Does My Swimmer Need a Clinic?
In addition to our weekly lessons taught by our team of enthusiastic coaches, Tiburon offers private swim clinics. A swim clinic is a set of 30-minute lessons that take place at the same time, with the swim clinic coach, five days in a row. They are taught only by our most experienced coaches with the highest success rates. In those five days, we establish a relationship with your swimmer, identify what is holding them back, push them out of their comfort zone, and show them proof of their own accomplishments and abilities so they leave more capable and confident than they came.
Everyone can benefit from a swim clinic, but availability is limited. So, how do you know if a clinic is the right investment for your swimmer?
Your child is anxious before and between lessons
Some anxiety during lessons is expected. However, if your swimmer is crying before lessons, fighting against getting in the pool, or bringing up their fear about the lesson throughout the week, their level of anxiety will significantly slow their progress in weekly lessons. Our clinics are designed to get swimmers past their emotional hurdles and show them how to be safe in the water. It may not be easy to get your child in the pool five days in a row, but it will pay off when your swimmer is excited to go to swim class every week after.
Your child has had a traumatic experience in water
If your swimmer has almost drowned, witnessed someone drowning, or had extremely distressing experiences in other swim lessons, they are bringing in baggage that will be challenging to unpack in a weekly lesson. Clinics are designed to rapidly expose swimmers to their fears while minimizing the time for fear to accumulate between lessons. Sometimes we recommend several clinics for extremely fearful swimmers – one to address the fear, and another to start really swimming.
Your child is not making progress
Our goal is for your swimmer to make progress every week. That can mean breaking through on a new skill, or it can be more subtle – like your swimmer gaining confidence or being able to swim longer distances without getting as tired. There are times, though, where a swimmer is simply stuck. Either they can’t calm down long enough to learn, or they keep making the same mistakes that are holding them back from the next level. When no progress has been made for six months or longer, we recommend a clinic to break through.
Your child has not succeeded in any other swim school
If you’ve been to every swim instruction program in the area and none of them have worked for your swimmer, a clinic is the best way to kick off their learning at Tiburon. As every swim school has a different curriculum and teaching philosophy, your swimmer may be disoriented and unsure what to expect. A one-week clinic will help them shed any unhelpful habits they may have picked up in other lessons, and establish a new norm for their weekly lessons.
If you find yourself in any of these situations, or you simply want to supercharge your swimmer’s progress with one of our top coaches, call or email our front desk to learn more about Tiburon swim clinics!