Star Search: Splash! Swimming Academy

 gsport often receives correspondence from our readers wanting to know
more about initiatives that are dedicated to teaching children and adults to
swim. So, this month, we are delighted to introduce you to the Splash! Swimming Academy which aims to educate children
and adults about the importance of learning how to swim as a basic life-skill.

What we particularly enjoy about the Academy’s vision is their
determination to develop potential elite swimmers that will go on to achieve
great things for our country.

We salute their energy and passion and urge you to support
their wonderful programs in anyway you can.

In this interview with gsport, Lee-Anne McQueen from the Splash! Swimming Academy
talks to gsport about their vision, public support for the initiative, and
swimming role models that have been created as a result of their amazing work.

When/Why was the Splash! Swimming Academy launched?

Our private business, Splash! Swimming School,
has been in operation since April
2003, offering privately swimming tuition to mostly high-income earners in Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs,
as well as providing local primary schools with professional swimming coaches
to manage their swimming programmes. 

It was through this relationship with schools and interaction with
learners from such diverse backgrounds that we realized what a massive demand
there is for even a basic level of good quality swimming tuition, and that by
teaching only the privileged few to swim, we were not only depriving thousands
of less privileged South African children of our expertise and passion for
swimming, but were depriving our country of potential elite swimmers who might
otherwise never have learnt to swim.

What is the main aim of the Academy and how do your programs operate?

The main aim is to educate every
child and adult who comes into contact with us as to the importance of learning
swimming as a basic life-skill in order to reduce the massive amount of
drownings happening in SA every year (drowning is second only to car
accidents as a cause of unnatural death amongst SA children).  Secondary to that aim is to identify real talent in
learners from an early age and to foster that talent.

How is the Academy
funded?

The Academy
is still in its infancy, so at the moment most of our programmes are still
privately paid-for by our swimmers’ parents. 
Our weekend workshops where
we bring a group of underprivileged children to our pool for a day, is run by
volunteer teachers and parents, and we try to get local companies to sponsor
refreshments, t-shirts, caps, prizes etc. for the swimmers. 

Next year we’re starting a ‘most promising swimmer scholarship’ at the Wynberg
Girls
Junior
School
where we identify the swimmer with the most potential in each age-group and
present them with a ‘scholarship’ to the Splash!
Swimming Academy,
which is funded by Splash! Swimming
School.  Once
we’ve done the ground-work for this programme we’d like to expand it to include
other local schools in the area.

We also have plans to introduce a
sponsorship programme next year, where businesses and private clients can
sponsor a child’s swimming tuition and related expenses.

You recently launched an adults
swimming program. How has it been
received and how does it differ from the swimming programs aimed at children?

Our adult swimming programme was run
on a very small scale this year as we tested it out and tried a few different
methods and approaches. We’ll be expanding the adult swimming next year to
include all levels from beginners to advanced.

The adult programme has had a
fantastic response, as adults from all walks of life with varying levels of
experience in swimming have been very keen to get involved. There is definitely
a huge demand for adults in need to basic to intermediate swimming skills, and
we find that as we continue to educate children and adults about the benefits
of a strong swimming base, the demand for our adult swimming services increases
steadily.

The main difference when faced with
teaching an adult to swim is the approach to the situation.  Adults
have many preconceived fears which cannot be overcome with the same games,
songs and rewards as one would use when teaching children, so we have to make
gaining swimming skills a reward in itself from day one. 

Also, children are used to trusting teacher-child relationships and
almost take them for granted, making introducing new skills much easier,
whereas adults take a long time to trust your knowledge and judgment when faced
with a difficult or frightening situation such as immersing themselves in
water.

What is your advice to children and
adults who are nervous about taking the plunge and learning how to swim?

The first thing we tell someone who
is scared or nervous is to take the word ‘drowning’ out of their vocabulary, as
this word seems to invoke feelings of fear and panic in many new swimmers (the
most commonly asked question by scared swimmers is ‘what if I drown?’). 

We believe that swimmers should be introduced to the joys involved with swimming
and water at the same time that they are introduced to the potential dangers,
in order to develop a respect for water rather than a fear of it.  Also,
if someone is nervous, they should take things slowly in the beginning, and
progress at their own pace, even if it means they just sit and watch the other
lessons with their feet in the water for the first three lessons. 

Becoming comfortable with the environment and the instructors is the
first hurdle to overcome when taking on such a life-changing challenge as
learning to swim. 

What are the criteria, if someone is
keen to join the Academy as a
learner?

There are no specific criteria, the Academy is open to anyone who wants to learn to swim
in a fun, relaxed, friendly environment. 

How can a swimming teacher get
involved in the Academy?

Potential Splash!
teachers need to have a genuine aptitude for teaching, and enjoy spending time
in and around the water.  All teachers need to hold the Swimming
South Africa
Learn to Swim
instructors certificate, as well as a current CPR,
and need to complete our own training workshops and tests.  We’re
always keen to hire enthusiastic, motivated teachers who can bring their unique
knowledge and experience of teaching and/or swimming to Splash!
and enrich our team of dedicated teachers.           

What have been the Academy’s main highlights since it launched?

Being able to reach children who
previously would not have been exposed to the level of swimming tuition that we
are able to offer has been incredibly rewarding for us.  Also,
we’ve started our ‘junior coach’ programme this year at the Wynberg Girls Junior School,
where we train the Grade 6 girls in
basic teaching skills, and have them teach the Grade
R girls one-on-one during their
swimming lessons. 

Seeing the Grade R girls thrive under the leadership of their Grade 6 role models and make leaps and bounds in
their swimming progress, and seeing the Grade
6 girls blossom in their new leadership roles as they realize the powerful
effect their actions and words have on the younger girls, has been one of the
most gratifying experiences we have ever had as teachers.