Frequently Asked Questions
Jump Start swimming's Faq
Questions:
Q: How does Jump Start Swimming work?
Q: What are the first steps I should take?
Q: Do you teach adults?
Q: Are your pools chlorinated like a public pool? Will it hurt my child’s eyes?
Q: Are all instructors certified and insured?
Q: How long does the swim season last?
Q: Who should I call with further questions about lessons, packages, or instructors?
Answers:
Q: How does Jump Start Swimming work?
A: Jump Start Swimming is a nonprofit swim school operating at Ocean View High School. We offer lessons to swimmers of all ages (over 2 years of age) and abilities. Jump Start Swimming has a scholarship program to offer lessons to children with disabilities or other financial challenges. All of our instructors are trained, certified and experienced!
Q: What are the first steps I should take?
Click “Get Started” and “Create an Account”. Fill out the registration form and the required information. In your Dashboard, under “Plans and Passes”, click “New Purchase”. Select a package for each swimmer. Enter payment information and click “Secure Check Out”. Click the “Schedule a Lesson” tab (on the top red bar). Select the pool you would like to go to. View the schedule by clicking the left and right arrows. Choose a lesson time and specify which swimmer the lesson time is for. Continue this process for all lessons in the package. If you need help, please call us at 855-577-7946!
Q: Do you teach adults?
A: Of course! There are many reasons adults swim with us from learning how to do simple strokes to learning how to save their child in an accidental fall into the pool, to training for triathalons and competition swimming. We can do it all!
Q: Are your pools chlorinated like a public pool? Will it hurt my child’s eyes?
A: Home and backyard pools do not use the same amount of chlorine as public pools because there are fewer people swimming in them. Jump Start Swimming's pools are chlorinated. Chlorine will not hurt your child's eyes; however, we do recommend bring googles so that your child can get use to the water.
Q: Are all instructors certified and insured?
A: Yes. All of instructors carry at least CPR and First Aid certifications, but many of our instructors also have a variety of other certifications including Lifeguarding, Water Safety Instructor, First Aid for the Professional Rescuer, USA Swim Coach, Safety Training for Swim Coaches, and Fundamentals of Coaching. All of our instructors are insured through our provider.
Q: How long does the swim season last?
A: We generally start our season in June and end our swim season in August. All remaining lessons can be rolled over to the next swim season.
Q: Who should I call with further questions about lessons, packages, or instructors?
A: All questions should be directed to Jump Start Swimming at jumpstartswimming@gmail.com or 855-577-7946. Email is the best way to reach us as we are often in the pool ourselves and unable to answer the phone. If you would like us to return your call, please leave a message. Our management make 100% of decisions regarding prices, discounts, packages, and other questions that do not directly relate to swimming. Our instructors will forward questions regarding these topics onto management.
General Swim Lessons faq
Questions:
Q: How many lessons will it take for my child to learn how to swim? What can they learn?
Q: My child is used to wearing floaties. Should he wear floaties in between or after lessons?
Q: My child doesn’t like putting his face under water. What should I do to prepare for lessons?
Q: My child doesn’t take instructions well. What should I do?
Q: My child has special needs. Do you teach kids with special needs?
Q: Will I have to get in the water too?
Answers:
Q: How many lessons will it take for my child to learn how to swim? What can they learn?
A: This is our most popular question and one that almost every family asks! Of course, this answer depends on the child, because all children are different and have different strengths and weaknesses. How long it will take depends on whether a child has previous experience in the water, can understand and follow directions, is comfortable with strangers (the instructor), is cooperative with the instructor, is willing to lay on his/her back, is fully supported by the parent (even when scared or crying), is encouraged to continue swimming and listening to the instructor, etc. Because there are so many factors, we cannot specify an amount of time it will take to learn how to swim because there are so many skills involved in swimming and each is learned through a process.
