Swimming Lessons are not expensive, they are priceless!
We help provide peace of mind to families. Let’s work together and determine how we can best assist your swimming needs.
What types of lessons do you offer?
Private (1 on 1), Semi-Private (2 students working with 1 instructor simultaneously), and Group (3 students sharing 1 instructor simultaneously) Ages offered: 8 weeks old – 100 yrs old
What is the length of your swim class?
For all ages and abilities, 30-minutes (up to 1 hour for adult lessons).
Where do we teach?
We teach year-round at our enclosed, heated, saltwater pool in Tampa by Oldsmar, just off of Hillsborough Ave/Tampa Rd. We also teach at client’s home pools or community pools. If you don’t have access to a pool then we might have an apartment pool or instructor’s pool near you to teach in.
How many weeks do I need to sign up for?
Ultimately, the sole discretion is up to you. However, after discussing what your goals are, we can determine how many weeks we recommend for you or your child/children.
What ages do we teach?
We teach all ages beginning at 8-week-old infants to Senior Citizens.
Our Pricing?
Our rates are competitive and depend on many variables including: number of students, the type of lessons, the frequency of lessons, and the location of the lessons. Call us so we can provide a custom quote for your specific needs.
What is our teaching ratio?
Our private lessons are the best way to learn swimming and that is a 1:1 student to teacher ratio, semi-private lesson is a 2:1 student to teacher ratio and our group lesson is a 3:1 student to teacher ratio. This is an industry low, we believe this way to be far superior compared to large groups with minimal personal attention.
What payments do you accept?
We take VISA, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Debit, Cash, and Personal Check.
What are the qualifications of our instructors?
- First Aid, CPR, AED certified
- WSI or MWSI (Water Safety Instructor Course)(50 plus hours)
- Most Instructors have a Lifeguard Certification
- Special Abilities Course
- Background checks
- In Addition, Maureen teaches child psychology, and what can be expected at every age and ability, dealing with all the different personalities
- Yearly Refresher Course for Returning Instructors
My child is really strong-willed I am not sure if a soft approach is right for my child?
We can teach with a more firm approach upon request! Some children are more strong-willed than others, that is why we say we customize our teaching to meet the needs of each and every unique child. We will see how your child operates in the water because they might be strong-willed out of fear. If so, we will give our advice on what we believe to be the best way to successfully handle the situation.
Do we teach survival skills?
Yes, we teach survival skills and at the same time, we integrate learning how to swim. We continually go over what to do if they were to fall in, where they need to swim to, and how to be safe. We emphasize the swim-float-swim as well as back floating which can save your child’s life.
How can my young child learn at such a young age?
Repetition is key here! When there is repetition and consistency this creates new pathways in the child’s brain which create muscle memory. Children are extremely bright, you would be amazed at what they can learn in as little as 6 weeks with consistent lessons.
Can my child wear goggles during lessons?
Yes, if the goggles do not become a distraction. However, we make sure the children can open their eyes and swim without them for their safety. Do we recommend swimming with goggles? Absolutely not! We do not encourage the use of goggles unless on a swim team. Goggles can be the hardest habit to break for children.
How should a student be prepared for a lesson?
We expect our students to be in their bathing suits, ready to start, and have gone to the restroom beforehand. Hair must be pulled back off their face and if any students wear contacts they need to be taken out or goggles used only to prevent them from losing them in the water.
As a parent, what should I expect and how do I prepare?
Parent – Child Separation Anxiety is common in our younger students that are just starting lessons with us. Children mainly cry due to parent-child separation anxiety or they want to do something else when they want to do it. In other words, they are trying to find their own independence and they now have an opinion. Therefore, they are not crying because they are scared or they are getting hurt. They are crying because they want to do something else at that moment. As for parents, swimming lessons can be stressful because children can cry and get very upset, but please be able to distinguish between the two. You must keep in mind that we are in no way hurting them. During this time we are going slow and building our trust with the child and giving them a nurturing, fun, and positive learning environment by not taking them under the water. Believe me, they are still learning even through crying. Again, children are very intelligent. This is very common and natural for younger children as they might be going through separation anxiety and working with a new face and in a new environment. In addition, we always tell our children to stay away from strangers, yet who is the lesson with? A stranger. Not only that but we have repeatedly said it over and over again. “Stay away from the pool”, or “Get away from the water”. So we are sending our kid’s mixed messages, and they are very confused! We have all done this, but the instructors at Maureen’s Swim Academy are experts at breaking down these barriers and ensuring your child’s safety.
We want to assure you this is normal, and it may take a few days to a week or two for the student to get used to a new face and get used to the learning environment. It may be beneficial for a parent to get in the water for the first lesson to show that you trust the instructor and so they can as well. The majority of children get used to our logical progression and fun routine and literally take off from there. As difficult as it is to see our children cry, this is so important for them to learn, and giving in to them can do more damage than good. We are not doing anything to traumatize them because we haven’t even taken them under yet. However, we are gently having them do what we are asking them to do so they get used to the new routine. Remember, during this time the children are starting to express their own will and will try and do anything they can to get out of swimming lessons. Children are very smart and the quicker they see consistency and realize that they are not going to get out of this, the quicker they stop trying to control the situation and the faster the learning happens.
Are there any foods that I should avoid before a lesson?
We encourage our students to have a snack beforehand if they want, but please refrain from any broccoli or spinach.
Why do we teach back floating skills first before teaching them how to swim?
Back floating is the ultimate survival skill and this is what saves lives. Every child and adult should know how to do this skill.
Can my child wear a floatie suit or water wings during lessons?
No, they cannot. We are teaching them to learn to swim and those are counterproductive and disrupt the child from learning the skills they need to learn.
What can we do to practice and help our child’s learning?
This is a great question! Your child is going to learn and improve the more your child is in the water practicing their skills! Our instructors give homework on what to practice at home.
What do I do if my child is not potty trained?
We ask you to have your child wear a swim diaper or reusable swim diaper.
What happens if it rains?
The instructor is the one who determines if the lesson is canceled or not. The lesson will only be canceled 30-45mins before the scheduled time.
Do we make up lessons?
We only make up lessons if it was canceled due to the weather, an emergency from our instructor, or a doctor’s note due to sickness. We stress to parents that when they signup they need to pick a time that is not going to interfere with other activities or events they might have going on.
What happens if for some reason I get two different instructors during the course of our lessons?
With our academy, you rarely have a different instructor. If this does happen it is not a big deal because all of our instructors go through the same training using the same progression, trigger words, teaching style, and skills.
Are you allowed to get a refund?
No, we do not give any refunds. If there is an emergency and lessons need to be canceled they will be credited towards future swim classes.
HELP SAVE A LIFE!
Let’s educate as many families as possible. Florida has the highest number of drownings in the nation, between the ages of 1 and 4 years old. We have 3 times the national rate of unintentional deaths.