In Arizona, if your child is not swimming across the width of the pool independently by the time he is about four years old, he is behind. There are so many pools and bodies of water in Arizona. If you've lived here for a few years, you know that child drownings are a news headline on a regular basis. Equally horrifying are the near-drownings which often result in brain damage.
It's a tragedy that CAN be prevented!
- If you have a pool, supervise your child constantly. There is no substitute for constant supervision.
- Install a self-closing, self-latching pool fence, and keep the gate closed and locked at all times.
- Keep toys outside of the fenced pool area. Don't even let them be tempted!
- Begin swim lessons at 10 months old. While no child (or adult for that matter) is "drown-proof," a child that can swim may be able to get himself to the side of the pool if he has been taking swim lessons.
- Learn CPR. It is every parent or caregiver's responsibility to learn CPR and renew certification every two years.
How can Waterworks On Wheels help? We'll start with...
Parent/Tot Classes
Waterworks On Wheels believes in making this class a positive experience with games, songs and toys. We are not an aggressive program, but there are some very important safety techniques that we feel very strongly about. We will never force a child to go under water. However, if a child is uncomfortable putting his face under, he cannot learn to swim on top of the water (horizontally) and 
is not water safe. To that effect, our priority is to get your child comfortable going under by the second or third lesson if they are not already doing so. The class is structured toward giving your child the basics of water safety (not water survival - a claim made by some swim programs). We don't guarantee your child will need only eight lessons. In fact, you tot will probably need several sessions before he becomes comfortable taking a breath to go under water, and can grab the side of the pool and pull himself out. Our safety techniques are very progressive. There are three:
- Jump in, turn around, grab on, climb out. We want him to get to the side of the pool should he fall in.
- Back float. It is much easier to back float than doggie paddle. A child that can float on his back with ease can float a long time and possibly save himself.
- Swimming. We begin this skill by encouraging the tot to kick and reach for toys. They'll become more comfortable in this position and at some point be ready for a beginner class without a parent. The further any child/person can swim, the more water safe they are. It only makes sense!
We believe that consistency and repetition are keys to success. Our format consists of:
- Our introductory song, "Look who came to the pool today."
- Reaching for floatie toys, and adding kicks.
- Spider Man (getting around the circumference of the pool by holding onto the side).
- Jump in, turn around, hang on.
- Back float.
- Swimming a short distance from parent to instructor.
- Follow the leader (we'll swim from mom or dad to the instructor under the hula-hoop - and under water - eventually).
- Wrap up song, "The kids in the pool."
Please come to Fitness Forum in Chandler, AZ and observe a parent/tot class! Janice Jaicks has been teaching this class for 20 years and it is not uncommon for her to watch her tots progress through the Waterworks Swim Program for many years.
Next we have....
Beginner and Advanced Beginner Classes
After mastering Parent/Tot, your child will be ready for our Beginner class. Our 
experienced swim lesson instructors know when to gently nudge a timid child and when to hold back that nudge with a frightened child. We ask that our parents give us any insight into their child's fears, anxieties, moods, learning disabilities, etc., so that his lesson can be the best possible experience. We'll continue to work with our jump in, turn around, grab on, climb out technique, progress to the unassisted Spider Man, and learn the back float. We believe in taking each child from their current level to the next level with consistency and patience. We keep this group small, only 3 children per class, with similar abilities.
Once your child is willing to put his head underwater, he'll be placed in our Advanced Beginner class. In this class the children are ready to learn to swim on top of the water. We work very hard in this class on using our "big arms" and controlled kicks. They'll also put their face in the water, take a breath, then put their face back in the water - all the while swimming. This is a tough combination!
Once our Advanced Beginner class is swimming a short distance and taking breaths without stopping, we introduce the elementary backstroke and practice swimming a greater distance. We'll just begin rhythmic breathing. Next level?
Intermediate/Swim Skills
We're all about practice here. Our swim instructors will work on coordinating the arms, legs, and breathing so that the child will be able to swim on top of the water (no matter how "unattractive" it might look) the width of the pool. Building endurance is the name of the game. We'll continue working on backstroke and freestyle until we see a nice, smooth technique. And finally...
Competitive Swimming
Our highest level - these kids have worked really hard and it's paid off! We're confident they are as water-safe as possible, now it's time to perfect each and every stroke! We'll wear them out practicing:
- Freestyle with rhythmic breathing (the length of the pool)
- Back stroke
- Breast stroke
- Butterfly
- Treading water
- Non-contact rescues
Many of our Competitive Swimming kids are on swim teams and need to work on developing a "perfect" stroke that utilizes energy in the most efficient manner. Building stamina and endurance are key to swim competitions.
If your child has a physical disability, please talk to us. Many of our instructors have worked with children with various forms of autism, partial paralysis of limbs, and hearing impairment. If we don't feel we can give your child the best swim experience possible, we'll help you find a program that can. Every child needs to learn to swim!
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