About Our Program

The importance of swimming

The statistics on infant and child drownings are staggering. Obviously, children are curious about their surroundings, including pools, Jacuzzis, lakes, etc., whether shallow or deep. This is especially true in southern California, near the ocean, where most drownings occur. Children can start becoming accustomed to the water at a very young age; immediately if necessary. After all, they are submerged in amniotic fluid for nine months while in the womb. Gentle, repetitive motions in a warm water environment seem quite natural to infants and they can, in fact, learn the basics of swimming during the earliest stages of life. It is critical that the approach to teaching is gentle and fluid.

Many children and adults believe that they can swim; but do they swim well? Are they relaxed or panicked? Are they enjoying having their face in the water or are they rushing to wipe it dry as soon as possible? While many people “could survive in a pool or the ocean if necessary” they may not truly feel or look like swimmers. We believe very strongly that people should be “at one” with the water; they should be confident, fluid, and energy-efficient. Relaxation in water leads to a higher level of comfort and the ability to stay buoyant longer and alive indefinitely.

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Our philosophy

Murray Callan’s extensive research in teaching infants to swim (see “HISTORY”) has proven that learning to swim in a relaxed and effortless manner is the most beneficial and logical path to water safety. While researching the importance of infant swimming, Murray came across studies by East Germany and the former Soviet Union which proved that early exposure to a relaxed, warm, aquatic environment produced athletically, academically, and socially advanced children who far exceeded their peers. While many programs teach children “safety drills” like rolling over onto their backs or frantically kicking their legs to get to the nearest side of the pool, our methodology is quite different. We want all of our students, regardless of age, to feel comfortable in the water and to enjoy their aquatic experiences. We teach relaxation, first and foremost. A student who is relaxed will be buoyant, a student who is buoyant, will learn to swim. Ultimately, the goal is to teach students how to hold their breath, use their arms to get from point A to point B, take an effortless breath, and continue swimming. Stamina is critical. A frantic, choppy stroke is the antithesis of our program; we want our students to be relaxed. The Murray Callan “Soft-Touch, No-Fear Technique” is a patented methodology in which all of our instructors are extensively trained. We encourage children to float with their faces in the water, eyes open, in a prone glide. Kicking is taught later, once arm-strokes and breathing are routine. Regardless of a student’s age, we realize there is a fine line between forcing a student to do too much and encouraging them to maximize their potential. While we would never want to force them or cause fear, we find that trying more and more advanced steps at each lesson will nullify their anxiety and build their confidence (see “APPREHENSION & ANXIETY”). “Zippers” are our signature stroke. Zippers represent a smooth, slow crawl stroke (or freestyle) that is grounded in technique and efficiency, as opposed to speed. We pride ourselves on supreme technique with all of our instruction, as a mechanically-sound stroke is the most valuable tool in aquatic life-saving.

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What to Expect

Like any athletic, musical, or educational endeavor, you will get out of it what you put into it. It takes several occasions combining near-perfect practice, repeated drills, and overall exposure to swimming before children learn to swim.

How long will it take for them to learn? That’s a difficult question to answer. It depends on several factors:

The student’s prior experience with swimming.
The level of apprehension and anxiety (stranger and separation anxieties).
The level of comprehension (understanding the task and executing it).
Too much exposure elsewhere (ie. picking up undesirable habits).
Expectations – what does the parent/adult want the student to get from the experience? Fun? Comfort? Water safety? Preparation for swim team?

Swim lessons are a commitment. Before signing up, you should be aware of that. Children will not learn to swim overnight, especially given the fact that they will only be learning and efficiently practicing for approximately 1 ½ hours per week. Some students learn more quickly than others, some retain their skills longer than others. If you are looking for a young child to be able to dive in, swim twenty feet, take a breath, float on their backs, etc. that will take time. Again, we do our best to maximize a student’s potential at each lesson. Our instructors can give you a solid assessment and approximate determinations and timelines after working with your child.

Often times, students struggle to learn to swim as they increase in age. Four or five year-old children may experience more anxiety because they will mentally process their situation more comprehensively, whereas a younger child may tend to be more “carefree”. This is yet another reason why starting classes at any early age is beneficial. See “APPREHENSION & ANXIETY” for additional information.

The descriptions below are vague outlines of how a child may progress through our program. Again, children learn at their own rate. Consistency with lessons is the best way to achieve the desired result.

