The Life-Long Skill Everyone Should Learn

As we (finally) put away our fleece and turn our thoughts to hot summer weather, many of us will be planning to spend time in and near the water. And even if we think our children will never accidentally enter a swimming pool or body of water, even if we ourselves hate water, it’s crucial to ensure that our children have basic water survival skills.

The Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Academy is a comprehensive swimming education program that teaches both survival-based swimming and stroke development. The curriculum is structured, allowing swimmers to gradually build upon each skill. Each swimmer learns all four swimming strokes, water safety, and water survival skills.

Typically, children progress rapidly during their first few months of swim lessons as they become more comfortable in the water. Continued enrollment in swim lessons throughout the year allows children to build upon what they learn during the summer and to progress during indoor swimming months. That consistency and repetition allows children to retain their skills on a more permanent basis and develop muscle memory. Unfortunately, the longer a child is away from swimming, the more out of practice they become and the longer it takes them to develop swimming and safety proficiency. When swimming and survival skills are taught consistently, chances are greater that a child will respond appropriately in the face of a dangerous situation, and that could be a life-saver.

Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Academy is located at JCC Greater Boston’s Leventhal-Sidman Center in Newton. To learn more, contact Aquatics Program Director Korrinn Lubarsky at lksainfo@jccgb.org. The program is open to the entire community.