Choosing the right swim class

04 May 2009

I enrolled my son in a swimming class, near Harrison Plaza, when he was 2 months shy of his 3rd birthday. My sister enrolled her 6 month old baby at the same time. The two kids just cried the whole 10 (2-hour) sessions, my son didn't even learn how to dog paddle. I think they just made their lungs stronger because every session the crying becomes louder and louder.

Before he turned 4, he attended a swim school located at a hotel near Harrizon Plaza also. He cried for a few minutes but after that it was smooth sailing for him and the swim coach. He doesn't want other coaches to teach him though, he always looks for the head coach everytime he comes to class. Good thing this swim school caters to kids (babies even), they were very understanding and patient. Before that summer class ended, my son was able to swim by himself without any arm rings.

Summer before his 6th birthday, he joined a class offered by a former coach of the Philippine team.

Choosing the right swimming class for your child is very important. Just because someone knows how to swim doesn't mean that they can also teach swimming already.

So, how do you choose the right swim school for your child/ren? Here is a checklist how to do it.

Research: Go online and look for a swim class offered near your area. You can also ask friends and family members if they know of a good one.

Forums: Visit online forums and get feedbacks about the swim classes that you've researched so far.

Top Three: By now you can narrow down the best classes based on the feedbacks that you've gotten.

Visit: Visit the pool site and talk with the head coach. Observe how the coaches communicate and teach the students. Check the coach:student ratio. The more students a coach handles, the lesser time he can give to each student. Check the condition of the pool, is it clean? First time swimmers doesn't know how to breath properly under the water yet so they tend to swallow some water from the pool.

Fee: Check if the swimming fee is reasonable. Some provide for the goggles, floaters and graduation giveaways. Does your child have these things already? If you don't have it yet, is it cheaper to buy somewhere else?

Free Trial: Ask if they can give your child a swim trial, some allow it for a few minutes. Can the coach communicate well with your child, does your child like the coach? If ever you decide to enroll in that class, make sure that your childs swim instructor is the same one that gave him the swim trial.

Happy swim school hunting!

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