Sabrina Blommel was able to help a friend stay safe at a local waterpark thanks to skills she learned during swimming lessons. Photo: Chris Emeott
Swim programs build confidence and comfort around open water.
Sabrina Blommel, 8, is a confident young swimmer. Her mom, Kristina Wolfe, remembers that Sabrina was nervous to dip her feet in at her first swim lesson three years ago. Now, Sabrina enthusiastically talks about the pool and the friends she’s made. “I really like swimming now,” she says. “I just hop in the water.”
The youngest of three, Sabrina was the last of the Blommel children to take up swim lessons at Wise Swim School in Lakeville. She’s enjoyed learning dolphin kicks and stroke techniques, and she can swim assuredly down and back across the length of the pool. Even more important than these skills has been the opportunity to learn how to be safe and comfortable in the water.
Last summer, at a local waterpark, Sabrina remembers a moment when play turned into panic as her friend ventured too far out into the deep end. “I saw her doggy paddling, and her mouth was open,” Sabrina says. Her friend had stopped talking, and she was unable to keep her head and nose above water—signs of struggle that Sabrina recognized from swim lessons. Sabrina calmly helped her friend by the arm, guiding her back to shallower water where her feet could touch. Without hesitation, and empowered by her own strong swimming abilities, Sabrina saved her friend from a potentially dangerous situation.
Alyssa Francis is an assistant manager at Wise Swim School, which supports up to 800 students at its Lakeville location. Helping Sabrina and other students become comfortable in the water is one of the most rewarding things about teaching for Francis and the staff at Wise. “It’s pretty incredible where kids can start and where they end up,” she says.
“I recommend kids get in the water at six months with a parent,” Francis says. Acclimating children to the water is a significant developmental milestone that swim lessons can guide parents and young children through. “You have to overcome a lot of nerves before we can actually get to swimming,” Francis says. Practicing just being in the water is crucial: “That way, when they come to us at 3 to 4 years old , they’re not as scared.”
Francis encourages families to prioritize water safety this summer. “In a state like ours where we like to be outside on open water, everyone should be wearing life jackets always,” Francis says about spending time near lakes, rivers and pools. She recommends that children tell a trusted adult when they are getting in the water and advises children to never swim alone.
No matter how old or skilled a child is, Francis says there is always a risk inherent to being in the water. Swim lessons can help mitigate this risk, and children like Sabrina will also reap the empowering benefits that come from practicing water safety, all while developing their swimming talent in a supportive environment. “Comfort builds confidence, and the earlier you can start building that confidence, the better,” Francis says.
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