District would be implementing the  “Water Smart 101 program,” designed by Swim Lessons University’s Jim Reiser, AKA “The Swim Professor.”  Gilliard praised the “Water Smart 101” program in which he has reviewed first hand, and stated, “our students will have the opportunity to learn from a program designed by a true expert, and the children will learn these important lessons about both the pleasures and risks of the water.”  Gilliard went on to say, “Charleston Country School District’s commitment to our youth by implementing this program should be commended.  In closing, Gilliard URGED all school districts to please follow this example.  He emphasized that simply by taking a few moments in the month of May to teach our children about water safety could make the difference in the life of a child.”

North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey then introduced Charleston County Superintendent Nancy McGinley.  She spoke, “This is not about just an event.  This is about children’s lives.  As superintendent of schools for the past five years, I must tell you that it is my saddest moment every spring when a tragedy occurs.   Two years ago, on the night before the last day of school, I got a call on my cell phone about 9:00PM.   One of our kindergarten students had drown, not far from here, in an apartment swimming pool.  I went to his classroom the next morning.  His teacher was in tears.   The teacher’s assistant was in tears.   The children were asking questions that no one wanted to answer.  And I certainly did not know how to answer.  They realized their classmate was gone.  It will be forever in my brain.”  They asked:  “What does drown mean?”  “Where did he go?”

The superintendent continued, “I asked the teacher if I could see some of his work.  The children had produced little end of the year booklets.  and she placed his booklet in my hand.  I opened the first page.  There was a crayon drawing of a swimming pool.  The sentence he wrote below was:  “I love to go swimming with my family.”   Superintendent McGinley said, “I don’t know about you, but that got to me like few other things had ever gotten to me in my career.”

Superintendent McGinley went on to say, “We are here today because as adults in this community it’s time we join together and prevent tragedies like that from happening in the future.  It is about preparing our children to be safe.  I love the water.  But I recognize the danger that the water involves for children who haven’t had swimming lessons OR learned precautionary preventative lessons like the ones that we’re about to implement in our schools (Water Smart 101 Curriculum) thanks to the Rutledge Foundation.  After our testing ends, all of our elementary schools will be using the Water Smart program, teaching children about how to stay safe, cautioning students about the dangers. Not scaring them, but teaching them the correct respect for the water.  I’ll be making a call to our 45,000 parents reminding them that this is Water Safety month.  And I thank Representative Gilliard for doing this for our children.  I agree with what Mayor Summey, Mayor Riley, and Mayor Swails said (all in attendance to support the water safety programs for Charleston’s students):  “Today is an important day in the history of Charleston County.  This is a day that we take yet another step forward in preserving our children’s lives and ensuring that they will enjoy this beautiful place we live without endangering themselves.  Thanks to everybody for making this happen.”

The one-hour “Water Smart 101” program consists of a DVD Video that school teachers play for their kindergarten and elementary school students, as well as a PDF bundle that includes a Lesson Plan, Water Safety Promise (homework assignment that involves parental participation), and a Water Smart Exam. Both the DVD and PDF Bundle can be found on the Swim Lessons University website.

Mark Rutledge, President of the Logan Rutledge Children’s Foundation, then took the podium.  “What became apparent a three years ago, to echo what Dr. McGinley said, is drowning has become a prominent thing in our community.  We researched that and we found that there was a big gap, a very large gap in safe swimmers and teaching them how to swim, especially as it pertains to children who are in underprivileged situations.   So we decided to focus our efforts on drowning prevention and learning how to swim.  So for the past few years and with Dr. McGinley’s approval we did a grant with Charleston Country School District of $20,000 to promote learn to swim programs thru the school. but only about half of the funds were being utilized.  One problem was that there was no formal learn to swim program.  So in doing our due diligence, we decided with the momentum of the school program we needed to create one.  So I consulted my good friend Shannon O’Brien, who has worked in the City of Charleston School District for many years, and is also the Elementary Athletic Liaison for the county.  Shannon began researching swim programs and spent countless hours outside her normal work schedule to find out what we could do to implement a program where we could also track numbers.  We wanted to find out how many kids were safe in the water, how many kids actually do learn to swim, and we wanted to implement a program in the county.  Well, right in our backyard is Jim Reiser from Columbia, who is the executive director of Swim Lessons University, a nationally acclaimed program.  So we have adopted his program, which is really the most incredible program as far as how children are progressed through an educational process from water safety to learn-to-swim, and actually if they reach this level, they can be “swim team ready.”  So we adopted this program, and as you can see behind me, we have already started the Swim Lessons University Learn-to-Swim program, which began on the first of April last month.  In 2012-2013, we should teach over a thousand kids how to swim, and our eventual goal is to hit the every elementary school in the whole county (45,000 kids).

Jim Reiser formally thanks the Low Country Aquatic Program (L.A.P.S.) and the Logan Rutledge Children’s Foundation for their support. President Mark Rutledge and Shannon O’Brien played a most significant role in bringing the Swim Lessons University LTS curriculum and the”Water Smart 101″ to Charleston. Reiser says, Mark and Shannon’s hard work and contributions to the program were instrumental, and because of them–thousands of children will learn to swim and be Water Smart!

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).

 

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May 17, 2012 at 4:28 pm Comments (0)

Kiddie Pool and Water Park Safety

Here is a short video covering critical water safety tips for toddlers and young children.  For more on drowning prevention, check out these Water Safety DVD’s.

 

https://youtu.be/FBKmkk6yjU8

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May 1, 2012 at 5:07 pm Comments (0)

Aquatic Safety Research Group’s Rachel Griffith’s has Article Published

Rachel Griffith’s wrote a fabulous article on water safety which was published by Westside Today. Please read and share! Your sharing of this article could save a life.

For more great water safety tools and products, especially the Coast Guard Approved Sea Squirts Lifejacket, which is designed for swimming–check out Swim Lessons University today!

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).

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April 10, 2012 at 11:49 am Comments (0)

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