Written By: Ashley Graves
This is a concept that I've seen be missed in many programs. These courses are not only a great way to keep connections with families that have graduated from your program and bring them back to the sport, they are also important to offer for the continuation of community water safety. In addition, it's also a chance to reconnect with a returning customer.
At my swim school, this is how my refresher program works for families and how it is communicated:
If your swimmer has not been to a pool on at least a monthly basis to reinforce the skills they gained last summer you will in many occasions experience regressions the following summer. They remember swimming but they don't remember how they did it.
An example of one way this happens is a child attempts a skill they remember performing last summer, such as jumping into the pool, and once they surface they panic because they don't remember how they used to swim back to the wall.
Another example of a way this happens is a child recognizes that they don't remember how to perform a skill and don't want to get in the pool or stay where they can stand because they are afraid. They maybe haven't been around a pool in awhile and lost their self confidence to perform skills.
Both of these are examples of swim lesson regressions. Both scenarios are challenging in different ways but the good news is, these are temporary setbacks and very common.
This is why Refresher Swim Classes are so critical for a safe summer ahead.
What Are Refresher Swim Classes?
These 4 - 30min classes that take place twice a week for two weeks. They are for skill review and confidence building.
Swimming is very much like a language, if you don't use it, you can forget it easily. Especially for young children who likely haven't been to a pool on a regular basis since last summer.
Please consider this course even if you saw your child as a strong swimmer last summer. It doesn't mean they remember everything from almost a year ago. Even the most confident children in the water last summer usually do experience regressions in a least a few skills.
Who Qualifies For Refresher Classes?
For swimmers that took lessons last summer and successfully graduated with the following skills are qualified for this package:
Successfully floated on their backs unassisted
Successfully swims across the pool unassisted
Successfully completed nose bubbles while swimming
Successfully retrieved toys from the bottom of the pool unassisted
Successfully jumped in, blasted off the bottom, and returned to the wall unassisted
Successfully blew bubbles, kicked, and swam their arms simultaneously unassisted
Check out: Swim With Streamline Teams for more ideas! Follow us: @swimwithstreamlineteams
Ashley began her coaching journey at the age of nineteen years old. She became the youngest female head coach in the country of a club team and combined high school program in 2014. Ashley has continued to work in the swim community in a variety of roles but is most well known for her work at Streamline Teams where she is the Founder & CEO. In her community she runs a summer swim lesson school serving both local and military families.