The Upper Valley Aquatic Center
(U.V.A.C.) is a place where fun and water safety rub shoulders with fitness and
skill mastery. With a grant from the US Masters Swimming Saves Lives Foundation U.V.A.C.
offered affordable adult learn-to-swim lessons this winter. The 5-week sessions
began in January and more than thirty adults took the plunge and became
swimmers.
Tucker Garrity one of the lifeguards who
helped team teach this series summed it up best, “Adults are fun to teach, they want to
be there, their time is limited so they focus on their goals.”
One student shared, “I like the one on one instruction along with the support of
being in a group.” Repetition is
key when acquiring a new skill but students can get caught up in frustration
when progress feels slow. With
that in mind, we change things up.
Students rotate between different teachers and each class we build on previous
drills. We introduce new
challenges each class. All the students remember the first time they make it
into the competition pool. We bring
them together so they can see what each other is doing and then break out again
into small groups for more focused attention. Also, we let them focus on what they want to learn each
class. At the end of every class we come back together and share our successes
or frustrations. What we’ve all come to see is that the more you can laugh and enjoy
yourself in the water, the easier is to learn new skills.
Chances are if you haven’t
learned how to swim some of the following applies to you:
"I can’t put my face in
the water.”
"I can't tread water" “
“I can't put my face underwater without
holding my nose"
“I panic if I’m over my head
"
“I never learned how to swim with
strokes and breathing"
What is amazing is how quickly students
move from the place of I can’t to I can.
Various motivations brought the adults
to class. For some the price was right.
With the grant underwriting the cost, the cost per class was $3.00 per
lesson and half that if all ten classes of the session are attended. For some a
moment arrived when unknowing became intolerable. One student shared he was a
new parent who didn’t want his child to develop the same fear of the water that
he had. Another student shared that he’d watch his family enjoying the water
and wanted to get in and enjoy the fun too. One student shared he’d
tipped a canoe the previous spring.
Another student needed to pass a swim test to get his Dartmouth diploma.
For another student it took a mini freak out moment while snorkeling on
vacation to realize that learning how to swim and be comfortable in deep water
was a priority. Not every student
was afraid. There were plenty who
could get along in the water but wanted to refine their strokes and swim more
effectively.
Whatever the motivation, UVAC strives to
teach in a welcoming, supportive and fun environment. The instructors managed the multitude of emotions and skill
level. A fun dynamic developed in
the first session where we had a teacher from Hartford High in the class and
students working as lifeguards and instructors. Another positive benefit of
group classes is the “camaraderie” of having classmates while learning to
swim. We teach skills in component parts.
Drills for kicking, breathing, floating, sculling, bobbing are all
geared towards breaking the skills into manageable parts. Those who are new to
the skills learn alongside those who are reviewing skills or unlearning bad
habits. The instructors were described as “unpretentious down to earth group of
experts.”
Swimming is different than other sports
because you have to think about your breathing. Getting comfortable with rhythmic breathing while learning
to balance your various body movements is the challenge. The pay back is that when you swim, you
turn off one of your senses, hearing. As students develop skill and comfort in
the water they come to understand the relaxing nature of swimming.
Students shared some of the surprising
and inspiring results of learning to swim. For some just being able to float comfortably and enjoy it
is a huge accomplishment. Once the air exchange and arm coordination comes
together students feel a real sense of accomplishment. Another student shared that she’d
begun swimming before work and that it helped her manage her stress and that
she’d
gone down one dress size. Another
student has moved on to join the Master’s
Swim group and is on her way to greater mastery of skill and endurance. We’ve
had mothers and daughters learning together, mothers and sons, co-workers
learning together and friends sign up together. One evening was especially memorable when a student who felt
her progress was slower than others was able to swim the length of the pool
without stopping. Afterwards she
shared that her goal was to make one length of the pool using the freestyle
stroke without stopping. We knew she’d
been afraid to put her face in the water when she first started but what we
didn’t
know was that she’d battled illness and injuries for the last several
years. She reached her goal on the
same day as her fifth anniversary of being cancer-free. Sharing that with the class meant a lot
to the others as well because you feel a part of something bigger than your own
fears and anxieties. Like the day someone makes it into the competition pool
and is able to tread water and move through the anxiety of being in water over
their heads. Classmates cheer you
on and share their own success. While
we talk about the importance of feeling safe and comfortable in the water at
UVAC, students this winter learned
the added benefit of getting
stronger and gaining a sense of accomplishment. And perhaps that is what made the adult swim lessons such a
success. The willingness to show
up each week, do things that scare you or make you feel silly and keep on
trying while making friends in the process. Thanks for all the hard work!
by Suzanne Curtiss
UVAC Swim Instructor and Lifeguard
