One of the most common pastimes during the freedom of the summer months is long days spent at the pool or beach. Keep your kids safe this summer by enrolling them in one of the many swim lesson options around the community. Who knows, maybe they can eventually teach you a trick or two in the water!
Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center
At Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center (BSAC) swimming lessons are backed by 20 years of teaching experience thanks to Aquatics Director, Theresa Hicke who is certified in CPR, first aid and lifeguard training. All BSAC instructors are trained and supervised by Hicke who received her certification from Olympic Coach Peter Banks Gold Medal Stroke School.
Classes are offered in an array of options from parent/tot lessons, group and mini-group lessons to private lessons. They are taught in two week increments with meetings scheduled Monday-Thursday. An annual registration fee of $20 per child is required
Lessons range from five to eight 40 minutes classes. Other than in the parent/tot classes, instruction is based on skill level. Skill level placement starts at age three with level one focusing on floating, kicking, water safety and increasing comfort in the water. Eventually the levels add freestyle, breathing techniques, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly kick.
BSAC is located at 405 Beverly Blvd. in Brandon. For more information on specific class fees and upcoming summer dates visit www.mybsac.org or call 689-0908.
SwimKids USA
From Atlanta to Jacksonville to Orlando and Lutz, SwimKids USA has focused on teaching children of any age how to feel safe and comfortable in the water. This summer, from May through September, at Buckhorn Springs Swim and Tennis Club in Valrico, SwimKids instructors will teach children one year old and over everything from floating, breathing and backstroke to surviving a drowning situation.
The learn-to-swim program is taught in six different instructional schools; infant, toddler, child, survival, breathing and stroke. The lessons range from learning to swim to the wall from five feet away, strengthening independence in the water, surviving a drowning situation, floating, breathing and proper arm stroke. Instructors are certified in CPR and first aid. Each session is completed in eight 30 minute classes at $17 per class.
Beginning in June, classes will be scheduled on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday depending on which course is selected. Weekly specials will be offered. For more information visit www.swimkidsusa.com
Buckhorn Springs is located at 2721 South Miller Rd. For more information on SwimKids USA call 991-6258 or email swimkidsusa@aol.com.
Lil’ Swimmer Aquatics
With nearly 500 children from infancy to four years old dying each year from accidental drowning, Lil’ Swimmer Aquatics has focused on survival swimming as its credo.
Based on the PediaSwim methodology, Korey Nielson, owner, teaches children as young as six months old, without yet the ability to walk or run how to hold their breath and float. “They learn appropriate swimming postures which allow them to rotate into a back float position to rest and breathe. They are able to remain in this position for a very long time, even while fully clothed,” Nielson explained.
Nielson teaches children up to seven years old. Classes are offered now through November and cost $65 per week when taught at Covington Park in Apollo Beach. For lessons taught at the convenience of home pools it costs $80 per week. An entire course can take four to six weeks depending on the child’s individual needs.
Nielson has a Bachelors of Science in exercise physiology, is a graduate of the PediaSwim Academy in Winter Garden and is a member of The National Drowning Prevention Alliance. He is certified in water safety, and CPR.
For more information visit www.lilswimmer.net, call 777-3373 or email info@lilswimmer.net.
Infant Swimming Resource
Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) is nationally recognized for providing swimming lessons backed with more than 40 years of research and development. Certified instructors like locals Kari Bahour, Dianne and Alanna Cutri go through eight weeks of in water training and academic courses with more than 60 hours of hands on application under the guidance of a Master Instructor.
Dianne and Bahour bring more than 30 years of collective ISR teaching experience and are both master instructors, qualified to train new ISR instructors.
Bahour is offering lessons through November at $70 per week, five days a week for three to six weeks. Lessons are taught at Boyette Creek located at 10316 River Beam Dr. in Riverview. For home pool lessons, fees may vary; contact Bahour directly for a quote. Dianne and Alanna offer lessons beginning in April at $70 per child. For home pool classes contact Alanna directly at a.cutri@infantswim.com.
A national registration fee of $105 dollars is required for all new ISR students. Local ISR instructors are offering one week free of lessons which amounts to five private lessons for new students with the mention of this article. The offer is valid through Thursday, June 30.
For more information on Bahour visit www.watchmeswim.com or call 643-7946. For Dianne and Alanna visit www.infantswim.com or call 685-8789. For other ISR instructors in the Tampa Bay area visit www.isrtampa.com.
Kinder Swim
When Katja Borosch, owner of Kinder Swim Inc. saw one of her two daughters accidentally fall into the family pool, she wasted no time in enrolling them in water survival lessons at the tender age of two and four. Convinced it is one of the most valuable gifts given to children; Borosch now has eight years of survival swimming instruction under her belt.
With an early childhood development background with accreditations in California and Florida, Borosch tailors her one-on-one lessons to fit the emotional needs and physical abilities of each child. She has taught almost 1,000 infants, toddlers and young children from six months old to preteen ages. She is a member of the United States Swim School Association, the National Drowning Prevention Alliance and is certified in DPR and first aid.
Classes are taught through December in a private one-on-one setting four days a week Monday-Thursday. There is a one time registration fee of $35 and a weekly fee of $65 per child. Military discount is $5 off.
For more information visit www.kinderswim.com or call 653-7138.
Sharks and Minnows
Since 1990 Sharks and Minnows has taught children as young as 6 months old how to swim. Lessons are taught in twelve levels which teach infants to adults and beginner to advanced swimmers the proper technique to enjoy the water with confidence.
One session is equivalent to eight 30 minute classes with a maximum of five students per instructor. A non refundable registration fee of $20 is required. A family registration for two or more children is $30.
Beginning in May-September, local classes will be taught at Springs at Bloomingdale located at 5959 Bandera Springs Cir. in Riverview on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesday, classes will be taught at Indigo Point located at 1850 Providence Lakes Blvd. in Brandon.
For more information visit www.sharkandminnows.com or call 1-800-511-7946.
YMCA
With the mission to build strong kids, strong families and strong communities, the YMCA has developed a thorough private and group swim lesson program for children beginning at six months old all the way through adults 13 and over.
This summer lessons will be held from May through October. “Group lessons are offered at the Campo Y in Valrico, Hawk Park in FishHawk Ranch, Camp Cristina in Riverview and the community pool in Summerfield. Private lessons are held at the Campo Y, Camp Cristina and the Summerfield community,” Stephanie Hoffa, aquatics director, explained.
Lessons range in time between 30-45 minutes depending on age. For facility members the cost is $50 for an eight class session during the week and $25 for four classes on Saturdays. Program members are charged $80 for an eight class session during the week and $40 for a four class session on Saturdays. Summerfield residents will get a discounted rate if not a Y member.
All instructors obtain more than 30 hours of training and receive accredited certification through the YMCA of the USA, with certifications in first aid and CPR Lessons are also supervised by a YMCA certified lifeguard with more than 40 hours of training.
For more information on the range of dates for a specific location contact Hoffa at Campo Y by calling 684-1371 or emailing Stephanie.hoffa@tampaymca.org. For a more detailed description of the classes visit www.tampaymca.org.
