AW Spotlight
The British Swim School, Saving Lives Since 1981
By Krista Martinelli
The British Swim School in Wellington is a place with a mission, and its new owners Sarah and Howie Berkowitz are serious about water survival skills. “We’re saving lives every day!” says Howie. They want to use the experience that they went through, probably about the most frightening minute of their lives as parents, and get the word out to everyone about the danger of drowning.
While at a friend’s house, Sarah and Howie suddenly realized that their 18-month-old Jack had fallen into the hot tub. They were so lucky to find that Jack had climbed out of the hot tub on his own. To this day, they do not understand how Jack managed to climb out, as it was a deeper-than-usual hot tub. According to the Hoffmans, it was a life-changing event. In October (of 2012), they became the new franchise owners of the British Swim School, which offers a year-round, indoor, heated salt water pool. They focus on water survival skills first and then have lessons that progress all the way to advanced swimmers (pre-swim team) “the Sharks.”
They want to get the word out that the #1 cause of accidental deaths for children five and under is drowning. And, surprisingly, most drownings occur in bathtubs. They are pleased to present the British Swim School’s gentle method of teaching. “It’s a lesson plan that’s been proven to work and it’s been in place for 35 years,” says Sarah. They never just “throw a child into the pool” or force them into the pool. Instead their gentle, learning-while-having-fun method involves a lot of repetition and successful results.
Stephanie Bachar, their Aquatics Manager who has been teaching at the British Swim School for 2.5 years, says that when it comes to swim lessons, “the younger the better.” Their swim lessons begin for 3-month-old babies and are offered to all ages, including adults. By getting used to the water very early, “it gets rid of the fear,” says Stephanie. Everyone begins with water safety. The younger kids do a Mommy & Me (or Daddy & Me) style of swim class. With the youngest group, the “Tadpoles” who range from 3 months to 3 years old, the parents are also learning how to swim safely with their child.
The British Swim School has a cleverly-devised way of keeping track of their swimmers as they make their way through the different levels. (Check out their levels and pricing on their website). The swimmers progress from Tadpole to Swimboree to Young Minnows to Minnow and continue up to Sharks. They each wear a color-coded swim cap and everyone in the pool is responsible for looking out for the beginning swimmers, who wear white swim caps. As a recent franchise, the British Swim School is growing quickly and now has approximately 30 locations throughout the United States.
Their biggest challenge, according to Howie, is getting the awareness out there about drowning and the importance of swim survival skills. “A lot of people think of swimming as a sport and not as a survival skill,” says Stephanie. “We’re trying to change that.”
The students who take lessons at British Swim School really appreciate the fun approach to swim lessons. When you walk into their facility, which is located in the warehouse district of Wellington on Fortune Way, you see a lovely salt water pool with a TON of fun pool toys and floats. It’s an inviting and engaging setting. The parents also appreciate the ability to watch the lessons through the windows from an air-conditioned room. It’s peace of mind, knowing that their kids are learning important survival skills and having fun at the same time. “The parents also appreciate the coffee,” adds Sarah.
See the brief video with Sarah and Howie Hoffman and their Aquatics Manager Stephanie Bachar, talking about feedback from parents about the British Swim School (below).
Exceptional Swimmers Program
The British Swim School in Wellington was recently approved and added to the FAU directory for special needs teaching. This is a new class beginning this month for special needs students, teaching introductory skills to students who are 18 months thru six years old. Stephanie and two other instructors are certified to teach special needs students. Call for details and to be added to the waiting list for this group. It’s an exciting
opportunity to offer some extra time and attention to special needs students, including those on the autism spectrum. “We are happy to be able to open our doors for an additional hour for private, one-on-one lessons,” adds Sarah.
Great Birthday Parties
Looking for a fun place for your child’s next birthday party? You can use their 2,200 sq. foot facility for two hours and have up to 15 children with a “Basic Pool Party.” Party pricing includes a lifeguard on deck. This option allows parents the flexibility of bringing in their own food. Many families enjoy this affordable option and the ability to bring home-cooked food.
Or you can upgrade to a “Cool Pizza Party.” This includes an extra lifeguard on deck, 3 large pizzas, juice boxes and mini water bottles, as well as music, games and a bubble machine. Leave it all up to the British Swim School and relax with this cool party option. See their website for more birthday party details.
“The birthday parties have been a big hit!” says Sarah. The parents have appreciated that it’s an indoor pool (especially on those rainy days) and how easy it is to put on a fun party at the British Swim School location.
Building Confidence
At the British Swim School, they have found that young swimmers are building confidence in other areas, thanks to their newly-developed swimming skills. The survival swim classes are very small groups, just four students. It’s always fun to see a child become “the oldest” one in the class, suddenly in a position to guide the others. “Of course, it’s also a great work out and keeps kids healthy,” says Howie. We are happy to say that we’ve had families that have been with us for many years, progressing through our classes,” says Sarah. The British Swim School continues to be a great family tradition, owned by a local Wellington family!
Benefits of an Indoor Salt Water Pool
If you’ve been in Florida for a few years, you’ve probably noticed that it rains every few days in the summer months. This can be disruptive to swim lessons when children are using an outdoor pool, where several rainouts throw off the whole consistency of what they’ve been learning. It’s a great asset that the British Swim School offers an indoor pool. So whether you choose to sign up for classes twice a week (or more often), nothing disrupts the learning process.
A lot of their students are happier to be in a salt water pool too. “Some parents have noted that it’s better for their kids’ skin,” says Stephanie, especially in cases where there is eczema or skin sensitivity. The salt water doesn’t sting your eyes as it does in a chlorinated pool. “And we find it’s better practice for water survival skills. When they do water survival without goggles, it’s a more realistic scenario,” says Stephanie.
The Berkowitz’s are excited about what they do and it shows when they talk about the urgency of swim lessons. They have a very busy family life with three boys (13, 12 and 4), all interested in different activities. The new business has brought them closer together and taught their kids a good work ethic. “We found out that our middle son is our best salesperson,” says Howie. When they have presented at kids’ fairs, for example, he thrives on talking to new potential customers and handing out their information. Their older son has shown a great deal of responsibility and handled the front desk very well. He’s working up to passing the tests and being a swim instructor in the future too. Meanwhile, their youngest Jack is the whole reason for their emergence into this business, which they have incorporated under the name “Just Jack, Inc.” coincidentally. Every day that they can teach a new child to survive in the water, they are grateful and think of their own son Jack, who was lucky to survive the hot tub incident.
Parents and kids are invited to visit the British Swim School and observe a lesson any time. Please call ahead for times and information. If you have a child who has not learned water survival skills yet, why wait another day? And if you’re an adult who has never learned to swim, it’s never too late to learn. Call today…space is limited!
The British Swim School
Saving Lives Since 1981
3141 Fortune Way, Units 21 – 22
Next to Village Park
Wellington, FL 33414
561-855-7043
See their “Contest” at AroundWellington.com, which begins July 10th! Enter for your chance to win a month of once-a-week group lessons!