The Many Benefits of Joining a Swim Team

Published by admin on 17th August 2010

Filed Under Swim safety tips

Swimming is a fun team sport and a great way for kids and teens to stay healthy while making lifelong friends. There are so many benefits to being on a swim team.

Just about anyone can do it-All they need is a desire to work hard and learn. An added bonus is swimming can be a lifelong and useful life skill
Affordable-For the skills they learn and the practice time they get in the pool on a weekly basis the fees are inexpensive for the return of benefits.
Social- Swim teams are a great and easy way to make friends with kids that train with you every day. These are long term lasting friendships that share a common goal and likeness.
Fitness-Swimming improves overall fitness. It is much easier on the child’s joints than higher impact sports. Swimming also builds muscle and endurance to prevent childhood obesity.
Self Esteem- On our teams everyone’s a winner at different levels with ribbons, and awards of some sort at the end of the season. The feeling of accomplishment to get to the other side of the pool while people are cheering for you is an amazing feeling to a child who is working so hard to compete. They reach levels of unbelievable proportion and leave with such a sense of accomplishment.

At Baby Otter Swim School in Plantation Florida our teams offer not only physical benefits but emotional and psychological. We have found in our over 50 years in aquatics that sports like “swimming” teach children about setting benchmarks, about seeking improvement and striving for a level of perfection every time they get into the water, no matter how they get across that pool. Our experience has shown us that swimming increases levels of self esteem increasing confidence and lowering stress levels.

In addition to our swim teams starting as young as 4 years old we would like to announce the launch of our new Special Needs swim team. These amazing loving children will experience the benefits of a swim team combined with our professional instruction coaching and most important our love of them and the sport of swimming. The Special Needs swim team is just one of many swimming programs for youth offered at Baby Otter Swim School.

For more information on our swim teams please contact Baby Otter Swim School at 954-704-0080 and visit our website at www.babyotterswimschool.com and our most comprehensive up to date blog at www.babyotterswimschoolblog.com.

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Photos from the Miami Herald Story

Published by admin on 11th August 2010

Filed Under Swim safety tips

Here are some photos scanned from the hard copy edition of the Miami Herald’s article which covered our drowning prevention & swim safety event, in Plantation,Florida. Chicago Cubs’ legend and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, Andre Dawson , interacted with all the young swimmers at the event. Dawson is the national spokesperson for Baby Otter Swim School in Plantation,Fl. Click Here to read the Miami Herald story on our blog.

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Miami Herald’s article on our drowning prevention/swim safety event

Published by admin on 10th August 2010

Filed Under Swim safety tips

*All content below is from the Miami Herald article: Hall of Famer helps push water safety (See official article at:(http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/05/1763772/hall-of-famer-helps-push-water.html)

BY HEATHER DULMAN-NICCOLI

PLANTATION

Hall of Famer helps push water safety

Baseball Hall of Famer Andre Dawson makes his pitch for promoting water safety and teaching people of all ages to swim.

BY HEATHER DULMAN-NICCOLI hniccoli@MiamiHerald.com

Andre Dawson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 25, but the Miami-born legend can also boast about another milestone in his life: learning to swim at age 50.

Six years ago, a friend of Baby Otter Swim School founders Marlene Bloom and Mindy York approached Dawson at a Make-A-Wish Foundation banquet about becoming a spokesman for the school.

“There was one stipulation,” Dawson said, “that I learn how to swim first.”

Wearing a Baby Otter Swim School T-shirt, “The Hawk,” now 56, talked about learning to swim as an adult while attending the end-of-summer splash party and water-safety awareness program Aug. 1 at the swim school at Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El in Plantation, where he also signed autographs and took pictures with fans.

“The toughest part was seeing the kids learn how to swim,” said Dawson, recalling his swimming lessons six years ago. “I’m like, oh my God, these kids do not fear the water. But as an adult, you fear the water, you know what the potential could be. But it’s not difficult if you stick with it and you go through that week of training and get the basics.”

The state faces a dire situation when it comes to drownings, safety experts said.

In Florida, drowning is the second-leading cause of accidental death for children under 5 years old and it only takes three seconds for a child to drown, according to the Plantation Fire Department.

