Even though SWIMMING should be on the minds of parents all year round it just isn’t. Most people think that drowning is seasonal but reality is kids have no idea that because it is cold I shouldn’t get near the water. As we move through January and approach spring time parents start to think about swimming lessons and camp. Having your child learn to swim and keeping that skill sharp all year round is one of the most important layers of protection in drowning prevention. Statistics have shown that children that learn at a young age and have access to practicing what they were taught decreases their chance of a drowning. If you have a pool you should have all the layers of protection
in place. Do you have an alarm on the door in case your child gets outside? Do you have a fence around the pool that is locked at all times? Do you and any caretaker know CPR? These are all important issues to prevent these senseless drownings. It only takes an inch of water for a child to drown. Please be sure that all planters or buckets are empty. If you child is missing first place to look is the pool. Be pro-active and help us help you save these children from drowning.
Jan
10
Jan
3
” Accidental drowning is one of the leading causes of death in young children. Swimming lessons may seem like the best way to prevent drowning. But, organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends “layers of protection,” meaning that parents must think beyond swimming skills to other ways they can promote water safety.The AAP emphasizes the importance of teaching children how to swim. There has been controversy though, as to what age lessons should start., But, new evidence has led the AAP to adopt the viewpoint that children aged 1-4 may be less likely to drown if they have taken swimming lessons. Ultimately, it is up to the parents to decide whether their young children are emotionally and physically ready to begin formal classes with a swim instructor.” Visit our website at www.babyotterswimschool.com for more information.
Enroll your child today-our programs is state and nationally recognized as one of the most comprehensive programs for young children. If your child can crawl they can get to a pool.
Nov
30
For the past three months twice a week we have worked with children ages 3 to 7 perfecting their strokes, their breathing, their endurance and most important their team spirit. They have developed in so many areas and far exceeded even their own expectations. Our swim meet was absolutely amazing with over 100 visitors cheering their little Olympians while they move through the water trying to beat their team mate.
Being part of a swim team at a young age improves these children’s ability in the water and give them the sense of “I can do it” more than anyone could possibly imagine. We have created some spectacular swimmers who we know will continue to succeed in swimming. Our next swim team practice will begin in February and we are so excited to see our old and some new swimmers back.
There are so many benefits to children participating on a swim team. Their ability to use all their muscles in a safe environment is tremendous. They learn proper swim strokes that will be used throughout their lives. The exercise that prevents childhood obesity is better then any other type of exercise as they use every part of their body and develop incredible muscle tone.
There are so many social and health benefits to being on a swim team. The children develop lasting friendships and team spirit. All of our kids have become so close and when they are together they cheer for each other during their meets and respect each other out of the water.
For more information about our kids swim Teams in Plantation, Florida, visit babyotterswimschool.com. To keep up with the latest news and pics from our school, you can follow us on the Baby Otter Swim School Facebook page and the Baby Otter Swim School Twitter Account.
Aug
31
Usually in this country Labor Day represents the closing of pools and the end of swimming season. This is clearly NOT true. Drownings are NOT seasonal. Parents need to be vigilant when there is water around. Arm floats, life jackets (in a pool) do not represent a child’s ability to be able to save themselves in an emergency. Swimming instructions for children not a one time fix. There are many levels of education in the water just like there are many grade levels in school. Watch your children over the Holiday weekend.
Have a safe and wonderful Labor Day .
Aug
15
Enrolling your child in a proper swim team is not only an exciting sport it is one of the safest sports. Also, just about anyone can do it, and it’s affordable. A swim team is social. It is very easy to make friends with kids you train with just about every day! A bonus is the fitness. Whether your child plays soccer in the spring, basketball in the winter, or gymnastics all year long, swimming 45 minutes a day 2 days a week improves their overall fitness level. There is NO cardio like swimming. They achieve unbelievable levels of self esteem regardless of what skill level your child starts, it is just about guaranteed they will improve as the team goes along.
If your child has a love of the water and enjoys swimming, they will benefit from joining our swim team. We coach every child to be the best they can be and always encourage them to strive for just one more lap. We are loving but at the same time teach them to stay focused and realize their own potential. Some of the kids who started with our team would not even jump into the deeper part of their own pool and by the end of the three month team they were doing 8-10 laps using perfect strokes and most important so proud of their accomplishments.
