Check out our new Guide to Face-Up First Swimming on Kajabi.
FACE-UP FIRST LESSONS
Why choose Face-Up First Swimming?
Proven Face-Up First Method: This is the safest and most efficient way to learn to swim.
Ideal Coach to Swimmer Ratios: We schedule for the most effective work : rest : play ratios.
Convenient No-Level Scheduling: Swim with friends, car-pool mates, and siblings regardless of age or ability level.
Local Lessons in Omaha and Grand Island, Nebraska + Remote lessons in your pool via email and video
What swimming programs do you offer?
INSTRUCTIONAL – all ages, 10 minute lessons, 1:1 coach to swimmer ratio (coach in water), no prerequisites
DEVELOPMENTAL – 25 Club: ages 6 and older, 30 minute lessons 1:10 ratio (coach on deck) View the Program Description page for prerequisites.
DEVELOPMENTAL – 25 Club Challenge: 25 Club eligible or have competed in a Splash Meet. This group has no instruction. Swimmers are encouraged to swim as far as they can during the 45 minute practice by completing walk-around 25’s.
DEVELOPMENTAL – VOYAGERS: Second grade and older, 45 minutes to one hour practice, 1 to up to 30 ratio, View the Program Description page for prerequisites.
What is the Face-Up First method?
Face-Up First® Swimming uses the S.W.I.M. Model™.
Stabilize: The ability to control one's body parts.
Wend: The ability to move purposely from one location to another in the water.
Idle: The ability to disengage from the load, to rest and relax without any effort.
Measure: The ability to judge, calculate, and make decisions while in the water.
We know that swimmers need to be able to master all four of these components to be considered skilled in the water. The first three components may be mastered by even our youngest Sailors. The component Measure can only be mastered through both maturity and experience in the water. All other swimming skills, such as the ability to swim the four competitive strokes, are variations and refinements of these four basic components.
New students will first work on stabilization - the ability to control their arms and legs (even when they are afraid). The next step will be working alternately on the ability to move through the water and the ability to rest motionless and effortlessly. Through all their experiences in the water, students will learn the consequences of their actions, and develop the ability to judge, calculate, and make the best decisions to safely enjoy their water experiences. Once a student has mastered the S.W.I.M. Model™ components, lesson time will be spent refining the competitive strokes.
What suit and equipment does my swimmer need for lessons?
All participants ages three and older in all of our programs are required to wear one-piece, solid-color, competition-style training suits for all classes, practices, and meets. Children two and under may wear any suit, or just a swim diaper. Coaches will provide caps and goggles for INST swimmers. 25 Club/DEV swimmers and Voyagers are required to provide their own caps and goggles.
Any advice on purchasing caps and goggles?
Yes! Caps and well-fitting goggles serve the same purpose – keeping water out of the eyes while swimming. There is no danger in getting water in your eyes; it’s just harder to see. The main purpose for wearing goggles is to see better while in the water. Caps serve many purposes. Water continuously drips from the hair into the face and eyes. Water sheets off a cap and does not drip into the face and eyes nearly as much. Latex and silicone caps keep swimmers much warmer while they are swimming. Fabric caps are designed to hold the hair and go under latex or silicone caps. Caps keep hair out of the face and can keep hair mostly dry. I recommend you choose the goggles with the fewest moving parts, the clearest/lightest color lenses, and the stretchiest straps. Goggles should create a seal on the eyes. To test goggles, put them on without the strap and push to create a vacuum and suck the goggles onto the eyes. You should be able to shake your head and not have the goggles fall off – even without a strap. If you can do this, the goggles will keep water out. If you can’t create suction, choose a different style. Please do not choose mirror or smoke lenses. Swimmers need to be able to see, and the instructors need to be able to see the students’ eyes.
What skills and strokes will my swimmer learn with Face-Up First lessons?
What happens at an Instructional Lesson?
Arrive a few minutes early for your scheduled lesson. Everything goes smoother when children don't feel rushed. Children should be dressed ready to swim and sitting on the bench near the coach a few minutes before the lesson start time.Be sure to visit the restroom and/or put on a swim diaper before the lesson. Swimmers should bring their caps and goggles - if they are wearing their own - and their towels. As soon as you transfer your child to the coach, parents should return to sit on the bench to watch.
While you are watching the lesson, you may cheer every time your child does something correctly. Do not cheer misbehavior. Your child looks to you to learn what is acceptable. Don't cheer every movement... recognize when your child is following directions well and cheer those behaviors. Some parents hide and watch. Some parents do what we call hiding in plain sight. They feign reading or chatting while keeping an eye on the lesson and occasionally responding with a cheer or a wave. This behavior sends the message to a child that the parent is not in the least concerned about what is happening during the lesson so the child need not be concerned. I prefer parents to hide in plain sight rather than actually hide, but I trust parents to act in a manner they know will best support their child.
