Toes in the water

Summer is the perfect time for beach trips and afternoons by the pool, which means it’s also the perfect time to get children acquainted with the water through swimming lessons.

The Dalton Parks and Recreation Department, Bradley Wellness Center and SwimAmerica are among the local options for lessons, with instruction to different levels of experience in the water available through each provider.

At the DPRD, students may come in at any level they prefer or start from the beginning.

“The beginner level is just to get them familiar with the water,” said the DPRD’s Crystal White. “The sixth level has them doing laps around the pool.”

Levels in between serve as ways to introduce different styles and strokes and focus on building up endurance. Classes are available for ages 4 through 17, and cost $40 for a two-week session. All instructors for these lessons are also lifeguard trained and Red Cross certified.

Bradley Wellness Center offers “Mommy and Me” classes that cater to children younger than 3. This session does not teach the children to swim, but allows them to get comfortable with the water. The minimum age for actual lessons at BWC is 4, and skill levels range from the “Splash Babies” to the advanced “Dolphin” level.

The instructors at the center are also highly qualified — they must be lifeguard certified, Red Cross certified, and CPR certified.

BWC program coordinator Mandy Hunter said it is wise to get your child to feel safe around water.

“If a child is in a situation where they fall in the water,” said Hunter, “they can be courageous and save themselves if no one else is around.”

Hunter also said that at a certain age, learning to swim becomes a peer pressure problem — knowing how to swim can save some embarrassment. In addition, knowing how to safely and properly perform the activity allows it to serve as a great way to exercise.

In order to choose the right program for your children, Hunter said to ask questions with the instructors to make sure they are qualified, and to know that it’s also important that your child’s personality matches well with the instructor.

BWC begins its rates at $55 for members and $65 for non-members. For each additional sibling enrolled, payments drop to $45 for members and $55 for non-members. Payment is due one week prior to the start of the two-week sessions.

With the SwimAmerica sessions, program director Charles Todd says students are not only taught how to tread water and save themselves, they are taught how to swim correctly. His goal is for students to be very advanced after only a few lessons.

“We don’t use floaties,” said Todd. “We teach them how to float on their backs and save themselves.”

As one of the largest swim schools in America, SwimAmerica has sites both at Dalton High and at the Keswick subdivision in Chatsworth. They also offer 10 classes per day, a convenience for working parents. The two-week summer lessons continue through Aug. 5, and extended lessons continue twice a week for 10 weeks until October.

All coaches in the program are certified by the American Swim Coaches Association and range from outstanding high school swimmers to those with college experience.

SwimAmerica also features a 10-step program to track the students’ advancing skill level. The first level starts off with simply blowing bubbles in the water and leads up to the 10th step, which is 20 laps around the pool. With a pool that is 25 yards long at Dalton High, Todd said he compares the strenuous 20 laps to falling out of a boat and having to swim back to safety.

A lesson plan board greets swimmers every day as they walk in, and each child gets a certificate that details ways to get to a higher skill level.

“It’s interactive,” Todd said of the 10-step program. “We encourage parents to sit right there and talk to the instructor about advancement goals for their child.”

Todd also said many of his students get so talented that they feed directly into the Carpet Capital Aquatic Club’s Makos, a year-round program, or the Dalton Dolphins, a summer team that competes in the Chattanooga Area Swim League.

But don’t worry — SwimAmerica isn’t just for highly skilled children, and works to help beginners who might have a fear of the water.

“We have some kids (who start off) screaming,” said Todd. “It all works.”

Todd describes the lessons as “two weeks to learn not to drown.”

“Even if they’re crying, they still need to learn,” Todd said. “That’s your No. 1. That’s your baby. It beats the alternative with the grieving.”

Sessions for SwimAmerica begin at $75 for the first child, $65 for the second and $55 for the third. A $25 registration fee per family is also required. The organization also provide private lessons at home which are $125.

For more information about DPRD classes, call (706) 278-5404, for BWC information, call (706) 278-9355 and for SwimAmerica, call (706) 275-0077 or visit daltonswimming.org.

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