This past week, MarTar Swim School (the swim school I work at) was featured on an ABC News segment. I wanted to not only post a link to the segment for everyone to watch if they please, but also highlight some aspects addressed in the segment.
Marty and Tara, the owners of MarTar Swim School, did not begin their careers as swim teachers. Marty worked in the aircraft industry, and Tara worked as a physical education teacher for more than 19 years. They had always been involved in the special needs community and had taught lessons for other programs, but none of those programs specialized in teaching children with special needs and none of them were fully prepared to give effective lessons to those children. One day, they decided that they needed to do something to activate change in the community and began working towards starting a swim school of their own that would teach individuals of all ages and abilities, but that employed instructors who were trained to teach individuals with special needs.
Though Marty and Tara do not have a child of their own or one with special needs, their love and passion for working with children is evident to anyone who enters their swim school. They know each and every client who steps into their door, past and present, and are always looking to expand upon the MarTar community and bring in new children to teach. Their openness, experience, and passion to help others really comes through in every initiative they take on at the school, from training their staff to teaching their lessons and performing administrative duties.
In the news segment, two parents attest to the positive effect swim lessons have had on their son with special needs. Daniel, a 9 year old with autism and epilepsy, may have severe cognitive abilities but is not treated or viewed any differently at the swim school than any other child. He is able to listen to his instructor, process the instructions, and apply them until eventually his body naturally remembers how to swim on its own. Not only has Daniel made extensive progress in the swimming pool since he started at MarTar, but his parents have also seen cognitive and social gains in their son. They believe that the overall environment at Martar, from swimming lessons to camp days to birthday parties, encourages more advanced and therapeutic cognitive and social development.
Watching the video makes me smile ear to ear. Of course, I am one of the instructors at the school and know Daniel and his family. But I think the joy that the children gain from the lessons really comes through from just the few seconds of film that depicts the children in their lessons. They absolutely love their swim lessons. They look forward to coming, and some who have intact verbal abilities will even ask their parents to bring them more times per week. This school does more than teach children how to swim. It makes them safer in the water. It gives their parents some peace and comfort knowing their child is more capable of taking care of himself or herself. It brings joy not only to the child but also to the child’s family who can watch the child in lessons and see the excitement in his or her eyes. I really could not be more proud to be a part of this school and family and cannot wait for summer to get back to spend time with the children.
To watch the segment, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI-4vTIa_jA&feature=youtu.be
I’m so glad that there are people like Marty and Tara in this world – people who just want to help others. Helping children with special needs feel more like children without special needs isn’t easy but that definitely seems like the challenge your swim school has been willing to take on. Teaching them to swim gives them the freedom to enjoy being in the pool. Their excitement in the video is contagious!