At the end of the training and practice we have a swim meet for these 4, 5 and 6 year old future olympians. To watch the faces of their parents is priceless because they sent us kids who could hardly make it across a pool and now they see them competing against their friends performing perfect strokes and gliding through the water. It is a rewarding experience for everyone especially our coaches who put in so much time patience and love. We show these kids that with some persistance and hard work they can do anything and at the end at their meet they truly believe what we instilled in them.
For more information about our kids swim teams in Plantation, Florida, visit babyotterswimschool.com or call 954-704-0080
Jul
19
A group called the “100 Black Men of Jackson“(100blackmenjackson.org) launched a nation-wide effort to save lives and to stop child drownings. Based in Jackson, Mississippi, the group will teach swimming lessons for infants, toddlers and children of all ages, just like the life saving lessons we teach every day at Baby Otter Swim School.
Their noble campaign comes after a USA Swimming and University of Memphis study that featured particularly disheartening statistics like seven of 10 African American children cannot adequately swim. The latest report from the Centers for Disease Control revealed more troubling facts about African Americans and drowning risks:
- Between 2000 and 2007, the fatal unintentional drowning rate for African Americans across all ages was 1.3 times that of whites. For American Indians and Alaskan Natives, this rate was 1.7 times that of whites.
- Rates of fatal drowning are notably higher among these populations in certain age groups. The fatal drowning rate of African American children ages 5 to 14 is 3.1 times that of white children in the same age range. For American Indian and Alaskan Native children, the fatal drowning rate is 2.3 times higher than for white children.
- Factors such as the physical environment (e.g., access to swimming pools) and a combination of social and cultural issues (e.g., wanting to learn how to swim, and choosing recreational water-related activities) may contribute to the racial differences in drowning rates. Current rates are based on population, and not on participation. If rates could be determined by actual participation in water-related activities, disparity in minorities drowning rates compared to whites would be much greater.
To reverse the devastating trend, the group is focusing on making a national difference: one child at a time.
Below, you can read an excerpt from an article titled “Think Globally, Act Locally“, by USA Swimming.
“The group has set out on a mission to lower drowning rates, raise awareness, and get kids to learn water safety through swimming lessons. They want to teach 125 kids how to swim.”
“Every year at least 20 children have near drowning accidents. Then there are the five to seven youths (each year) that have fatal incidents in the pool,” says the director of the 100 Black Men of Jackson, Iday Oredein.
“Groups like these – local, diverse, pro-swimming groups – are tackling the complicated issues head-on. They do so by offering swimming lessons to those who want them, in areas where parents might be afraid to send their own children into the pool.
In north Jackson, in this excellent article written by Elizabeth Crisp, a parent was interviewed about her 13-year-old son’s swimming lesson. And what she says illustrates and magnifies a problem also identified in the University of Memphis study: some parents are afraid of the water.
“I was afraid that he would drown [in swimming lessons],” a parent said. “It was more my phobia than his.”
It’s a cyclical problem. Parents did not learn to swim. Thus, their own kids don’t learn to swim. And their kids don’t learn to swim. And if the problem is never tackled, there is a fear that it will persist long into the future.”
For more information about drowning prevention, see our section on swim safety tips and visit our main site: babyotterswimschool.com, to enroll your child in a class. Our national spokesman, Andre Dawson, is an African American male who didn’t learn how to swim until he was 50 years old and several years removed from his pro baseball career. Today, he is helping Baby Otter Swim School touch the lives of swimmers across the nation, of every age and every race.
Jul
6
A child should know the basics of water survival at the time they begin to crawl. Once they master that skill and know how to get out of a pool or a lake if they should fall in they then need to continue and learn more advanced swimming techniques. The technique in this video is usually taught to children ages 5 and older due to the development of their neck muscles and understanding of turning their head to breath and using their arms at the same time. Children are amazing when taught at a young age.
Every child who lives around water especially in Florida, Arizona the two leading states in drowning should be as comfortable in the water as this 2 year old learning Rhythmic Breathing. For more information on water safety, all levels of swim instruction please contact Baby Otter Swim School and follow us on face book at www.facebook.com/babyotterswimschool. You can also follow us on Twitter, at twitter.com/babyotterswim.
