One of the things we look forward to most as a family after Memorial Day is the start of swim season at our summer pool club. My kids are ages 12, 10, and 6 and they have been participating in swim team from the moment they could. Last year was the first summer they were all on the team together.
We look forward to it every year for the camaraderie between the big kids and the younger swimmers, fun Friday games after practice, and all the exciting summer activities like pancake breakfasts and talent shows that make the summer swim team so memorable.
One of the questions I am asked most often is where we found great swim instructors for our kids. Finding top notch instructors can be quite challenging. When my oldest was just about three years old we struggled with finding good lessons for him. Our primary concern was water safety at that point. We initially tried classes at a local high school but the water was just too cold for him. I vividly remember that he cried most of the way through and his lips were blue before the end of class. There was no way he was going to enjoy that. We dabbled in private and group lessons at various facilities but it was simply difficult to find the right fit. The kids wanted a fun environment and they needed an instructor that was more experienced.
When the Tom Dolan Swim School opened, my daughter was in preschool and my younger son was a toddler. I knew I wanted to give the swim school a try. I wanted my daughter to learn strokes and my toddler son to become comfortable in the water and learn water safety skills. My toddler, who did not enjoy any of his prior swim instruction, loved the classes right away because the water is warm (91 degrees) so it felt like he was splashing around like at bath time.
I loved the swim school because each class is run by a professional instructor who only teaches a small group of four students. It felt a lot like a preschool classroom to me. There was an established curriculum with a routine that I know increased my kids’ comfort level with the class. Unlike the classes at our local high school which were in loud swimming pools with lots of distractions, the environment at the swim school is really calm. I think it really helped my kids to learn in a place where there weren’t so many distractions. An added bonus is that the classes continue all year long so I didn’t have the added stress of worrying about missing out on registration for the next session!
I’m so happy that I invested in quality swim instruction for my kids at such an early age. I think it was critical to my peace of mind knowing that they were learning water safety skills. As they grew older, the program was a God-send for progressing into stroke instruction. Learning to swim well is a skill my kids will use their entire life so it was worth it to find a great program that got them hooked on swimming early.
You can find out more about the Tom Dolan Swim School classes here. Great news for local Arlington families, a new location is opening near Seven Corners in Falls Church later this year!
This post is sponsored by Tom Dolan Swim School. #TomDolanSwimSchool #TDSS #SwimThruLife
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