January 10, 2010: Miracle Swimming in 2010: What's Next?
A two-degree shift (out of 180) has taken place by the Aquatics Instruction industry toward realizing that half the population, those who are afraid in water, must not be taught swimming mechanics in swimming lessons. These two degrees are cause for some celebration, but God, there's a lot of work left.
"What do you mean, don't teach mechanics in swimming lessons?" you say. I mean first you teach people how to be themselves in the water and how the water works. Then you can teach them mechanics.
You thought people didn't need to know that, right? You thought it was a given. It is a given for half the population—the people you've succeeded with. But all those who quit, failed, became discouraged, or never signed up for class in the first place make up the half that that system doesn't work for.
In 2010, how many instructors will become what we call at Miracle Swimming, "21st Century Instructors?" In other words, instructors who teach people how to be comfortable and in control in water, both shallow and deep? This is what swimming is. When people are there, they can swim. Then they're ready to learn freestyle. Or backstroke.
Yes, some of you already do this. You're at the leading edge. Now help Miracle Swimming to spread this knowledge to the Y and the Red Cross so every swimming student can be successful, including the wannabe students who are afraid to come to class, not just half of them.
Have a comment? Please post it by clicking on the Add Comment link above. Your ideas are welcome. We just ask that you follow rules of civil pubic discourse.
"What do you mean, don't teach mechanics in swimming lessons?" you say. I mean first you teach people how to be themselves in the water and how the water works. Then you can teach them mechanics.
You thought people didn't need to know that, right? You thought it was a given. It is a given for half the population—the people you've succeeded with. But all those who quit, failed, became discouraged, or never signed up for class in the first place make up the half that that system doesn't work for.
In 2010, how many instructors will become what we call at Miracle Swimming, "21st Century Instructors?" In other words, instructors who teach people how to be comfortable and in control in water, both shallow and deep? This is what swimming is. When people are there, they can swim. Then they're ready to learn freestyle. Or backstroke.
Yes, some of you already do this. You're at the leading edge. Now help Miracle Swimming to spread this knowledge to the Y and the Red Cross so every swimming student can be successful, including the wannabe students who are afraid to come to class, not just half of them.
Have a comment? Please post it by clicking on the Add Comment link above. Your ideas are welcome. We just ask that you follow rules of civil pubic discourse.
October 18, 2009: Dash Graduates
I've graduated.
It took last week's conference, the first we've put on, to get me over the hump. The results were unexpected (in a grand way).
Wrote the book. Made a DVD. Wrote online instructor training program. Notified the world via the few email addresses I have that there's a new world of swimming instruction for adults, here's what it is, here's why it's absolutely essential, and here's where you can get it. Wrote 2 Resolutions for American Swimming that have muscle. I've taken a stand, started a movement (The 21st Century Swimming Instructor), been willing to lead. I've done everything I could. If the world wants it, it can come get it! I'm done. Time to play.
It took last week's conference, the first we've put on, to get me over the hump. The results were unexpected (in a grand way).
Wrote the book. Made a DVD. Wrote online instructor training program. Notified the world via the few email addresses I have that there's a new world of swimming instruction for adults, here's what it is, here's why it's absolutely essential, and here's where you can get it. Wrote 2 Resolutions for American Swimming that have muscle. I've taken a stand, started a movement (The 21st Century Swimming Instructor), been willing to lead. I've done everything I could. If the world wants it, it can come get it! I'm done. Time to play.
July 18, 2009: Adult Swimming Lessons: A Modest Proposal
A raft of afraid adult non-swimmers who are hopeful swimming students and another raft of children who are also afraid in water are suffering through lessons that cannot meet them at their level.
The Red Cross, the YMCA, Starfish Aquatics, and swimming schools do not believe there's anything missing from their program. What, students quit? Fail? Struggle? Not my problem, they say.
I believe it is. It saw it was mine when my swim students weren't "getting it" in 1979 and I re-examined what the Red Cross Beginning class requirements were. Beginning swimming skills were too advanced for my beginners at the college level. The requirements haven't changed in any measurable degree, though they may seem so.
How about a contest? The Red Cross, the YMCA, Starfish, and Miracle Swimming each land 3 adults who are afraid to put their faces in water and are afraid in deep water. We all meet at a warm pool for two days. We have 10 hours to work with our 3 students. Our classes are observed by 3 impartial swimming instructors who have at least 10 years' swimming instructional experience. All students receive the same feedback form, created by the impartial observers (is it possible to find such people?).
