If you work with a team of swimming instructors you know how unique everyone is. Swim instructors are as territorial and nuanced as swimming coaches. When we’re the kings and queens of our domain its hard to have someone else tell us what to do, or worse: tell us we’re doing something wrong.

Recently one of the coaches I work with told me that Swimming Ideas system wasn’t strict enough with kicking for his kid, and he wanted something different. He wanted something that emphasized kicking. He went to a program that uses short distance swim training (like we do), and uses kick boards to move (like we do), and uses floats to promote a horizontal body line. I cringed. I winced. I listened, and let him tell me about how happy he was with that system.

And for him, he was happy, and that let him think it was great so I didn’t fight, argue, or correct him, and hope he continues to have a positive experience.

I wanted to share this because when it comes to teaching swimming our personal experiences are what drive most of our actions. We all mostly know where to go: the four competitive strokes. We all know mostly the steps to get there. It isn’t hard; underwater, glides, kicking, arm strokes, breathing.

But HOW do you start that process? How do you emphasize each step? HOW do you get those darn little kids to have fun, love your program, and most importantly, progress quickly?

Train to a standard.

That’s the magic sauce. That’s the unique ingredient that will drive your program to success. If you’re a lone shark private lesson instructor: make your standard your selling point. If you’re an agency or group, bring everyone up to a similar baseline standard.

There will be push back. There will be resistance, but the asks that Swimming Ideas’ uses aren’t dramatic. They aren’t onerous. They’re straightforward and explained with simple context.

Membership gets you MENTORSHIP. Every week you can meet with me to answer questions, drive alignment, and explain how to implement a standard baseline for all of your staff; or you!

Training to a standard allows your staff to be consistent when one is sick. It lets them build off the hard work of one when a time schedule changes, or you have turnover. It lets you give a consistent experience across instructors to mitigate the challenges of part-time employment (people don’t work same days/times every week).

When a swimmer moves groups or levels they won’t be confused with a new instructor because every one will follow a similar framework. Your teachers will come to expect a baseline of progress and understanding so they don’t have to waste time in a lesson establishing flow or structure (like rotation method or circle swimming).

Swimming Ideas offers online training and our workbook PDFs so everyone can align to the same progression standard.

Instructors can flavor their lessons with their personal flare: well done’s, great job, high fives, and goofy laughter. They can invent their own challenges and games.

But the most important thing? They need to be aligned on framework (lane setup, circle swimming, terminology like streamline and front glide) and when that happens they thrive. Your swimmers thrive, and you build a fan base of parents that bring all of their kids and their friends to YOUR program.

Align your team and bring in more revenue!

Through mentorship meetings, the online courses, the printable PDFs, and the lesson plans you can run a swim lesson program that provides FUN and EFFECTIVE swimming instruction.

It isn’t easy to align a team and ensure compliance across the board, but with Swimming Ideas it is easier.

• Point to the book on the pool deck and ensure instructors follow the scripts and progressions
• Review the online course on Rotation Method (circle swimming for beginners)
• Provide indestructible paper printed lesson plans for beginners to follow until they are comfortable with the activity, activity, challenge/game formula (a formula that is SO effective we use it for all our training and teaching).
• Meet with me, an Aquatic Professional who has been teaching swimming for 30 years

You can make your life at work easier, more effective, and bring in more revenue when you align your team to a baseline standard. Let me help. Let’s teach better lessons tomorrow, together.