Cynthia U - Female

I come from an extensive background of swimming and to say that swimming is my life, would probably be a bit of an understatement.  As an overview, I began swimming competitively on a team at the age of 4.  By 8 was breaking records and continued swimming competitively until age 17.  By 17, I began coaching my summer swim team and teaching group lessons.  I decided not to swim competitively in college but worked at a YMCA where I started as lifeguard/swim instructor, became certified as a Lifeguard/CPR instructor, was promoted to co-head coach of the swim team, and also promoted to Private Lesson Coordinator.  From there, I was hired at another YMCA as the Assistant Aquatics Director, and within a year promoted to the Aquatics Director.  It was at this time that I was able to add water exercise to my lengthy list of aquatic skills.  I have taught group lessons, semi private lessons, private lessons, and family lessons, as well as coaching over 100 children during a swim team practice.

My high school experience was life changing for me.  I had gone from swimming with the most amazing coach who really was overqualified to be coaching a little recreational town team, to a team of girls who couldn’t swim and track coaches as our swim coaches.  Talk about no more forward progression!  The coaches didn’t know how to give me a workout.  They didn’t know how to teach the other girls to swim, and they didn’t know how to put a line up together for a meet.  The good thing for me is, while always being realistic; I tend to not get defeated easily.  I did come to terms with the fact that this would be the end of my competitive career; as without having coaches who knew what they were doing, my skills would not be challenged.  What I was able to master during these years was my ability to coach.  I spent all 4 years of high school attending to my team as the coach.  I would show the coaches each year what needed to be done (yes, they changed every year!) and take the time out of my practice to teach the girls on the team how to swim.  After all… I’m on a team.  I can be AMAZING but without a team, 1 person cannot win a meet.

My experience was eye opening to the fact that there can be people filling an aquatics role who simply do not have the skill or training to handle the role they are in.  How could I, who was fortunate enough to have an amazing coach that made me love the water, turn my back on all the potential swimmers looking for someone to teach them how to be safe, confident, and skilled at how to move through the water?  Today, I am the Operations Coordinator for Making Waves Swim School, I am the assistant coach to a high school team, and I remain very involved in aquatics.  My skill range encompasses all ages and all skill levels.  My goals are to make swimming safe, fun, and educational.  I don’t actually want to teach you how to ‘just swim.’  I want to teach you how to understand the mechanics of moving through the water and conquer what simply put, is just another medium for us to move through.  I want my students no matter age to feel comfortable with me, trust me, and know that they are in the hands of someone who truly does understand the components of moving through the water.

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