We find out which program was most successful, most popular, most valuable according to the students and observers.
Why?
To elevate the quality of swimming instruction in the United States to the highest level possible. To learn from each other. To help the rafts of non-swimmers who are hurting and discouraged. To win back the boatload who have given up altogether years ago, having tried one too many times and failed. To move toward a national swimming instruction program that has the power to reduce preventable drowning to zero. If we had such a national program in place now, we'd see drowning statistics falling. They're rising. And still, 70% of them are adults.
The Red Cross, the YMCA, Starfish Aquatics, and swimming schools do not believe there's anything missing from their program. What, students quit? Fail? Struggle? Not my problem, they say.
I believe it is. It saw it was mine when my swim students weren't "getting it" in 1979 and I re-examined what the Red Cross Beginning class requirements were. Beginning swimming skills were too advanced for my beginners at the college level. The requirements haven't changed in any measurable degree, though they may seem so.
How about a contest? The Red Cross, the YMCA, Starfish, and Miracle Swimming each land 3 adults who are afraid to put their faces in water and are afraid in deep water. We all meet at a warm pool for two days. We have 10 hours to work with our 3 students. Our classes are observed by 3 impartial swimming instructors who have at least 10 years' swimming instructional experience. All students receive the same feedback form, created by the impartial observers (is it possible to find such people?).
We find out which program was most successful, most popular, most valuable according to the students and observers.
Why?
To elevate the quality of swimming instruction in the United States to the highest level possible. To learn from each other. To help the rafts of non-swimmers who are hurting and discouraged. To win back the boatload who have given up altogether years ago, having tried one too many times and failed. To move toward a national swimming instruction program that has the power to reduce preventable drowning to zero. If we had such a national program in place now, we'd see drowning statistics falling. They're rising. And still, 70% of them are adults.
July 13, 2009: Fly, Back, and Breaststroke Learned in 10 days from Scratch
This month, 3 Miracle Swimming students who had overcome their fear of water and who now have attention to spare for something other than survival gathered in Moraga, CA for 10 days of our 3 Strokes class for the first time we offered it.
There was nothing left of fear. You would never know they ever were afraid. One student took our Beginning class last year. Two took it 4-5 years ago. They've all been "staying wet" as we call it since their classes, and have gotten to know the water all the more.
Because of our teaching technology, something that the Red Cross or YMCA could have never done has taken place in an amazingly short time. We hope they will take notice. We aim to help, to spread this powerful technology, and to get everyone to swim so that drowning will go the way of the dinosaur. Since Red Cross and YMCA are synonymous with swimming lessons, to train them would be to train tens of thousands of students each year.
Red Cross! YMCA! Awake! Tremendous business awaits!
There was nothing left of fear. You would never know they ever were afraid. One student took our Beginning class last year. Two took it 4-5 years ago. They've all been "staying wet" as we call it since their classes, and have gotten to know the water all the more.
Because of our teaching technology, something that the Red Cross or YMCA could have never done has taken place in an amazingly short time. We hope they will take notice. We aim to help, to spread this powerful technology, and to get everyone to swim so that drowning will go the way of the dinosaur. Since Red Cross and YMCA are synonymous with swimming lessons, to train them would be to train tens of thousands of students each year.
Red Cross! YMCA! Awake! Tremendous business awaits!
If you're a swimming instructor and you present bubble-blowing to an adult beginner and she hesitates to put her face in, you know bubble-blowing is now off the agenda. Hopefully off the agenda for the next 10 hours of lessons, actually.
If you present "back float" to an adult and he doesn't want to put his ears under, or let his weight off his feet, back float is off the agenda.
Perhaps we got into the habit of expecting beginners to do uncomfortable things because we're so used to forcing kids to do things they don't want to do in beginning swimming. And eventually, they do learn to swim. So why not treat adults the same way?
Because they're adults. It's simply not necessary. Their parents are not going to complain if the student doesn't advance to a certain level this week. The students are not in a competition with the neighbor. This adult really wants to learn. You're expected to work with her or him and teach well. Teach adults differently than kids!
And maybe we shouldn't be treating kids that way, either. Would it be reasonable to think this type of treatment has to come out sideways somewhere?
Let's make it fun and easy for ALL beginners to learn to swim. It's so simple!