Staci York, daughter of Baby Otter Swim School co-founder Mindy York, almost drowned when she was 17 months old.

“I won’t let that happen to my son,” said Staci York, 26. Her 23-month-old son, Jayden Cadet, knows how to swim.

“It is important at any age,” she said. “You can fall into any body of water. You need to learn to get yourself out of that situation.”

Shirley Harold of Lauderhill said that in 2008 her 2-year-old great-grandson J’Mari Johnson was found “floating at the top of the pool.”

She has been on a “quest” since her great-grandson’s death and wants people to understand the dangers of leaving a child unsupervised, even for a second.

Harold, a volunteer for the Baby Otter Swim School, said, “It’s not just 2-year-olds [who are drowning]. It’s also African Americans, 15- and 18-year-olds who drown.”

She stressed the importance of teaching people of all ages to swim.

So does the Plantation Fire Department, which presented safety demonstrations at the event.

“We got together with Plantation General with a program that was simple,” said Joel Gordon, battalion chief of the Plantation Fire Department. “We focus on the message, watch the water, watch the kids.”

The Plantation Fire Department presented a CPR demonstration with help from 3-year-old volunteer Jordana Grossman of Sunrise.

She pretended to call 911 and answer a few questions from the operator. There was a dummy in the water and as soon as Jordana got off the phone, firetruck sirens rang out and firemen went through the procedure of rescuing a child.

After the demonstration, the kids and the parents went straight into the pool to cool off and have a good time. On the hot and sticky afternoon, everyone who brought a bathing suit went into the water for a free swim.

“We are one of the few schools that have swimming as part of the P.E. curriculum,” said Saul Kravec, president of Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El.

Dawson, special assistant to Florida Marlins president David Samson, said he “gravitated” to the idea of promoting water safety because “of the importance of it.”

The Baby Otter Swim School teaches anyone from 8 months to senior citizens.

“I taught Andre how to swim,” Bloom said. “We are very good with adults.”

Dawson said for adults learning to swim, “I think the older we get, our fears start to intensify, but once you get the basics down and get over the fear, you enjoy it.”

For more information on the Baby Otter Swim School, call 954-704-0080 or visit babyotterswimschool.com.

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Watch our new video on Drowning Prevention & Swim Lessons

Published by admin on 29th July 2010

Filed Under Swim safety news

Baby Otter Swim School (http://www.babyotterswimschool.com) teaches swimming lessons & drowning prevention for swimmers of all ages.As we approach August here in Broward County,Florida the drowning statistics have more then doubled. Just today.another child drowned in Miramar.

Last week in Orlando two toddlers were found face down in a pool while a parent was watching the two children. The mother said she only left them for only five minutes. While most of us do leave a room where our children are for a few minutes, parents must understand that all doors to the pool area should be double bolted and one of the bolts should be at the top where the child can not reach. There should be an alarm on the door that makes a loud noise if the door gets opened.Remember, drownings are known as the silent killer, because the victims are unable to exhale and call for help. Together, we can expand awareness about drowning prevention techniques.

The first place a parent should look is in the pool. Layers of protection need to be in place to stop these daily drownings that are occurring in our county and the surrounding counties in Florida. This Sunday August 1 from 12-3 Baby Otter Swim School is partnering with the Broward County Drowning Prevention Task Force, Joe DiMaggio Hospital, Safe Kids of Broward County, Red Cross, Costco, The Broward County Health Department and many more to bring valuable drowning prevention information to the families of Broward, Dade and Palm Beach County. Together, they aim to reverse the trend of recent child drownings and to spread awareness about water safety

There will be swimming demonstrations, free swim, and in addition the newly inducted Hall of Famer Andre Dawson will be on site to meet and sign autographs. Andre Dawson is the national spokesperson for Baby Otter Scholarship and Education Fund a non profit dedicated to drowning prevention. The event was created for all drowning prevention experts to join together to bring information and fun to the public for awareness.

