Waterworks Aquatics to Open Swim School in Pasadena

Waterworks Aquatics, Orange County’s number one Swim School and Aquatics Center,  is proud to present itself to the City of Pasadena and all of  the San Gabriel Valley with a newly built 8,700 square foot indoor swim facility.  The company is scheduled to open its new state-of-the-art indoor swim facility on May 15^th.

California is one of 10 states in which drowning is the leading cause of death for children under 15 years of age.  In an effort to reduce this statistic and promote water safety, Waterworks Aquatics teaches more than 5,000 children to swim each year at its Orange County location.  The new Pasadena location will provide an additional venue where its successes can be shared in the Los Angeles County area by providing swimming lessons year round. Classes are offered in two pools, a lap pool heated to 89 degrees and the teaching pool heated to 92 degrees for children and adults ages three months and older.

Waterworks Aquatics provides Private, Semi-Private, Parent and Me, Adult and Stroke Clinic swim classes. It will also offer youth swim teams, summer swim camps, lap swimming, and a venue for birthday parties as well as facilitating aquatic therapy.

“The teaching methodology at Waterworks Aquatics is what differentiates us from other swim schools,” said Jon Alpert, founder of Waterworks Aquatics. “We utilize an original instructional philosophy of teaching children to roll to their back for a breath rather than lifting their heads to breathe, which allows children as young as 18 months the capability to swim across the pool. The other key component is the use of a specialized muscle memory teaching technique, where students are taught stroke technique at a very young age.”  

With a commitment to “Learning it the Right Way, Right from the Beginning”, Waterworks Aquatics was voted the best swim school in Orange County in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 by the readers of Parenting OC Magazine. 

Waterworks Aquatics is running a grand opening special of 20% off swim lesson packages as well as up to 4 free additional lessons.

For more information or to register for classes, please visit www.waterworksswim.com/Pasadena  or call 626.836.1200.

Charities we like!!

It must be charity bike ride season!!  Waterworks Aquatics would like to encourage everyone to donate to their favorite cause by making donations of our own.  We donated to rider, Carrie (from Aquatic Rehab and Consulting) in the Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Bay to Bay ride and Waterworks’ own rider, Jeremie in the American Diabetes Assocciation’s Tour de Cure!!

For more information on these events, visit these links:

http://tour.diabetes.org/site/PageServer?pagename=TC_homepage

http://bikecas.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?fr_id=18684&pg=entry

Or, to find a different charity, check out these links:

http://www.ci.irvine.ca.us/services/charitable_organizations.asp

http://www.charitynavigator.org/

Children benefit from year-round swimming!!

As summer comes to an end and fall approaches, many families are under the impression that the swimming season is over as well.  This, however, is not the case!  There are a number of reasons why children should continue swimming all year long. 

1.  Children who swim year-round (and from infancy) are significantly stronger and more coordinated than those who do not according to several studies.  The use of the entire body mixed with the water resistance improves strength and flexibility while minimizing injuries that are more likely to occur in other sports.
2. A scientific study in Germany found that children who swim year-round scored higher in problem solving and intelligence than other children overall.   This becomes especially important during the school year.  Many parents believe that their children will be too tired after school to participate in swimming when, in fact, being sedentary after hours of sitting in a desk at school can make children lethargic and unmotivated.
3. Children who swim year-round are less likely to become ill than children with a less active lifestyle.  Swimming keeps the immune system in shape and exercise invigorates the entire body.  A healthy lifestyle leads to a healthy child!
4. Consistent swimming (and especially learning to swim) helps children succeed in life.  Swimming encourages setting and attaining goals, overcoming fears to assert independence and finding new and fun ways to stay active.  Something as simple as being able to play independently in a pool with friends is a huge accomplishment for young kids and the confidence that it builds is seen in school, social situations and in other recreational activities.
5. Swimming skills, just like skills needed for any other activities, can be lost over time.  If a child goes the entire school year without swimming, they lose many of the skills they may have had the summer prior which can actually be quite discouraging.  Unlike riding a bike or playing soccer, if a child forgets how to swim, the consequences can be much more devastating.

There are hundreds of articles and studies from all over the world listing all of the benefits of year-round swimming.  This is not to say that children who do not swim every single week will not be successful or happy in life; it just serves to suggest that children benefit from year-round swimming for a multitude of reasons. 

For more resources on this subject:

http://www.ehow.com/about_6313163_swimming-good-kids_.html

http://lifetimefitness.mylt.com/docs/DOC-24063

http://suite101.com/article/benefits-of-swimming-a275489

Splash into Summer Safety!!

There was a great turnout for the first Splash into Summer Safety event at Waterworks Aquatics’ Sierra Madre location.  The Sierra Madre Fire Department and paramedics came out to take part in the mock drowning and rescue that took place on Tuesday, July 31st.  Everyone got to see first-hand what Sierra Madre firefighters and paramedics do and what they can do to help prevent drowning.  The event was so realistic that paramedics, firefighters and other participants in the mock drowning were flooded with questions after the event.  “It was a great opportunity for everyone to learn without having to actually experience something so tragic,” stated Katie Smith, a Waterworks Aquatics employee.