Jul
1
July 4th is a great time to celebrate our nation’s independence, but it’s also one of the deadliest holidays for drownings. As millions of families head to the backyard for BBQ with friends and family, the fast pace, the fireworks and the festive atmosphere can distract parents from their most important duty: supervising their child. It’s easy to remember basic fire safety on the fourth, but don’t forget the importance of water safety.
Parents must communicate and establish when they will be watching each child. Dads need to remember that a few minutes at the BBQ may seem like a short time, but drownings occur in seconds, and if he’s focused on grilling the meat, he might not notice a tragedy about to unfold in the pool Remember, drownings occur in all types of pools, from traditional concrete underground pools to the plastic kiddie pools that are often sold at large retail stores. While a plastic or inflatable pool might seem like a safe alternative, remember, a child can drown at any depth, even as shallow as the 18″ hard plastic pools.
A recent article in the Poughkeepsie Journal titled, “”Portable pools pose hazard for toddlers“, revealed some startling statistics. According to the article:
“About two dozen children each year drown in portable pools, according to a study published Monday in Pediatrics. Nearly all are under 5.”
Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. told the Poughkeepsie Journal that the portable pools aren’t typically required to meet any local safety standards. Meri-K Appy, president of Safe Kids USA told the Journal that plastic pools pose a unique risk and Appy said:
“When supervising kids in the water, Appy said, caregivers need to give children their full attention.”
At Baby Otter Swim School, our mission is to prevent as many drownings as possible through our programs, including our infant swimming classes and our swimming lessons for children. For more information about our programs, visit babyotterswimchool.com or to enroll your child in a course, call 888-SWIM-KID. We also offer lessons for adults and swimmers of any age.
Jun
29
This is a video of a two year old doing what we call in aquatics Rhythmic Breathing. This is one of the most advanced swimming techniques. This child started swimming lessons at 8 months old and has continued lessons. His parents noticed his love for the water and how easily he took to learning. His first level was the Turn, Kick Reach unique five day program and then from there he went to the Baby Otter Swim Schools second level and now the third being rhythmic breathing. His fascination for learning new strokes was astonishing to all of the instructors. He now enjoys swimming with our five year old swim team. Understand that our children are only limited by our fears not theirs. They can do most anything when taught properly. We tell them at our school, you can do anything you want to do. They believe in themselves as much as we believe in them. With the proper training, love and patience a child of any age can learn some amazing skills, just ask Michael Phelps. Swimming is not only an amazing competative sport but a great activity to overcome the nation’s issue with childhood obesity. Get your children away from the computers and in the water. They won’t even realize they are exercising.
To enroll your child at Baby Otter Swim School near Fort Lauderdale Florida., call (954) 704-0080 or 1-888-swim-kid.
Jun
27
Summer is the time of year when many families travel for their annual vacation. If you’ve followed our blog, you’re already familiar with the layers of protection we suggest for every parent, including motion activated alarms and fences with locks above the reach of your child. Unfortunately, these layers of protection aren’t always available when you’re staying in a vacation home or hotel.
Since you can’t install alarms or heighten the locks on a hotel pool, supervision and communication are two of the most important keys to protect your child from drowning at a hotel pool. Remember, vacations often involve lots of daily events and activity, which means you’re more likely to get distracted at different points throughout the day. Each parent must take responsibility for supervision. Don’t assume your spouse or other children will be watching your child. Confirm which parent will be responsible for watching the child throughout the day. Plan your schedule each morning together as a family so you can establish buddy systems.
Remember, whether or not a lifeguard is on duty at the beach or at your hotel, they can’t watch your child every moment, and drownings can be quick and quiet.
Here are some important facts from a study by the National Safe Kids Campaign, the American Academy of Pediatrics, National Safety Council,Orange County California Fire Authority, Drowning Prevention Foundation, the National Safe Kids Campaign and the CDC.
- Fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years (CDC 2005)
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- It is estimated that for each drowning death, there are 1 to 4 nonfatal submersions serious enough to result in hospitalization. Children who still require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at the time they arrive at the emergency department have a poor prognosis, with at least half of survivors suffering significant neurological impairment.
