Dear clients, colleagues and friends:

I am Lisa Cook founder of kidSwim. Swimming is one of the great joys of my life. I’ve always loved it and am one of those annoying people who says things like ‘I was swimming before I could walk’ (probably not true but it sounds good).What is true is that I love swimming so much, I’ve even sacrificed a perfect blow dry for a dip in the pool on more than one occasion!

I’ve been teaching for over thirty years. I’ve put in more than the "ten thousand hours" that Malcolm Gladwell claims is needed for someone to become an ‘expert’ in a given field. Even after all this time, I still teach because I still love it.  I’m still refining, tweaking and learning how to be better, and how to convey more concisely and efficiently to children and parents what water safety and stroke proficiency really means -- and more importantly how to achieve it.

I began kidSwim in 2001 as a developmental swim school. Of course as an educator I know what that means but what does it mean to you, the parent? How does a ‘developmental program’ equate to ‘learning to swim’ or more importantly ‘learning to be water safe?’

This year, I created The kidSwim Method™ which actually details how we utilize a developmental approach in order to maximize effective and positive learning for each and every child we work with.  Aligning with the American Academy of Pediatrics' guidelines for developmental milestones, we address swim skills in the same format that they do, from a motor/communication/sensory framework. Our developmental swim method approaches teaching kids to love the water at each age and stage, focusing on specific motor/communication/sensory skill development.  Our program is designed to enhance and support those skills and that growth. In addition, we add safety words and physical skills that are developmentally appropriate to the age group.

This, in my opinion, is the key to real learning -- to meet each child at where they are developmentally.  Once they’ve gained confidence and acquired specific water skills, we can push them beyond their comfort zone.

As an educator, a veteran aquatic instructor and coach, and most importantly as a mother, I honor the process of teaching children. I place the highest value on teachers and their gifts and am always inspired when a talented and passionate educator fuels my own children with a deep desire to learn a specific area of interest.Swimming is the most unique of all sports because it is also a life skill. 

Our desire at kidSwim is that your child starts with us and stays with us as they become water loving, proficient and safe swimmers.  We value safety above all else.  Our positive, wholistic approach truly works. It creates self-confidence and lifelong skills for your children that go beyond the water. 

It is my mission that your child becomes an adult who loves to swim -- who will look back on their swim lessons with their favorite instructor and reminisce about the fun and games, how much they loved the experience and how they, as adults, believed they too learned to swim before they could walk.

We are thrilled to have you as part of the kidSwim family and look forward to teaching your child to love the water.

From our family to yours,