Fellow parents are your best resource. If you have questions or concerns, please ask the other parents on the bench. Many of our swimming families have been with us for years watching several siblings learn to swim. They are happy to help. Splashing is part of swimming. Parents often ask children to stop splashing. While the coaches appreciate the help, splashing is something that children have to learn to regulate. Swimming is a splishy, splashy sport. Splashing can be lots of fun. If you witness your child being deliberately mean to another child, feel free to call down for them to stop. For the most part, it's ok to let the coach handle the discipline during the lesson. Time outs are used frequently by our coaches to discourage disruptive behavior or to give an uncooperative or fearful child a little break.
All of our swimmers are taught using the philosophy of FACE-UP FIRST / FIRST THINGS FIRST. We rarely deviate from our skills progression. The first thing we teach is proper head position, then proper body position, then propulsive movements of the arms and legs, and, finally, refinement of hand and feet movement. Until a child has attained a relaxed, balanced, floating position, very little attention will be paid to any arm or leg movement. The swimmers may be asked to move their arms, but it's really just something to distract them while the coach is manipulating head and body positions. It may seem like your child is doing the same thing again and again and again. They are! Watch for independent relaxed floating. After that occurs, the strokes really start.
If your child needs to use the restroom during a lesson, you can take them out of the lesson. Because swimmers sometimes use a bathroom break to avoid performing a skill they don't enjoy, often a coach will ask a swimmer to do just one more turn before going to the restroom. Usually, once the skill is completed, the child wants to continue to play instead of getting out to visit the restroom. Sometimes, especially with new swimmers, the coach may look to you to see if you think this may be happening. You know your child best. It's ok to indicate that you do not think the child needs to get out right that second. If you can tell the need is immediate, communicate that to the coach. We appreciate your help.
What happens at the end of the class?
Meet your child and coach at the pool edge at the end of the lesson. Each child will be given a DIME and the opportunity to ring the bell. We will keep children safe in the water, but we not equipped to supervise children before or after swimming lessons. Parents must be at the pool edge when class ends.
Tell me about the pool?
Omaha Home for Boys: The OHB pool is indoors, 6-lanes wide and 25 yards long. There is a 1-meter diving board. There is a built in bench for seating along the sides and one end. The pool is 12 feet deep at the diving well end and 3.5 feet deep at the shallow end. Men's and women's locker rooms and hallway family restrooms are available adjacent to the pool.
College of St. Mary: The CSM pool is indoors, 6-lanes wide and 25 yards long. The pool is slopes from four feet dep at the shallow end to seven feet at it’s deepest. Men’s and women’s locker rooms are available adjacent to the pool. There is bleacher seating.
The Kroc Center: The KROC also has a 6-lane x 25 yard pool. It’s depth slopes from 3.5 feet to 7 feet. We use that pool only for the Challengers. All Instructional lessons are taught in their recreational pool. We use a rectangular section of the pool that is 3.5 feet deep throughout and has stairs. Other areas of the rec pool contain a zero-depth entry section, slides, and a lazy river.
Advice on swim diapers?
See what the CDC has to say: http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/protection/swim-diapers-swim-pants.html. Please use the pool responsibly. We do not want anyone to get sick, and we do not want to close the pool.
What happens on bad weather days?
The pool closes when OPS closes for severe weather conditions. We do not make-up lessons missed due to snow days. We do not close or exit the water for thunderstorms. Click to view the Weather Policies & Announcements page. The link to a weather-related announcement will be posted in an announcement bar at the top of every page in the website.
What is your attendance policy?
Please check the dates for your session. An eight-lesson session does not necessarily mean eight consecutive weeks. Attendance at all lessons is not required. Please make as many as you can. We do not provide make-ups for lessons missed due to short-term illnesses or conflicts with other activities, and we do not issue refunds. Occasionally, we must cancel lessons due to mechanical problems or instructor availability issues. In the event of such cancellations, we offer make-up lessons or credit toward future sessions. We do not provide makeup lessons for conditions beyond our control, most notably weather conditions. Again... we do not offer make-ups or refunds for lessons missed due to illness or conflicts with other activities. However, your time slot is yours to use. You don't have to lose it if your child is ill or if you have a scheduling conflict. We want you to use it! You may switch time slots with a friend for another day/time or you may send your next door neighbor, a cousin, or a sibling to use your time slot if you can't make it to a class. This is yet another advantage of our no-level system. Anyone attending a Developmental program practice must be able to complete 25 yards of crawl stroke and backstroke. We have a Lesson Swap page you can use to view and/or advertise swap opportunities.
What are your locker room policies?
We share locker room space at all our facilities with other programs and patrons. To be considerate of all patrons, children over the age of four should use the appropriate-gender locker room or family restrooms. Parents, please be considerate of other users when escorting your young child into an opposite-sex locker room to use the restroom or shower. The locker rooms are often crowded, and at no time are appropriate places for horseplay. The locker rooms are designed as group shower and dressing areas. Sometimes patrons prefer to change privately in the restroom stalls. However, priority for the use of these stalls must be given to those needing to use the toilets.