Drowning is the nation’s number one killer of children under the age of 5 and the second leading cause of death from unintentional injuries for kids ages 1 to 14.  This event gave parents and opportunity to see that they can be an important part of rescuing a child, or anyone, from drowning.

The kids loved the fire truck and everyone learned a lot about how to react in an emergency situation.  Everyone was shocked to see how quickly a child can disappear underwater and how learning basic CPR could save a life.  Accidents will happen and drowning is a year-round threat but knowing what to do and how to react could be the difference between life and death.

Waterworks Aquatics Sierra Madre offers one 33 yard, 6 lane pool and one circular teaching pool that are both heated to 86-88 degrees year-round.  They provide Private, Semi-Private, Group, Parent and Me, Adult and Stroke Clinic swim classes. Waterworks also offers youth swim teams, summer swim camps, lap swimming, water aerobics, recreation swim, and a venue for birthday parties as well as facilitating aquatic therapy.

“The teaching methodology at Waterworks Aquatics is what differentiates us from other swim schools,” said Jon Alpert, founder of Waterworks Aquatics. “We utilize an original instructional philosophy of teaching children to roll to their back for a breath rather than lifting their heads to breathe, which allows children as young as 18 months the capability to swim across the pool. The other key component is the use of a specialized muscle memory teaching technique, where students are taught stroke technique at a very young age.”  

With a commitment to “Learning it the Right Way, Right from the Beginning”, Waterworks Aquatics was voted the Best Swim School in Orange County in 2009, 2010, and 2011 by the readers of Parenting OC Magazine. 

For more information or to register for classes, please visit www.waterworksswim.com/sierramadre  or call 626.836.1200.

It’s that time of year again…

It’s that time of year where the pool, beach, lake, river and every other body of water is a desired destination!  In the spirit of upcoming Water Safety Month (the month of May), here are a few things to keep in mind when going to your favorite aquatic destination!!

1. Be aware of the surrounding area.  Is there a life guard or first aid station?  Are their hidden rocks or plants in the water?  Does the depth suddenly drop off?  Are there boats, surfers, or any other possible obstacles in the water? 

2.  If you’re at the beach, ask a lifeguard where the riptides are and if there is anything else you should be aware of that day.

3.  If you’re using rafts, make sure they are not so big that you would not be able to see a child go under one.  Even if you have flotation devices, always make sure you keep an eye on your children. 

4.  Enroll your child in swim lessons.  Having even just basic water safety skills can make a huge difference in the experience your child will have when playing at the beach or pool.  It will give them more confidence and allow them to truly enjoy their time in the water!

The most important thing to keep in mind is that, no matter how great of a swimmer a child may be, there is no such thing as a “drown-proof” child.  Always keep an eye on your little swimmer and make sure they obey all pool, beach or other area rules.  Have a great Spring and Summer!

Swimming together!!

As many of our Waterworks families know, we host Rockin’ Family Swim Nights at our Irvine and Carlsbad locations.  We will be the increasing the number of events we host every month!!  Beginning in March, we will be having one approximately every other week!  What, you may ask, is so great about our Rockin’ Family Swim Nights? 

1.  Warm, indoor pools!! 

2.  Free snacks and juice!!

3.  Fun music playing over our sound system!!

4.  Lifeguards on duty!!

5.  All of our pool toys and rafts are out!!

6.  Great bonding time with the whole family!!

Check it out!!

http://www.waterworksswim.com/family_swim.php

http://www.waterworksswim.com/carlsbad/family_swim.php

Why swimming??

Having a child learn to swim is a priority for many parents because it is a life-saving skill.  However, swimming is so much more than that for children.  The benefits to swimming –and to starting at a young age– are endless. 

1.  Swimming is a life-long activity.  Have you noticed that there aren’t many 60 year olds playing football or basketball but you will find people swimming well into their 90′s?  That’s because swimming is a low-impact, muscle-strengthening and endurance-building activity.  It’s good for your joints, muscles, heart, lungs, everything!  It is one of the only sports that can be enjoyed safely for a lifetime.

2.  Swimming builds confidence.  A child that learns to float, swim or even just learns a new stroke gains a ton of confidence!  This confidence can be seen in the pool through continued progress and even at home and in the classroom.  The CDC even notes that swimming can improve one’s mood and combat depression (especially in warmer water).

3.  Swimming is fun.  Whether you swim to compete or just swim to play, swimming is a lot of fun.  There are so many different activities that involve swimming such as water polo, water aerobics, snorkeling, scuba diving, water skiing, triathlons and just lounging around.  Imagine being hot on a summer day and not being able to take a dip in a pool or splash around at the beach!  Having basic swimming skills can actually improve the quality of life!