- 19% of drowning deaths involving children occur in public pools with certified lifeguards present.
- A swimming pool is 14 times more likely than a motor vehicle to be involved in the death of a child age 4 and under.
- Children under five and adolescents between the ages of 15-24 have the highest drowning rates.
- An estimated 5,000 children ages 14 and under are hospitalized due to unintentional drowning-related incidents each year; 15 percent die in the hospital and as many as 20 percent suffer severe, permanent neurological disability.
- Of all preschoolers who drown, 70 percent are in the care of one or both parents at the time of the drowning and 75 percent are missing from sight for five minutes or less.
- The majority of children who survive (92 percent) are discovered within two minutes following submersion, and most children who die (86 percent) are found after 10 minutes. Nearly all who require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) die or are left with severe brain injury.
Baby Otter Swim School swim lessons in Fort Lauderdale Florida offers drowning prevention courses for children, infants and swimmers of all ages.
Jun
22
While the NFL is in lockout, Leonard Pope of the Kansas City Chiefs is making headlines for his heroic effort off the football field. Last Saturday, Pope saved a six-year old from drowning during a pool party in his hometown, Americus, Georgia. Pope told the Kansas City Star that he reacted on instinct rather than waiting for anyone else.
“I heard that cry. Yelling like, ‘He’s drowning, like, someone get him. When you hear that in a woman’s voice and she’s screaming for her child’s life, I didn’t think twice about it. That’s a kid.”- Leonard Pope
According to the report, Pope saw the outstretched fingers of six year old Bryson Moore, who was submerged in about six feet of water, gasping for air and gagging. Without hesitating, Pope jumped into the pool, grabbed Moore and carried him out of the water. Pope told the Kansas City Star:
“Recollecting on Saturday’s ordeal, Pope said he and his brother learned to swim when he was growing up in western Georgia. His mother made certain they were comfortable around water, and in time, Pope said, he earned a card from a local organization for learning to swim. Bryson’s mother, Anne Moore told the Times-Recorder newspaper in Americus this week that she planned to enroll her son in swimming lessons after the shock of Saturday dissolved.”-Kansas City Star
While Bryson’s story had a happy ending, there are thousands of stories that end tragically each year. Sadly, drowning is the number one cause of death for children under five in Florida, Arizona, and California with a ranking of number two for the nation. At Baby Otter Swim School near Fort Lauderdale, our state certified swimming instructors are devoted to each student’s progress.
Jun
20
After lifeguarding the first two days for a camp who comes to our pool, it was astonishing to see that two three year olds needed to be rescued in less than 20 minutes. What are parents thinking by not making swim lessons a TOP priority? As soon as a child can crawl they need to learn to swim from a professional with experience in teaching children how to swim. How do you send a child to a camp when you know they will be going swimming and not make sure that they know how to swim. Drowning is the leading cause of death in children under the age of 5. Parents need to learn and understand all of the layers of protection to be sure that their child is protected. Swimming lessons are a very important part of drowning prevention. Another important component of drowning prevention is knowing CPR. Make sure you know CPR and any care takers who are watching your children should be trained as well. Please take this serious and make sure you take all precautions to prevent these senseless drownings. Make sure when you choose a swim instructor you check out their ceritifications and how long they have been in the industry. Many people claim to be swim instructors but are not ceritified to teach children. Do your homework before hiring someone who will be working with your child.
Jun
18
No matter how many physical levels of protection you place between your child, verbal communication is vital for ensuring a safe environment. Whether you’re at home or on the road, drowning prevention for children begins with parents who are committed to keeping track of their children throughout the day.
Tragically, many children drown due to poor communication between the adults. It only takes a second of poor supervision for disaster to strike. Earlier this year, Jada Pepin drowned at the Crown Plaza in Melbourne after she feel in the hotel pool. According to family friends who were quoted by Central Florida News 13, Jada’s parents were good, vigilant parents, who lost track of their child. This month, Jada’s parents made an effort to spread awareness about swim safety. They took part in a water safety event at the Wal Mart in Titusville.
