We are a direct provider through Step Up for Students Scholarship!
Steps of our Program
Creating a Bond & Trust
Our first step is always getting to know our swimmers.
Reducing anxiety, fear and nervousness while creating a happy & healthy environment to build from.
Our instructors put in the time and effort to create a connection between themselves and their students which allows them to follow through with our program faster and more effectively.
Building Confidence
A swimmer that is proud in their achievements will want to achieve more! We strive to celebrate every achievement no matter how small. Every lesson is an opportunity to make our swimmers feel like they can accomplish the tasks ahead.
This goes beyond high fives and "great job".
Every swimmer gets a personalized goal card to track their progress and gives full visibility into what they will be working on during their lessons.
Developing Survival Skills
The survival skills are our first and main objective with every swimmer! Giving our students the ability to save themselves in negative situations that could arise in the water as well as giving them the tools they need to be a better all around swimmer.
Survival Skills are as follows but not limited to:
- Basic Breath Control
- Back Floating Independently (Understanding the how, when and why)
- Monkey Crawls on the Wall
- Performing a Swim, Float, Swim Scenario
- Jump and Swim to the Wall or Float
- Clothing Swims
- Creating a foundational freestyle stroke
Improving Technique
There is always more that can be practiced and perfected!
Improving not just the basic survival skills, but stroke technique through drills and practice can help solidify a swimmers skill set in the water and automatically makes them more likely to survive dangerous in water situations.
Techniques we focus on are as follows but not limited to:
- Improving Freestyle Kick
- Learning and Improving Freestyle with Drills
- Improving Breath Control
- Diving for rings independently
- Learning the basics of Breaststroke and Backstroke
- Reiterating the why, when, where and how for basic survival skills
- Improving stamina and endurance
- Preparing for Jr. Heroes or Hero Swim Squad Pre-Team Groups
Learn through Play
Where fun meets foundational skill
At Suzie's Swim, we believe that a child who is smiling is a child who is learning. Our Learn Through Play philosophy is the heartbeat of our curriculum. By integrating age-specific games and imaginative activities into every lesson, we transform the pool from an intimidating environment into a world of discovery.
The Power of Play-Based Learning
Traditional instruction can often feel overwhelming for young or anxious swimmers. Our approach flips the script, using play as a strategic tool to achieve serious results.
- Building Unbreakable Trust: Play is the universal language of childhood. By engaging in games, we break down barriers of fear and build a deep bond of trust between the instructor and the swimmer. This connection is the key to helping fearful students acclimate and progress faster than ever.
- Engagement That Sticks: When students are actively engaged in a "mission" or a game, they often perform difficult tasks—like blowing bubbles, reaching for rings, or kicking—without even realizing they are "working."
- An Avenue of Learning Like No Other: We don't just play for the sake of playing. Every activity is specifically engineered to teach a core aquatic skill. Whether it’s a treasure hunt for breath control or a creative race for stroke development, our games have a purpose.
Why it works
- Reduces Water Anxiety: Play distracts the brain from the "fight or flight" response, replacing fear with curiosity.
- Increases Retention: Children remember skills better when they are tied to a positive, high-energy emotional experience.
- Develops the Whole Child: Beyond swimming, our games encourage social interaction, following directions, and cognitive problem-solving.
Clothing Swim
Why is a clothing swim important?
Practicing a potentially life threatening situation in a safe and controlled setting and building their confidence in different aspects of the basic survival skills to increase their chances of knowing and understanding what to do in a survival situation.
Our goal is to expose our swimmers to these potentially dangerous situations while continuing to build their confidence and skill levels without creating fear or anxieties about the pool or water!
Allowing your swimmer to get excited about this process can help lower those anxieties and create a positive foundation for this fun experience!
We will be working on all the same survival skills your swimmer has been used to practicing, this time clothed. This includes but is not limited to;
- Back Floating Independently
- Monkey Crawls & Exiting the Pool
- Swim, Float, Swim Scenario's
- Jump & Swim to wall
- Jump & Float
- Dive & Swim
- Dive & Float