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A child can learn to swim as soon as they are crawling. It is instinct for them to learn in the water at a young age since they spent their previous nine months in the water. They understand everything and through tender loving care, persistence  and repetition they do amazing things in the water. As parents we never want our children to cry, but sometimes crying can be a good thing in the world of aquatics especially since they stop crying once they learn how much fun they are actually having in the water. In our 35 years experience we find the kids at the end of the week cry because they don’t want to get out of the water. Amazing is the only word we can use to describe this transition.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Have a safe and wonderful Labor Day .

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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

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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.

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