Please exit the OHB facility within fifteen minutes of the last class of any lesson day.
What about lost and found items?
Please check your bags before you leave. Toiletries, hair grooming implements and accessories, and socks/underwear are treated as trash at the end of the day - not as Lost & Found items. Lost and found items are disposed of regularly. Write your swimmer name on everything. We will hang on to found labeled goggles, caps, and other equipment/belongings. Anything without a label will be added to the lost and found pile.
Where do parents sit for lessons?
Parents are invited to watch lessons from the benches along the sides of each of the pools. Cheering is encouraged! Please check your shoes before entering the pool area. Thanks for helping us keep the deck clean.
Is it safe to come to lessons when it’s cold outside?
Can going outside with a wet head or without a coat cause a cold? Colds are caused by viruses. There is no need to restrict activities such as swimming to prevent colds - even when the weather outside is cold. No one catches a cold from going outside with wet hair, or even by going outside without a coat. It is uncomfortable to be chilly, though, so everyone should wear a coat when it is cold outside. You must be exposed to a virus to catch a cold. It's important to practice good hygiene and other healthy habits to avoid getting sick with a cold. Eating well, getting enough sleep, and getting plenty of exercise, (ie swimming) will all help keep students strong and so better prepared to resist illnesses.
What is the dime for? Why do swimmers ring the bell?
D.I.M.E.S. - Dividends Intended to Motivate and Encourage Swimmers - Every swimmer will receive a dime at the end of every lesson. On the last day of the session, your coach will set up a small store where swimmers may use their dimes to purchase a toy. The cost for a toy is thirty cents. We prefer that each child buy only one item at the store.
Bell - The Bell is used to reward swimmers who follow directions in practice. We also use the bell to announce special achievements. Not every swimmer rings the bell every lesson.
What if my child is afraid?
I put this last on the list, because it should be the least of your worries. Your child may be afraid to perform a skill, but that doesn't make the skill either dangerous or difficult. It's just swimming lessons. It's very important that you do not indicate in any way to your child that there may be a reason for your child to be afraid at lessons. Danger lies in not learning to swim, not in participating in swimming lessons. An important life skill that may be learned at swimming lessons is separating what you feel from what you do. You may feel afraid, but your arms and legs will still do what you tell them. Just as children learn not to hit when they feel angry, they need to learn not to scream, panic, or fight their coach when they feel fear. The ability to remain in control in a situation that causes them to feel afraid is essential to their ability to help themselves in and out of the water. Do not reinforce their fears, justify misbehavior, or argue for their limitations. Instead, give them the time they need to learn to control their bodies, praise effort made in the face of fear, and reinforce the value of following directions.
A child who hears, "I'm so proud of you!" when they emerge from a lesson in which they screamed and fought the instructor has every reason to believe that their behavior was appropriate to the situation and has no reason to change that behavior. It's helpful to remind a fearful child that you are watching, the instructor/coach is trying to help, and that you expect them to follow directions no matter what they are feeling inside. It's also nice to acknowledge their feelings by saying, "I'm sorry you were so unhappy today. I want you to be happy. Swimming lessons are important and I know you can do it!" Also, we instructors know full well that children sometimes behave in opposition to what they are taught. Don't ever worry that we think any less of child who is afraid or who doesn't like swimming lessons. We deal with it all the time and continue to care for, support, value, and enjoy each and every child.
Babies are often surprised and distressed at their first lesson. Only a very few continue to be unhappy after the second lesson. Even very young babies often acquiesce early in the second lesson as they realize that they are just repeating the same skill over and over again. During the first lesson, babies don't know that this will ever end. For all they know, this is what their lives have now become! The few that continue to be unhappy after the second lesson are in no danger. The water is warm, the skill of floating on your back is easy, and the lesson is short. You can help. Speak to your child with words of praise and admiration for their work during the lesson.
Do not comfort your child as you might if something bad had happened to them. Again, nothing bad happened, it's just swimming lessons. With all ages, the first step in calming fearful swimmers is letting them know from the very first lesson that lessons are not optional.
First Lesson by Philip Booth
Lie back, daughter, let your head
be tipped back in the cup of my hand.
Gently, and I will hold you.
Spread your arms wide, lie out on the stream
and look high at the gulls.
A dead-man's float is face down.
You will dive and swim soon enough
where this tidewater ebbs to the sea.
Daughter, believe me, when you tire
on the long thrash to your island,
lie up, and survive.
As you float now, where I held you and let go,
remember when fear cramps your heart what I told you:
lie gently and wide to the light-year stars,
lie back, and the sea will hold you.
Splash! Great Writing about Swimming
Edited by Laurel Blossom
ISBN #0-88001-449-0
Questions: jeanieneal@faceupfirst.com 402.312.1012
We swim for good times!