Family friend Shannon Bray said this type of accident could happen to anyone. She told Central Florida News 13:
‘”They were those vigilant parents and it was a miscommunication and a child drowned. “
Family friends said they would like laws to force hotels to have better security gates when it comes to hotel pools and lifeguards on duty. At Baby Otter Swim School, we’re always happy to see laws in favor of securing pools, but we remind parents they make the biggest difference and they are the final barrier between their child and a water related disaster.
In addition to a steady stream of communication and an awareness of your child’s whereabouts, you can implement other layers of protection around your home. There should be an alarm on the door that makes a loud noise if the door gets opened. 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.
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.
Jun
10
Over 26 years ago when I was at the pool with my children and my daughter disappeared for only seconds was the day my life changed forever. When I couldn’t find her we realized she had SILENTLY slipped under water as she walked down the steps. There was never a sound or a splash. That’s why they call drowning the ‘SILENT KILLER”.
These drownings that are occurring on a daily basis are preventable if parents take note of the proper layers of protection needed. Supervision is the most important layer. Swimming lessons for children are a must. Install alarms on all exits of the house that beep if opened. The first place to look when a child is missing is the POOL. Learn CPR. Make sure a proper drain covers are in your pool. Know how to turn your pool pump off in case of an emergency. Barriers around the pool like a fence should be closed and locked at all times. Keep a cordless phone outside for emergency use only. Do NOT spend time talking on the phone while supervising children in the pool. If you must leave the pool area for any reason take your kids out of the pool and bring them with you closing the gate behind you.
These are all common sense layers of protection but are the ones most ignored. DROWNINGS ARE PREVENTABLE. Once your child is crawling they need to know how to swim. If they learn at a young age when the fear has not yet set in they adapt so much better. We have learned over the past 35 years in this business that the children we teach are only limited by what their parents think they can’t do. They can do anything when taught properly. When we teach our unique 5 day water survival program we always have the kids say “I can do it”. Once they say it they believe it. Parents please pay close attention to swimming season and make sure you follow all the necessary layers of protection.
Jun
2
“I would highly recommend Baby Otter Swim School!
I have two Autistic children, one of which I was told last summer was “too Autistic” to learn in their program and would have to have further very expensive private lessons. After hearing that, we signed up with Baby Otter, who couldn’t promise he’d learn in five days, but promised to stay with him until he learned! BOTH of my children learned to swim in five days, went on to join their Special Needs Swim Team and now jump into the deep end and swim across the entire pool! They were 4 and 5 years old when they took their lessons.”
“They continue to swim in Special Needs classes that are instructional and social! Baby Otter has brought so much peace to our home and given both of my children a tremendous amount of confidence, two things that make us forever in their debt!
They’re located in Plantation and their number is 954-704-0080 , call and talk to Staci! It’s family owned and they have so much compassion!”
-Cate
May
31
Baby Otter Swim School is the BEST. My husband, both of our children and myself love everyone that is part of the Baby Otter family. Miss Staci taught my daughter, Jessi, to swim through the TKR individual lessons when she was just 16 months old.
Ever since then, Jessi has had such a tremendous love of swimming. Not only does she still love to swim at almost 6 years old, but she is one amazing competitive swimmer. Then my son, Brody, was “ready” to learn TKR. He was not as enthusiastic about swimming as Jessi and was pretty fearful, but the Baby Otter team taught Brody to survive in the water at 2 years old. Now at 3 ½ years old, Brody loves swimming just like his sister and he continues to get stronger.
I’ll never forget when Jessi was about 22 months old and we went on a Caribbean vacation. Pretty much every single person at the pool asked how old she was because they were so shocked by her swimming ability. Not only would she be able to safe herself if she needed to, but she was fully swimming across the entire pool like a big kid.
Even more special than the fact that both of my children are amazing swimmers due to Baby Otter Swim School is the love that both Jessi and Brody have for the Baby Otter family. Both of my children constantly ask when they can see Miss Mindy, Miss Staci, Miss Marlene and Mr. Scott again. The wonderful staff has made my children feel so loved and so special because they feel so passionate about the amazing, important things they are teaching such small children. Baby Otter is doing such extraordinary things to help save children from drowning and they make every child feel so very special in the process.
