I had just finished
teaching a group of adults to swim when I walked into the lifeguard office
to find everyone in a panic. The Pre-K instructor had just called in sick
and it was 3 minutes until class time. My mentor turned to me and said,
"Phil, I need you to teach this class. You are the only one who doesn't
have another group right now." I immediately broke out into a sweat. "I
can't teach kids! I can only teach adults!", sounding more panicked with
every word. "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to relate to kids.
They are so tiny...I don't want to hurt them..." I continued. As I was
about to hyperventilate she took me by the hand and looked me in the eye
and said, in a calm and reassuring voice, "Phil, do you remember any songs
from when you were a kid? Do you remember how to play? Just go out there
and sing...be goofy...and have fun." So there they were. Five of them.
Sitting patiently on the edge of the pool awaiting their instructor. 6
foot tall and these little munchkins had me shaking in my flip-flops. I
looked back at my mentor thinking she would bail me out at the last minute
but she gave me a reassuring nod. With shaking knees and an equally shakey
voice I greeted these would-be-giants. That was the day that changed my
life. I walked away from that class with a very different attitude towards
teaching children. Over the past 14 years I have constantly improved my
techniques and style so that I have been able to keep true with those
first words of wisdom: Have fun! Now, I have developed a program that is
totally fun while still commanding nothing short of stellar results in a
very short amount of time. The lessons are private, the plan is fun, the
goals are specific, and there is no limit to what we can
accomplish...together. Welcome, friend.
The Spirit of Aloha...The Spirit
of BIG FISH Swim School
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