Since our inception it has been our belief that swimming is not only a fun activity but also a necessary life skill. Drowning is the number one cause of ALL death in children ages 1-4 years and the 2nd leading cause of accidental death in children ages 1-14 years. Studies have shown that participation in formal swim lessons reduces the risk of drowning by up to 88%.
Our goal is to educate children, as young as possible, to be safe and competent in and around water. We believe that, given the right instruction and encouraging environment, all children can learn this lifesaving skill. We support this belief through our teaching methods and by encouraging a growth mindset in our students, parents, and staff.
Our teaching method, Ready…Set…Swim…© was designed with a child’s physical and emotional development in mind. It breaks down the process of learning to swim into small attainable skills so that children continually feel challenged, but not overwhelmed. Growth mindset is one of the key ingredients in our method. We focus a lot on the phrase “not yet” because of the amazing research of Carol Dweck, the Stanford University professor who pioneered the research in growth mindset. In her research she found that, “the words ‘yet’ or ‘not yet’ gave children greater confidence and a path to the future which created greater persistence”.
The road to learning is typically lined with challenges, and how we deal with those challenges is the true measure of our success. Instilling a never give up mentality, and encouraging our students to try and sometimes to face their fears is at the core of our philosophy. Developing a growth mindset starts at a very young age and parents and coaches have a unique opportunity to influence how children feel and react to challenges throughout their lives. For more information about Growth Mindset click in the link below.