Learning to swim is one of the most important skills your child should gain from their day camp experience.  How your child is handled from the start may mean the difference between a successful experience and a summer of frustration for both you and your camper.  Swimming is top priority at Jeff Lake and we are committed to developing confident and competent young swimmers.

Control…Control…Control!  For our Pre-k and Kindergarten campers, being in control of their bodies is fundamental in building confidence to try new things.  Our two Freshman Pools were designed with the understanding that water depth is one of the most critical factors in swim success.  Our campers can stand in every part of the pool and they know they can ground their feet when they choose to.

Warm water temperature is always helpful in relaxing tense muscles. Learning to swim at the earliest stages entails lots of coaching and conversation and less aerobic movement.  Keeping our Freshman Pools warm and our new swimmers relaxed and comfortable gives us the time we need to get the job done.  We cannot ask an eight year old who has played a period of hockey prior to swim or a nine year old capable of swimming ten laps in the pool to take their swim lesson in the same warm water.  Each of our pools is controlled by their own heaters allowing different pool temperatures when needed.

Instruction must be clear, repetitive and intentional.  All of our Waterfront Instructors and the general staff that support them are teaching the same step program using the same technique and the same wording.  Our young campers have no surprises as they work through what can be for some a challenging new task.  They know what is going to be asked of them and they know they will be successful with the instructor that is at their side.  This relationship of trust is critical and the reason why the group counselor is required to be part of the swim program.

For the majority of our young campers, swim holds no anxiety. When all the factors discussed above are in line, success is just a matter of 39 days of lessons. For the remaining campers, both young and older, swim anxiety is real.  These campers require and deserve careful instruction, sophisticated coaching and a partnership between my swim staff and you, the parent. There is nothing we can offer your child that has a deeper impact on their self-esteem than the gift of seeing themselves as a swimmer.
We are looking forward to working with you this summer!