It helps to think about a child learning to swim in the same way as a child learning to write. A child must first scribble, then trace with adult guidance, trace independently, write short words, and then write longer and more words before he actually knows “how to write”. Learning to swim is a process in the same way learning to write is a process. A child must first get in the water, put his face under water, be able to float, kick his feet, move his arms, and then put all of those skills together before he knows “how to swim”. The more your child already knows, the faster he will learn the swimming process.
Here are the GENERAL swimming goals for each age group. These may or may not apply to your child. Please consult your instructor after your child’s first lesson for more specific answers.
This is not a complete list. The skills your child learns depends on the factors listed above.
6 months-1.5 years: Gain comfort in the water and with the instructor. Gain basic skills (bubbles, kicking, face under, supported back floating, etc.).
*2-3 years: Gain skills like kicking, face under, jumping in, assisted back floating, rolling over, eyes under and kicking, reaching for toys underwater. Work on Safety Swimming Sequence (jump in, roll over, get to wall or call for help). This is the best age to start swim lessons because all of these skills are important and necessary to be successful in swimming and 2-3 is the perfect time to learn them!
3-4 years: Gain all previous skills. In addition, learn “big arms”, independent back floating, back stroke, Independent Safety Swimming Sequence, beginning of diving, introduce (short) lap swimming.
5-8 years: Practice a variety of swimming strokes, perfect the Safety Swimming Sequence, introduce side breathing, various diving methods, lap swimming, and more intensive instruction (prepare for competitive swimming).
10-adult: Practice all strokes, dive variations, flip and open turns, lap swimming, practice racing rules and regulations, treading water. Any skills a swimmer would like to learn, we can teach.
Q: My child is used to wearing floaties. Should he wear floaties in between or after lessons?
A: No! Once your child begins lessons, he should never wear floaties again. Floaties (waterwings, life-vests, rings, arm bands, etc.) keep the child vertical in the water (feet to the ground, head above water). That is the specific purpose of these objects- to keep the child’s head above water, thus keeping him "safe" (and also giving both the child and parent a false sense of safety). Learning to be comfortable in floaties is actually the opposite of what we want our kids to learn. We want to teach our kids to be comfortable in a horizontal position, floating on top of the water with their face in the water. Once your child has begun swimming with his instructor in a horizontal position he should be encouraged to continue swimming like that.
Q: My child doesn’t like putting his face under water. What should I do to prepare for lessons?
A: This is a pretty common problem for children to have, especially if they've ever used floaties. To help your child get more comfortable putting this face under, we suggest playing games in the bathtub like "Simon Says" (Ex: "Simon says... put your mouth under, blow bubbles, eyes under, ear under, cheek under, etc.") You can also practice lower level (but extremely important) skills like bubble blowing, feet kicking, and eyes under in a community, friend or family member's pool. Always make sure that there is a responsible adult watching every child around any pool.
Q: My child doesn’t take instructions well. What should I do?
A: It's important that parents support their child's instructor and show their children that in the pool during swim lessons, the instructor is in charge. We always say "Just like Miss ____ is the teacher at school, Miss ____ is the teacher in the pool." If it's too much of a distraction to have a parent sitting pool-side, it's can be beneficial to walk just out of sight and let the child and instructor focus on swimming.
Q: My child has special needs. Do you teach kids with special needs?
A: Yes we do. Some of our instructors have extensive experience with children with a broad range of special needs, from severe and non-verbal to high functioning autism, Down syndrome, ADD/ADHD, physical limitations, etc. We will never turn a child away for having different needs.
Q: Will I have to get in the water too?
A: Generally, no. The majority of the time, kids actually do better with just the instructor in the pool. A private lesson allows the instructor to provide comfort, establish a trusting relationship, and have fun with the child instead of having to continue telling the child "Mommy can't hold you right now, we need to do some swimming”. Of course, there are certain situations where it is beneficial for a parent to get in the water, but our instructors know these situations and can discuss this if necessary.