INFANT CLASSES (3 months – 18 months): A parent is needed to assist the instruction while the infant learns to swim. In basic terms, the instructor uses a soft touch and repetitive motions when teaching. The goal is to have the infant floating on his/her belly, face in the water, eyes open, while working on breath-control and lung development. Gradually, the distance of the float increases and the instructor works on having the infant pick up toys underwater (which gives them a focal point, encourages them to hold their breath longer and provides them an opportunity to develop hand-eye coordination). Eventually, the baby will be able to “sit-dive” (fall into the pool from the edge, with assistance), pick up toys off the floor of the pool, and work on using their arms to help propel them through the water. Most often, an infant that starts lessons at 3 or 4 months of age will be swimming across the pool, completely unaided by the time they are 16-18 months old. This is not a guarantee, but it is common. For more information on how and why infants should begin swim lessons right away, see “NEWSPAPER ARTICLES” and “LOCAL NEWS SEGMENTS”.

TODDLER CLASSES (18 months – 3 years): Similar to infant classes, toddlers start off with floating, eyes open, picking up toys, and sit-diving. The use of arms (called “digs”) is introduced, as this is how students swim from one point to another. Once students are able to “dig” a sizeable distance (20-25 feet), they are taught how to look up for a breath so they can continue swimming a further distance. Finally, kicking and backstroke are introduced. Kicking is taught after a prone glide and digs are mastered because most young children merely “run” in the water and end up in a vertical position, which does not really qualify as swimming. Drills such as diving in and swimming back to the starting point are practiced regularly.

CHILD CLASSES (3 years and up): Child classes are run quite similarly to toddler classes. The foundation is relaxed floating; digs are introduced, followed by breathing, kicking, and backfloats. Children will then learn “zippers” (the crawl stroke or freestyle), side-breathing, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. Our instructors focus heavily on teaching an efficient technique so that children will be ready to join a swim team, if that is the goal.

ADULT CLASSES: Adult classes follow the same steps as child classes. Often times, swim fins are used to help adults stabilize floating. The goals are relaxed, fluid, effortless swimming and overall comfort and enjoyment in an aquatic environment.

