Summer Time is the Perfect Time for Pool School

Summer would not be complete without time at the pool and the beach. Absolute fun can be had by all, but safety is always top of mind. Watsonville has some excellent options to ensure that children develop their swimming skills.

When I enrolled my kids in swim class I chose Jim Booth Swim School. They have classes for ages from four months to adult. Four months! Seems a bit excessive, you might think. However, it seems the sooner kids get started, the easier they are able to adapt.

I didn’t want to be too eager so I waited until six months. Still seems a bit too soon to some but as someone who almost drowned as a toddler, I didn’t want to let too much time pass before introducing this necessary life skill.

Jim Booth Swim School has classes year-round, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., on weekdays and weekends. Wait, year round! Fear not. They have two facilities with pools heated to 94 degrees. One is an intimate indoor facility at Duncan Holbert School. The other pool is an outdoor at Lifestyle Fitness, formerly Spa Fitness Center. Both pools have a 2-foot shallow area for the tiniest of swimmers.

The swim schools’ philosophy focuses on learning proper technique and safe behavior around water. The instructors are outstanding and there’s a real focus on safety. Although they do make the classes fun and relatable for children. Airplane arms, sandwich hands, monkey, airplane, soldier. Those parents that have been through their classes know what I’m talking about.

In scheduling summer activities this year, I took the opportunity to try something different. I signed up for a two-week session through Watsonville Rec. The instructors are very nice. They make it a point to learn all the kids’ names quickly and are very patient and gentle with kids that are new to water. In addition to the instructors there are also lifeguards surveying the pool from the deck while classes are in session.

I’m certainly impressed by the beautifully massive pool, as classes are held at the Watsonville High School pool. The old WHS pool, which has since been filled in, was a tad bit smaller. The shallowest part of the pool is 3 feet, 6 inches, and I’m imagining not heated to a boiling temperature, given the little popsicles that exit from the pool at the conclusion of each class.

Instilling safety and proper technique isn’t as engrained in the teaching compared to what I’ve seen at Jim Booth Swim School. On the first day of class the kids in the beginning class jumped from the diving board into 12 feet of water. However, prior to that I didn’t see any discussions or drills to show kids what to do AFTER they jump in. Meanwhile, from day one, infants that can’t even walk are repeatedly shown how to climb out of a pool by the folks at the pool across town.

Don’t get me wrong, the kids seem to be having a grand time and they are learning swim techniques. It’s just a different approach. Each approach may not be best for each child, or parent. However, it’s good to have options and find the program that works best for you. And, that’s the message. Find a program. Get your kids into it. Give them the opportunity to learn this necessary life skill.

Through this process of trying a couple of different swim schools, I found that the massive size of the Watsonville High pool alone can be intimidating for some children. But I think that’s a positive. Take a child that’s use to one environment, change things up and let him adapt. There’s value in that.