SafeSplash Swim School: Sign Up For Lessons in Madison or Huntsville!

Family, Health & Wellness

January 29, 2024

Though we may still be reaching for our warmest winter coats before we head out the door each day, it’s never too early to begin thinking about swimming lessons. If you are looking for swimming lessons in Madison, Alabama (or in nearby Jones Valley in Huntsville), SafeSplash Swim School is ready to deliver with year-round options for swimmers of all ages and ability levels. SafeSplash offers lessons at both Madison Hospital Wellness Center and Huntsville Hospital Jones Valley Wellness Center.

{Disclaimer: I, Erica, do not take the opportunity to write about swim lessons lightly. In fact, we experienced a life-changing near-drowning accident in 2016 with our then two-year-old daughter. Doctors say that had she been in the water a few more seconds, she likely would have had permanent brain damage. Since then, I have become a swim safety advocate and will use any platform I can to educate on the concept that not all swimming lessons are the same. Signing up for lessons shouldn’t just be a checkmark in the box of something to do for your child but rather intentionally researched and decided upon as the right strategy to learn to swim. More on our story and my passion for swim safety soon!}

SafeSplash, which opened in North Alabama in 2022, offers group, semi-private, and private lessons. They also offer an adaptive program for students with special abilities. The North Alabama franchises are managed by long-time healthcare executive Kristin Stitt.

SafeSplash is committed to wellness, safety, and skill development and uses unique features, teaching methodologies, and an overall comprehensive approach to ensure that students learn the skills that they sign up to learn.

SafeSplash offers a rolling enrollment, meaning that students are welcome to jump into a class any time (as long as there is availability of course!) Parents are invited to browse the website and view which class levels are available on which days (and at what time).

Figuring out what level your child will start on is so easy!

For example, I discovered that my 4th grader and 2nd grader would both be in “Beginner 3” after completing this short quiz. With this information, I am now able to look within my desired location’s availability and find a day/time for Beginner 3 that would work for my daughters.

Once an interested family has picked a class, they are invited to sign up and then show up! The first lesson will consist of a very brief evaluation to determine if the swimmer is in the right class, and then lessons promptly begin!

When some parents are looking for swim lessons, they often don’t know what to look for and assume that finding anybody who can simply teach their children to swim is sufficient. At SafeSplash, learning to swim is much more than one goal, but rather a journey with many goals to work toward that eventually leads to a mastery of water safety (which also, in turn, means more fun in and around the water!)

This organization emphasizes a very structured, objective approach through weekly lessons with the same instructor every time! SafeSplash knows that being an excellent swimmer is a very gradual process, especially for little ones, so they use a very rigid curriculum (developed and constantly refined by industry experts with over 30 years of collective experience).

This is a major differentiator for me in the most positive way: this swim school is dedicated to building a foundation that teaches a child not just to keep their head above water and paddle but to actually become a strong, skilled, and therefore safe swimmer.

Another major differentiator of SafeSplash is the small class sizes, which allow for personalized attention and level-appropriate instruction. Whether it’s a Parent Tot class with up to six students or a toddler transition class with a 3:1 ratio, SafeSplash ensures that the learning environment is conducive to individual progress (while also being a lot of fun too!)

Moving up to a new class is a process that is impressively objective based on mastered skills. When students progress, they are celebrated with a big bell-ring, which symbolized a student’s readiness to move up to a brand new level.

I asked some pretty direct questions about the instructors at SafeSplash because, as a parent, I want my child to be paired with an instructor who is not only exceptional with children, but who is also very well versed in the process that’s involved with learning a strong swimming foundation.

I was very pleased to learn that SafeSplash places a great emphasis on the quality of its instructors because they know that this is crucial to a successful program. The instructor training is meticulous, ensuring that each instructor is placed where their skills shine the brightest.

I was also curious about what kind of involvement a parent has during the lessons as this is also typically a big differentiator between swim lesson organizations. At SafeSplash, parents are invited to watch from the pool deck and then come near the pool once a month for a “Splash and Tell” session, where the instructor and student show an update on progress and skills mastered.

SafeSplash also offers parents a Skills Tracker app with real-time insights into their child’s progress.

As aforementioned, SafeSplash is so proud to offer an Adaptive Program, designed to cater to students with special abilities. The curriculum is adapted to meet individual needs and ensures that every student has the opportunity to learn the valuable life skill of swimming.

Though some may assume that swim lessons are “only” for youth, SafeSplash knows that swimming is a skill that can and should be mastered by those of all ages. Teens and adults are invited to partake in lessons too with curriculums that are consistent and lead to mastery, regardless of one’s current abilities, background, or fears.

SafeSplash encourages interested families to sign up for lessons as soon as possible as learning the foundation of swimming is typically a months-long process (expectation management is such a key educational element here!)

Do you have questions for managing partner Kristin? You are invited to send her an email or give her a call to discuss SafeSplash options and to see if it’s the right fit for you or your family.