I can’t say it enough times – Baby Otter is the BEST!”
-Randee Kaplan
“Baby Otter Swim School is amazing, the instructors are masters at balancing being loving and nurturing while being very professional.Always catering to the child’s specific needs. We highly recommend this program!”
Dan and Ivanna Vidal
May
29
It was so amazing for us last night when we were asked to attend a swim meet from one of our students who has taken many levels of swimming at Baby Otter Swim School.
As we entered the swim meet several families recognized us and came over to us to tell us that their kids were also on the team and that we should be so proud of what we created. As owners of the school and together having over 52 years of combined experience working with kids to teach them every level of swimming we both just sat there in total amazement. These kids were 6 years old. We looked at each other and said that we can not believe that at one time these kids could not swim and were afraid of the water and now they own the lane they are swimming in. It was an emotion that neither of us could explain but was one of the most rewarding nights we have had in a long time.
We tell parents all the time that kids can learn anything at most any age and they are only limited by their parents. If you train a child at a young age with the proper instruction and with consistency and love they can learn anything and don’t know that they can’t do these things. We always teach them to say ”I Can Do It”. Watching them swim across that pool last night made us know that we have created future olympians who have so much confidence in themselves. Parents, this post is for you–Teach Your Kids To Swim and they will always have an amazing life skill.
For more information on our amazing programs visit our website at www.babyotterswimschool.com or call 888-SWIM-KID. Please become a fan of our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/babyotterswimschool) and follow us on twitter @babyotterswim. Please be careful over the holiday weekend and remember there is no substituion for supervision.
May
24
We just received another great review from a proud parent. To see more testimonials about our child swimming lessons near Fort Lauderdale, check click the “Testimonials” category. This testimonial comes from Jana Fonseca
“This year has been a year full of positive life changing experiences for our family. The one that sticks
out the most was having our 5 year old, autistic, amazing daughter join the Baby Otters swimming
classes. She could swim, but could not put her face in the water, and we really wanted her to feel
absolutely comfortable in the water, due to the fact that we live in south Florida and we are pretty much
surrounded by lakes, canals, pools, and ocean.
On our first day as the instructor started to put her face in the water a couple of times, for a few
seconds, my daughter’s reaction was to run out of the pool screaming and came to me. Of course
immediately I interfered and asked that they go a little easier on her. I just had a really hard time
watching it.
On our way home, my husband asked to do this alone with my daughter. He knows I tend to be over
protective, and that this would be something he’d like to try alone with her. As apprehensive as I was, I
said ok.
The following week, our second swimming lesson came, and I of course was not there, but watched a
clip from my husband’s camera that he had filmed while my daughter had her face in the water, and was
absolutely proud as proud can be of herself.
My daughter is not only swimming with her face under the water, but also jumping in the deep end of
the pool, and simply having a blast doing it.
All I can say is that having our child join the Baby Otters swimming classes has been an amazing
experience. Their patience and passion absolutely blew my mind. They just know how to teach
children how to swim! I absolutely, 100% recommend it!”
Sincerely,
Jana Fonseca
May
19
Heather Niccoli & Alexandra Martinez report on the life saving skills taught at Baby Otter Swim School’s Turn, Kick, Reach
May
15
“We would like to Thank you Baby Otter Swim School for the wonderful job they have done with our 5 year old son Justin who is a lovely child in the spectrum of Autism ( PPD-Nos). Thanks to Mr.Scott for being a such a wonderful person, caring, understanding and patient. In this video Justin is diving for toys in 4 feet of water. Like Mr.Scott said “Amazing”. The Baby Otter Swim has a pleasurable experience for Justin and us , we saw a total different child. Thank you Cathlyn Baker Crehan for suggesting us this wonderful program.
As a proud mother of a special need child I recommend this program , the best for your child.
“Thank you once again to all the staff. It has been truly an Amazing experience….Justin will miss you. He learned Turn Kick and Reach” thanks to you….Baby otter swim school is one of the best investments we have made for our family. The staff is amazing and so involved, and give every child the precious gift of learning how to safely get to the wall with the Turn, Kick, Reach program.”
