Mount Pleasant Magazine July/August 2019

www.CharlestonsPrivateSchools.com | www.CharlestonSchoolDirectory.com | www.ed.sc.gov INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS ISD 207 I f you don’t think learning to swim is an essential life-saving skill, consider this statistic from the National Institutes of Health: Participation in formal swimming lessons reduces the risk of drowning in 1- to 4-year old children by 88%. KIDS FIRST Swim School of Charleston Franchise Owner Brian Cubbage, who centers their curriculum around teaching the fundamentals of swimming and water safety, is eager to share this important statistic and further reduce the risk of drowning by instilling the knowledge and skills kids (and even adults) need to know every time they enter the water. KIDS FIRST Swim Schools offer a variety of swim programs to impart this knowledge including a Mommy & Me class for infants and toddlers starting at 2 months old, small-group classes, private and semi-private lessons and adult lessons. Most children they teach to swim are between the ages of 3-6. During their busiest season, they instruct more than 900 kids a week. Programs entail attending one class a week for six weeks. As a teaching facility, KIDS FIRST uses specially designed indoor-training pools ranging in depth from 2 to 5 feet and maintained at a comfortable 90 degrees. Lessons are all about coordination: For instance, they instruct younger kids to learn to kick first and rely on their leg muscles, which are stronger than their biceps, then add in arms later. Their unique curriculum has participants test out of a level before progressing. “It’s skill based, not age based,” noted Cubbage. Cubbage, a former high school teacher, focuses more on the teaching process itself than perhaps a professional swimmer might. “You need someone who can relate to a child,” he explained. “My passion is teaching and making a difference in the community.” KIDS FIRST is located at 1000 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Mount Pleasant. Register for lessons online through their Facebook page, KIDS FIRST Swim School of Charleston, or call 843-856-4301. BY COLIN MCCANDLESS Water, Water Everywhere SO WE BETTER LEARN TO SWIM Mt. Pleasant, SC 843-856-4301