Photo Credit: Courtesy of MVP Sportsclubs
Formal swimming lessons reduce the likelihood of childhood drowning by 88 percent, according to USA Swimming Foundation statistics. Yet Susan, a work-from-home mom with four young children, has had difficulty finding lessons to accommodate her family’s busy schedule. To enroll her children in lessons, she first had to pay a family-registration fee and then pay a per-lesson fee. Class registration was in-person, on a first-come, first-serve basis. With only two instructors scheduled to teach on Saturday mornings, her family’s schedule consisted of four separate lesson times. She had to spend two hours each week waiting with three children while one was in the water. On top of that, she was unable to keep her children in lessons consistently because, if they were scheduled to be out of town one week, they were not allowed make-ups. With that many children in lessons, missing one week meant four swimming lesson fees were wasted, two-thirds the cost of one six-week session of classes for one child. This is only one story among many I have heard from multiple-career families that make up our member and non-member clientele.
Here are eight ways we have attempted to meet families’ needs:
1. We offer an easy online registration system that clearly states prices for group lessons. A family may register multiple children online and pay in one transaction. 2. We make it simple for parents to decide where to place their child because we give parents only four options. Parent Participation is for children under 3, Preschool is for children ages 3 to 5, and children 5 to 11 can participate in Youth Beginner or Stroke Development. On the website, each class category has a simple description that emphasizes that certified instructors will determine the appropriate level for each child. 3. We offer clearly dated sessions with specific days and date ranges posted on the website and on the receipt. During the school year, sessions are divided into five or six weeks with one lesson per week on the same day at the same time. During summer, families can choose from three formats depending on their week-to-week schedule. They can bring their children daily for one week. They can bring their children for four days a week for two weeks. They can continue the one-day-a-week format on weekends. 4. We offer all levels at the same time. A family that preregisters can enroll all the children in one half-hour time block, so everyone can take their swimming lesson, shower, and be on their way within an hour. 5. We do not cancel a class if there is only one child on the first day. The small class gives an opportunity for new participants to join later or a place to put a child who needs to make up a lesson. 6. We offer lessons at times that meet families’ busy schedules. During the school year, weekday lessons are offered after “normal” working hours. On weekends, we offer Saturday- and Sunday-morning lessons to better accommodate busy schedules. We offer morning weekday classes for children under 5 so stay-at-home parents can be home before lunchtime. 7. We provide make-ups for missed swim lessons. During the first lesson, a parent is informed that if there is a need for a make-up, he or she must call for an appointment. 8. We make it a point to communicate with every parent. All phone messages are answered in a timely manner. On the first and generally the second day of lessons, a staff member is on deck, besides the lifeguards, to greet each parent and answer any questions. Between lessons, time is scheduled so instructors can update parents on their child’s progress that day.