“Thank you Baby Otter staff for all you have done for our son Justin. Mr. Scott, my hats off to you for the wonderful experience.”
-Jeremy Jasso & Liette Rodriguez Jasso
“Thank you Baby Otter Swim School for teaching my boys, ages 2 and 4, how to save their lives if they fall in a pool! Your TKR program is amazing! Not only did my boys learn the skills they need to survive in the water, but also they increased their physical strength, gained self-esteem, felt pride and learned to trust their instinct. These are amazing life skills! Special thanks to Mindy and Staci for being such loving and caring teachers. THANK YOU!!”
-Jennifer Gorevitz Gregory
“You all are truly amazing and what you do with these children is incredible!! Thank you for loving our kids so much!”
-Benae Resnick Glickman
“It’s an amazing program I am totally loving it. My baby Lucas is 1 year old, this was his 2nd day and he is already holding his breath, kicking and reaching! Thank you Miss Staci!!!!! I recommended it 100 %! We love Baby Otter Swimming School!”
-Irma Patty Chen
Mar
3
Mar
3
This is a testimonial from a parent who understands the importance of a child (age 5) participating on a youth swim team.
“I am still glowing from this afternoon. : The love that you, and your team has shown to and the
confidence that you all have built inside of my daughter is just beyond words! I am so grateful to
you and Staci, especially. Jessi has such a love for swimming and she is SOOO good and you
guys have just continued to push her and love her and build her up and I just can’t thank you
enough.” R.Kaplan
Learning to swim is a life skill that all children should have. Swimming teams have many benefits for kids. Getting your children off the couch and away from the computer and into the pool is not only fantastic exercise but gets oxygen flow to the brain which helps concentration. More than 30% of kids are at risk for obesity-related illnesses. Swimming is a cure.
Participating on a swim team has several benefits including stroke development, endurance, sportsmanship, and competition. These skills will stay with kids throughout their lives.
Swimming teaches the life lessons of sport and sportsmanship which include learning to deal with winning and losing, as well as working with officials, teammates and coaches. Swimming motivates participants to strive for self improvement and teaches goal orientation.
Swimming promotes fitness and teaches a child to strive for physical achievement. Swimming is an exciting individual and team sport. Swimming is relatively injury free in comparison to other youth sports.
Swim teams for younger children should not be high pressure, but should be fun, which is how we run our teams at Baby Otter Swim School. We train, practice and encourage these kids so they start believing in their abilities. Some of the children on
our teams last year who could hardly make it across a pool competed amazingly to win medals by swimming numerous laps and utilizing different strokes. These types of skills and recognition stay with children forever.
Our swim team kids were so proud of themselves. As a expert in the aquatic business for over 30 years and the original developer of the “Turn, Kick Reach” swim technique we understand at Baby Otter how to motivate and make swimming a fun and exciting sport.
The friendships that will develop and the life skills learned will carry on for a lifetime.
Baby Otter is a swim school near Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
To contact Baby Otter Swim School, call 1-888-SWIM-KID
Feb
28
How many times do we say to ourselves I wish I had learned how to do this? Well it is never too late to learn anything especially a skill like swimming. Swimming has so many wonderful benefits for our bodies in addition to a must know for safety. Did you know that swimming has the least amount of impact on your body and it uses all of your muscles at the same time. Cardio in a pool is much different then running a mile for cardio exercise. At our school we have had trainers, runners and very well fit individuals who can’t swim a few laps but on the ground they are amazing. That is because swimming is a total different type of cardio as it burns more fat and uses all of the muscles at the same time.
As exercise is an important reason to learn to swim safety is the first. An adult can drown as easily as a child can without the proper skills. In our state of Florida we have canals, lakes and some are on the side of major roads. What would happen if your car went off the road and you could not swim. Most adults who don’t swim either never had the opportunity to learn or had a trauma as a child which inevitably turned into a fear that was never addressed.
Teaching the hall of famer Ändre Dawson how to swim at age 50 and conquer his fear of the water was very rewarding as an aquatic expert. He loved being in the pool knowing the proper procedures to take to overcome his fear. Andre Dawson’s swimming lessons to learn has lead him on a drowning prevention awareness mission. He hopes that his story helps other’s conquer the fear of the water and makes parents aware of the importance of their children being safe in and around the pool.