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	Home Information Scheduling & Pricing Photos News Articles FAQ About Our Program About Our Pool History & Biographies Existing Customers Testimonials Local News Coverage Employment Contact Us	About Our Program The importance of swimming Our philosophy What to Expect The importance of swimming The statistics on infant and child drownings are staggering. Obviously, children are curious about their surroundings, including pools, Jacuzzis, lakes, etc., whether shallow or deep. This is especially true in southern California, near the ocean, where most drownings occur. Children can start becoming accustomed to the water at a very young age; immediately if necessary. After all, they are submerged in amniotic fluid for nine months while in the womb. Gentle, repetitive motions in a warm water environment seem quite natural to infants and they can, in fact, learn the basics of swimming during the earliest stages of life. It is critical that the approach to teaching is gentle and fluid. Many children and adults believe that they can swim; but do they swim well? Are they relaxed or panicked? Are they enjoying having their face in the water or are they rushing to wipe it dry as soon as possible? While many people “could survive in a pool or the ocean if necessary” they may not truly feel or look like swimmers. We believe very strongly that people should be “at one” with the water; they should be confident, fluid, and energy-efficient. Relaxation in water leads to a higher level of comfort and the ability to stay buoyant longer and alive indefinitely. [Back to Top] Our philosophy Murray Callan’s extensive research in teaching infants to swim (see “HISTORY”) has proven that learning to swim in a relaxed and effortless manner is the most beneficial and logical path to water safety. While researching the importance of infant swimming, Murray came across studies by East Germany and the former Soviet Union which proved that early exposure to a relaxed, warm, aquatic environment produced athletically, academically, and socially advanced children who far exceeded their peers. While many programs teach children “safety drills” like rolling over onto their backs or frantically kicking their legs to get to the nearest side of the pool, our methodology is quite different. We want all of our students, regardless of age, to feel comfortable in the water and to enjoy their aquatic experiences. We teach relaxation, first and foremost. A student who is relaxed will be buoyant, a student who is buoyant, will learn to swim. Ultimately, the goal is to teach students how to hold their breath, use their arms to get from point A to point B, take an effortless breath, and continue swimming. Stamina is critical. A frantic, choppy stroke is the antithesis of our program; we want our students to be relaxed. The Murray Callan “Soft-Touch, No-Fear Technique” is a patented methodology in which all of our instructors are extensively trained. We encourage children to float with their faces in the water, eyes open, in a prone glide. Kicking is taught later, once arm-strokes and breathing are routine. Regardless of a student’s age, we realize there is a fine line between forcing a student to do too much and encouraging them to maximize their potential. While we would never want to force them or cause fear, we find that trying more and more advanced steps at each lesson will nullify their anxiety and build their confidence (see “APPREHENSION & ANXIETY”). “Zippers” are our signature stroke. Zippers represent a smooth, slow crawl stroke (or freestyle) that is grounded in technique and efficiency, as opposed to speed. We pride ourselves on supreme technique with all of our instruction, as a mechanically-sound stroke is the most valuable tool in aquatic life-saving. [Back to Top] What to Expect Like any athletic, musical, or educational endeavor, you will get out of it what you put into it. It takes several occasions combining near-perfect practice, repeated drills, and overall exposure to swimming before children learn to swim. How long will it take for them to learn? That’s a difficult question to answer. It depends on several factors: The student’s prior experience with swimming. The level of apprehension and anxiety (stranger and separation anxieties). The level of comprehension (understanding the task and executing it). Too much exposure elsewhere (ie. picking up undesirable habits). Expectations – what does the parent/adult want the student to get from the experience? Fun? Comfort? Water safety? Preparation for swim team? Swim lessons are a commitment. Before signing up, you should be aware of that. Children will not learn to swim overnight, especially given the fact that they will only be learning and efficiently practicing for approximately 1 ½ hours per week. Some students learn more quickly than others, some retain their skills longer than others. If you are looking for a young child to be able to dive in, swim twenty feet, take a breath, float on their backs, etc. that will take time. Again, we do our best to maximize a student’s potential at each lesson. Our instructors can give you a solid assessment and approximate determinations and timelines after working with your child. Often times, students struggle to learn to swim as they increase in age. Four or five year-old children may experience more anxiety because they will mentally process their situation more comprehensively, whereas a younger child may tend to be more “carefree”. This is yet another reason why starting classes at any early age is beneficial. See “APPREHENSION & ANXIETY” for additional information. The descriptions below are vague outlines of how a child may progress through our program. Again, children learn at their own rate. Consistency with lessons is the best way to achieve the desired result. INFANT CLASSES (3 months – 18 months): A parent is needed to assist the instruction while the infant learns to swim. In basic terms, the instructor uses a soft touch and repetitive motions when teaching. The goal is to have the infant floating on his/her belly, face in the water, eyes open, while working on breath-control and lung development. Gradually, the distance of the float increases and the instructor works on having the infant pick up toys underwater (which gives them a focal point, encourages them to hold their breath longer and provides them an opportunity to develop hand-eye coordination). Eventually, the baby will be able to “sit-dive” (fall into the pool from the edge, with assistance), pick up toys off the floor of the pool, and work on using their arms to help propel them through the water. Most often, an infant that starts lessons at 3 or 4 months of age will be swimming across the pool, completely unaided by the time they are 16-18 months old. This is not a guarantee, but it is common. For more information on how and why infants should begin swim lessons right away, see “NEWSPAPER ARTICLES” and “LOCAL NEWS SEGMENTS”. TODDLER CLASSES (18 months – 3 years): Similar to infant classes, toddlers start off with floating, eyes open, picking up toys, and sit-diving. The use of arms (called “digs”) is introduced, as this is how students swim from one point to another. Once students are able to “dig” a sizeable distance (20-25 feet), they are taught how to look up for a breath so they can continue swimming a further distance. Finally, kicking and backstroke are introduced. Kicking is taught after a prone glide and digs are mastered because most young children merely “run” in the water and end up in a vertical position, which does not really qualify as swimming. Drills such as diving in and swimming back to the starting point are practiced regularly. CHILD CLASSES (3 years and up): Child classes are run quite similarly to toddler classes. The foundation is relaxed floating; digs are introduced, followed by breathing, kicking, and backfloats. Children will then learn “zippers” (the crawl stroke or freestyle), side-breathing, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. Our instructors focus heavily on teaching an efficient technique so that children will be ready to join a swim team, if that is the goal. ADULT CLASSES: Adult classes follow the same steps as child classes. Often times, swim fins are used to help adults stabilize floating. The goals are relaxed, fluid, effortless swimming and overall comfort and enjoyment in an aquatic environment. [Back to Top]