If you present "back float" to an adult and he doesn't want to put his ears under, or let his weight off his feet, back float is off the agenda.
Perhaps we got into the habit of expecting beginners to do uncomfortable things because we're so used to forcing kids to do things they don't want to do in beginning swimming. And eventually, they do learn to swim. So why not treat adults the same way?
Because they're adults. It's simply not necessary. Their parents are not going to complain if the student doesn't advance to a certain level this week. The students are not in a competition with the neighbor. This adult really wants to learn. You're expected to work with her or him and teach well. Teach adults differently than kids!
And maybe we shouldn't be treating kids that way, either. Would it be reasonable to think this type of treatment has to come out sideways somewhere?
Let's make it fun and easy for ALL beginners to learn to swim. It's so simple!
June 18, 2009: Can Anyone Explain This?
This weekend is the first time we'll teach a Beginning class in Sarasota. We have a beautiful pool to teach in and the air temperature's been in the 90's. Perfect for getting into the water!
Who do you supposed signed up? Right, my office person who's afraid in water. Freebie for her.
Plus two people from Bermuda. A retired woman from North Carolina. Two from New York City.
Can anyone answer this question? Why are these people not taking YOUR $90 swimming class in their own town? Their friends are all asking, "Why are you going to FLORIDA to learn to swim?!"
Could it be that you don't know what they want to learn? Yes. Could it be that they don't believe you can teach them? Yes. That they tried yours already and they won't return? Yes. This is what 4000 of them have told us over 26 years. They are SO committed to learning to swim! They only WISH they could learn it from you.
Am I trying to anger you? No. I'm trying to put an important point across to you. You could be saving lives in your town and tapping into this vast, hungry market for the good of your community and for your biz, your image, or your municipality. What are you waiting for?
If you're afraid to take a step, call us: we're experts with fear. We can help you. We only want to help.
Who do you supposed signed up? Right, my office person who's afraid in water. Freebie for her.
Plus two people from Bermuda. A retired woman from North Carolina. Two from New York City.
Can anyone answer this question? Why are these people not taking YOUR $90 swimming class in their own town? Their friends are all asking, "Why are you going to FLORIDA to learn to swim?!"
Could it be that you don't know what they want to learn? Yes. Could it be that they don't believe you can teach them? Yes. That they tried yours already and they won't return? Yes. This is what 4000 of them have told us over 26 years. They are SO committed to learning to swim! They only WISH they could learn it from you.
Am I trying to anger you? No. I'm trying to put an important point across to you. You could be saving lives in your town and tapping into this vast, hungry market for the good of your community and for your biz, your image, or your municipality. What are you waiting for?
If you're afraid to take a step, call us: we're experts with fear. We can help you. We only want to help.
This story has been in the news for a few days. The loss of this man, this philanthropist, and this mind is staggering. And unnecessary. So is the grief of family, community, and world, the standstill that follows his death, and the energy output to give him a worthy goodbye. It could have been avoided. Likewise for the grief of all families when a drowning occurs. They are simply unnecessary. There's such a thing as too much grief. The world has it.
But how many people DON'T know there's a place for adults to learn to swim where they will succeed and have fun, rather than struggling and having to force themselves to go? Motwani probably didn't know.
And how many people who own backyard pools can't swim? The world would be shocked to know. The same can be said for sailors and fishermen/women, boat owners and river guides, pool maintenance people and even swimming teachers. None of them should be ashamed. All of them should be paid to learn to swim. None of them should be asked to learn swimming mechanics yet. All of them need to become fully comfortable with being in the water, both shallow and deep. In other words, they need to know about Miracle Swimming.
For your family, for your friends, for your co-workers and for the important people in your life, if you're a swim instructor, learn to teach in a way that EVERYONE SUCCEEDS, BAR NONE. Why keep this from your students? Your instructors??? Only you can stop the bleeding.
But how many people DON'T know there's a place for adults to learn to swim where they will succeed and have fun, rather than struggling and having to force themselves to go? Motwani probably didn't know.
And how many people who own backyard pools can't swim? The world would be shocked to know. The same can be said for sailors and fishermen/women, boat owners and river guides, pool maintenance people and even swimming teachers. None of them should be ashamed. All of them should be paid to learn to swim. None of them should be asked to learn swimming mechanics yet. All of them need to become fully comfortable with being in the water, both shallow and deep. In other words, they need to know about Miracle Swimming.
