What Today’s Families Look for in a Swim School, Part 1

Perhaps you remember a time when the only factor a parent would think about when choosing a swim school was how close it was to home. Nowadays, distance is just one of many considerations parents have, and it’s not always even very high up on their list of priorities. In fact, today’s parents are often willing to drive far distances for exceptional training for their children in all sorts of sporting activities. Swimming is no different. Depending on your level of commitment to excellence, this new way of looking at swimming instruction can either become a liability or an advantage. If you want to fill your class up with an ideal number of students, you’ll need to work hard to stand out from the crowd.

What are Parents Hoping to Find?

Naturally, you’re probably wondering what you can do to give yourself an edge in this competitive field. In this series of articles, we’ll take a look at some of the most important features that parents look for when they’re choosing a swim school for their children. Incorporating these elements into your school will go a long way toward building up your enrollment.

Modern, Aesthetically Pleasing Facilities

Your school may provide the very best swimming instruction in your entire area, but if your facilities look outdated and unappealing, you’re likely to lose the interest of some prospective students. When people walk into your swim school, you want to project an inviting, safe, and clean-looking environment. Don’t forget about the importance of odors, too! You may have grown accustomed to a scent of mildew in the air, but other people haven’t. When they walk in and get turned off by the smell of your school, they won’t stick around long enough to find out how well you can teach.

Here are a few areas you should definitely focus on as far as the appearance of your swim school goes:

Choose an attractive pool deck material.

Concrete is both durable and practical, but it can lack style and pizzazz. You can spruce it up a bit by adding paving stones or wood decking around the outside of your deck.

Provide a comfortable waiting area for all ages.

While you’re teaching your classes, you’ll want to have areas that are spectator-friendly for family members. This would include plenty of tables, chaise lounges, and chairs. If your pool is outdoors, don’t forget the shade. Set up umbrellas or awnings so your guests will have a place to stay cool on those hot summer days. You could even add a small play area and kiddie pool for the little siblings and relatives of your students. Parents and grandparents will appreciate your thoughtfulness at making these kinds of helpful accommodations.