Despite summer being the “swimming season”, the busiest time of year for most swim clubs is actually spring. Why? Because everyone wants their kids to be ready for summer. When pool season opens, we want to make sure our kids have the skills they need to enjoy and stay safe in the pool.
But is it enough? Should parents continue to sign up their kids for swim classes during summer as well?
The answer is that kids should absolutely continue swim classes during the summer. Here’s why..
Because for beginner swimmers, you can never be too safe
In a past article we discussed what defines the ability to swim. If your child does not yet meet this threshold, then as a parent you need to be extra cautious and supervise actively at all times. For beginner swimmers, it is easy for a child’s confidence to exceed their actual abilities. Especially when playing and under the influence of friends who can swim better, beginners may often take risks that can lead to accidents. Do not let yourself settle into a comfort zone just because your are in your backyard pool or familiar territory. Not-yet-swimmers are not-yet-swimmers. If they do not meet the requirements for begin able to swim on their own, there is till work to be done and parents should absolutely continue swim classes right through the summer.
Complementing recreational swimming with organized lessons = fastest learning
Kids who take lessons during summer actually increase the learning curve significantly during the summer months. Skills and techniques which are learnt during their swim classes, can then be honed and practiced during recreational swimming. Example: an instructor teaches a child to properly shift their body weight to retrieve an object from the bottom of the pool. The kid does it and feels that awesome sense of accomplishment. What do you think the kid is going to do when they’re swimming recreationally with their family later in the day? They’re going to show off their swim-to-the-bottom skills, honing and perfecting this skill. This usually provides a pleasant surprise when the instructor returns for the next class, as the child has now far exceeded their abilities from the last class.
There are even more options to take swim classes in summer
In the non-summer months, the options for organized swim classes are limited: indoor pools. But in the summer, a plethora of options become available from summer pools to at-home lessons in the comfort of your own pool. For example, did you know instructor are available to come to your home any day/time of the week, and that you can reschedule a missed class? All this for only slightly more than you would pay for indoor lessons, but with all the convenience of an at-home service. Plus, most summer pools offer memberships which provide access to daily swim classes, swim teams, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming and more. Summer offers a massive gateway of opportunities to develop interest in swimming and new water sports.
Summer is made for swimming. However it is important to recognize the risks and opportunities that exist within the summer pool scene. Whether it be for safety, to continue learning, or just to try new opportunities, all kids should absolutely continue with swim classes during the summer.