Swimming is a skill and a social outlet that every parent/adult should invest themselves into. We like to be with our kids and to be able to swim with them for fun and exercise is an amazing experience. Fear is conquered by doing something that you are afraid of over and over again knowing that each time it gets easier. With the right instructor who understands your fear and the proper way to teach can make the experience a wonderful learning time in the pool. The water is empowering, relaxing and the best type of exercise with the least amount of trauma to your body. We have had so many adults who have taken lessons say they wish they would have done this years ago. May it your goal to learn to swim this year and have a water safe day….
Expert in Adult Swimming Lessons Marlene Bloom from Baby Otter Swim School
|
Drowning Prevention Experts realize the importance of educating parents and pool owners on the Layers of Protection to stop drownings in and around the home. Please tour the website at http://www.babyotterswimschool.com |
Feb
7
A proud parent of a Baby Otter Swim School student was quoted in a recent article in the Sun Sentinel. Cate Crehan, of Sunrise, whose 4-year-old, Indiana, is non-verbal, credited our program for his progress.
“The water stabilizes him…”He’s like a motorboat, he figured out that he could move,” says Crehan signed him up last summer for the Baby Otter Swim School in Plantation Florida
Reminders:
- Drowning Prevention for Special Needs Children:We have our special needs group class beginning in March. We have two spots left. If you are interested in this or know a child who can swim and would benefit from being in the water please call the office 954-704-0080.
- As swimming awareness is approaching we will be starting our weekly posts on “layers of protection” which is the key to drowning prevention for children. The first weekly tip is the number one layer “SUPERVISION”. Never leave your child unattended for any reason around the water or in the tub
Excerpts from the Sun Sentinel Article: Autistic kids love water, which makes safety sessions vital
experts say South Florida offers the most-advanced programs to teach autistic children how to swim. Instructors here must go through an extra layer of certification to work with special-needs children
“It’s a great model, the best in the country,” says Jack Scott, executive director of the Florida Atlantic University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. “Florida is trying to teach them water safety rather than have instructors who just throw up their hands and say, ‘They can’t do it…But on the flip side, kids with autism have a special interest with water.”
A National Autism Association poll reported that 92 percent of autistic children wander away, a trait experts call “elopement.” They’re drawn to dangerous spots such as water, train tracks and highway exit signs, association chairwoman Lori McIlwain says.
In 2010, six autistic children drowned in the United States
Jan
27
As we approach spring time and the weather is warming there is an increase in drownings. Swimming lessons for children and infant swim classes can prevent tragedy from striking your family. One of the greatest causes of accidental deaths among preschool children is drowning. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2007 almost 30% of children ages 1 to 4 who died of an unintentional injury died of drowning.
Our five day program designed over 38 years ago was to introduce water survival to children on a one to one basis with the parents watching so they could participate in the long term practice needed to enhance the child’s ability to survive if they should fall into a body of water.
. Generally, the children who have their parents involved in the swimming lessons will coordinate better and become skillful swimmers long before those do not have such opportunity.
In its updated policy, the AAP has revised its guidance on swimming lessons. This new guideline is a monumental change that indicates that the AAP recognizes the evidence that U.S. Swim School Association member schools have been promoting for years: formal swim lessons are a vital part of the multilevel approach to drowning prevention and water safety.They believe that by giving this knowledge to parents, much better results can eventually be achieved, as parents may practice the skills outside the formal environment of baby swimming lessons. Swimming lessons can be an important part of the overall protection, which should include pool barriers and constant, capable supervision
The statement goes on to say that new evidence shows that children ages 1 to 4 may be less likely to drown if they have had formal swimming instruction.
Drownings don’t discriminate. It can happen and does to ANYONE.
There is NO cure for drowning only PREVENTION. Every parent, pool owner should know all of the layers of protection to have in place to prevent these senseless drowning- http://www.tenminutesforlife.com for more information.
Drowning Prevention Experts realize the importance of educating parents and pool owners on the Layers of Protection to stop drownings in and around the home. Please tour the website at http://www.babyotterswimschool.com to preview the DVD… http://www.tenminutesforlife.com