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Baby Otter Swim School Hosts Kids Water Safety Event

Published by admin on 26th July 2010

Filed Under Swim safety tips

As we approach August here in Broward County,Florida the drowning statistics have more then doubled. Just today another child drown in Miramar. Last week in Orlando two toddlers were found face down in a pool while a parent was watching the two children.

The mother said she only left them for only five minutes. While most of us do leave a room where our children are for a few minutes, parents must understand that all doors to the pool area should be double bolted and one of the bolts should be at the top where the child can not reach.

There should be an alarm on the door that makes a loud noise if the door gets opened. The first place a parent should look is in the pool. Layers of protection need to be in place to stop these daily drownings that are occurring in our county and the surrounding counties in Florida.

This Sunday August 1 from 12-3 Baby Otter Swim School is partnering with the Broward County Drowning Prevention Task Force, Joe DiMaggio Hospital, Safe Kids of Broward County,Red C ross, Costco The Broward County Health Department and many more to bring valuable drowning prevention information to the families of Broward, Dade and Palm Beach County.

The Miami Herald wrote an article to preview the event. Click HERE to read Herald article.

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Take our Poll!

Published by admin on 21st July 2010

Filed Under Swim safety tips

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Drowning Prevention Event for Kids & Parents

Published by admin on 10th July 2010

Filed Under Swim safety news

Come join us for a fun afternoon.

Held at Baby Otter Swim School

Located at Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El

8200 Peters Road, Plantation, FL 33324

Time: 12 Noon to 3 PM on August 1, 2010
Meet Andre’ “The Hawk” Dawson, *Read about Andre’s background here.
Baby Otter’s graduate and national spokesperson, also newly
Inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Special Children Events:
bounce house, waterslide, face painting and free swim.
FOOD
VISIT OUR VENDORS EXHIBITORS
HOSTED BY:
Baby Otter Swim School, Broward County Drowning Prevention Task Force, Broward
County Health Dept. (browardchd.org)
EXHIBITORS: CPR-Etc., Swim Central, Safe Kids of Broward County, Joe DiMaggio
Children’s Hospital, City of Plantation Fire Dept., All American Awards, Gifts, and
Engraving, Pinch-A-Penny, Edna Mae Foundation, State Farm Ins., and Hot Dog Central.

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Baby Otter Swim School Students Love the Pool!

Published by admin on 27th June 2010

Filed Under Swim safety tips

As you may have already noticed in our Swim School videos, Jayden has a true passion for the pool and no fear of the water. Here’s a recent pic of Jayden leaping into the air to make a giant splash!

Jayden loves leaping into the water!

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Swimming Lessons Are A Gift Of Life

Published by admin on 27th June 2010

Filed Under Swim safety tips

As July 4th weekend approaches more and more families will be outside in the sun and around the water swimming. People are having barbeque’s and parties. This is when most of the drownings occur when someone thinks that another adult is watching the children in the pool. Parents need to understand that supervision is the first layer of protection in the cure for drowning prevention. There should be a buddy system in place in the pool where everyone has to go to the side with their buddy and the parent who is supervising at that time does a head count. These type of precautions are vital to having a fun and being safe.

Have you ever wondered what to give someone for a gift that has everything. What about a certificate called the “Gift Of Life” for swimming lessons. At Baby Otter Swim School located in Plantation Florida we offer these gifts and tell people it is the gift that keeps on giving. What a way to tell someone you care about them. They actually think of you when they receive the gift and when they take the lessons. These lessons are invaluable and knowing that you were the one who could have saved a child’s or adult’s life by purchasing this is so comforting.

The month of June did not weather well for drownings. It is one of the worst months in history when it comes to these children drowning. These are preventable and knowing how to swim is essential for children as well as adults. This drowning epidemic is so out of control and this country has not yet embraced the severity of this horrible disease called drownings.

For more information please tour our website at www.babyotterswimschool.com.

Have a Water Safe Holiday.

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Video of Jake’s Swimming Lesson

Published by admin on 27th June 2010

Filed Under Swim safety news

Jake learned to swim in 5 lessons from Baby Otter Swim School, near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, while he was in town to visit family. Jake executed the turn,kick and reach maneuver, an essential technique to teach your child, for drowning prevention.

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