For your family, for your friends, for your co-workers and for the important people in your life, if you're a swim instructor, learn to teach in a way that EVERYONE SUCCEEDS, BAR NONE. Why keep this from your students? Your instructors??? Only you can stop the bleeding.
If you'd like to attract more people to your team or to swimming, adults in your community need to know how to swim. Parents who can swim make sure their children know how. Build your numbers and the water safety in your community by teaching adults to swim.
Don't know how? Haven't had much success? Thought adults weren't interested? There's a failsafe way to teach adults. And they're yearning to learn IF YOU TEACH THEM WHAT THEY WANT TO KNOW.
The early registration discount deadline is June 1 for the 21st Century Swimming Instructor World Conference ($100 off). Send your staff and come, yourself, to Sarasota, Florida October 7-9, 2009 to learn a new way to teach that works 100% of the time. It's a shift in the paradigm of teaching swimming, a shift that's been tested for 26 years. It cannot fail.
Take advantage of this conference and open up a new world of possibility for your teams, your athletes, and your community. Want to watch a video about what adults say about our work? It's here.
Don't know how? Haven't had much success? Thought adults weren't interested? There's a failsafe way to teach adults. And they're yearning to learn IF YOU TEACH THEM WHAT THEY WANT TO KNOW.
The early registration discount deadline is June 1 for the 21st Century Swimming Instructor World Conference ($100 off). Send your staff and come, yourself, to Sarasota, Florida October 7-9, 2009 to learn a new way to teach that works 100% of the time. It's a shift in the paradigm of teaching swimming, a shift that's been tested for 26 years. It cannot fail.
Take advantage of this conference and open up a new world of possibility for your teams, your athletes, and your community. Want to watch a video about what adults say about our work? It's here.
April 10, 2009: We've Finally Announced Our Work As A Paradigm Shift
After 26 years, many of which were spent thinking, "Everybody must teach this way: this is so sensible we CAN'T be the only people using it," we finally have not only acknowledged it to ourselves, but are willing to announce, "Friends, this is a paradigm shift in teaching."
Yes, we've been told so by other teachers. Yes, we knew.
"But I wrote it all in my book. I've told people about the new paradigm. It's right there for all the world to see." But Bob said, "They didn't get it. You need to write a book about just that, alone."
Today, April 10, we're announcing the first World Swimming Instructors Conference: "The 21st Century Swimming Instructor." Every single instructor in the world needs to know about this paradigm shift. The systematic cure for overcoming fear in water is known. It's not hit-or-miss. It's not dependent on a nice teacher or an athletic student. It's a system, and I think you'd agree: it should be THE system with which swimming is taught. You'll only know for sure when you see it with your own eyes. Let's work together and end drowning. That's what's next when we get this system up and running worldwide.
Yes, we've been told so by other teachers. Yes, we knew.
"But I wrote it all in my book. I've told people about the new paradigm. It's right there for all the world to see." But Bob said, "They didn't get it. You need to write a book about just that, alone."
Today, April 10, we're announcing the first World Swimming Instructors Conference: "The 21st Century Swimming Instructor." Every single instructor in the world needs to know about this paradigm shift. The systematic cure for overcoming fear in water is known. It's not hit-or-miss. It's not dependent on a nice teacher or an athletic student. It's a system, and I think you'd agree: it should be THE system with which swimming is taught. You'll only know for sure when you see it with your own eyes. Let's work together and end drowning. That's what's next when we get this system up and running worldwide.
Miracle Swimming Institute will host a conference for all swimming instructors worldwide October 7-9, 2009 "on the beach" in Sarasota, Florida to help instructors bring its 21st-Century swim teaching technology to swimming lessons. The meeting will be held at the Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel on Lido Beach. Instructors will observe and participate in our introductory class for adults afraid in water with afraid adult students and learn the basics of Miracle Swimming principles. Instructors are encouraged to bring their most challenging students to participate in this session.
The 5 Circles Teaching Method TM is the paradigm shift, the new development in teaching (1983) since 100 years ago when the current system began. It's applicable to teaching afraid students and the non-afraid. In fact, it's applicable to all teaching and learning regardless of topic.
Details to follow soon.
The 5 Circles Teaching Method TM is the paradigm shift, the new development in teaching (1983) since 100 years ago when the current system began. It's applicable to teaching afraid students and the non-afraid. In fact, it's applicable to all teaching and learning regardless of topic.
Details to follow soon.
