Expert Swim Instructor/Coach/Synchronized Swimmer - I come to you (Orange County and Other Southern California Areas)
offered in person
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WINTER SPECIAL: I offer one free 20-minute swim lesson for any child 36 months old or less for every paid swim lesson on the same day.
INTRODUCTION
I teach toddlers, teens, and adults elegant, accurate, and efficient swimming. I teach beginners as well as those desiring to swim triathlons or become exceptional swimmers. Children and adults learn skills like water safety and accurate and elegant swimming. Competitive swimmers, scuba divers, and water polo players hire me to improve their techniques so they can build the proper skill set to pass official tests.
All sessions are tailored to the student's needs and goals. The students’ swimming is carefully observed to make sure that swimmers consistently breathe, kick, and swim efficiently. Students will learn to swim multiple pool laps while using accurate, controlled hand movements and building leg strength without gasping for air or getting overly fatigued.
When starting a new pupil, crucial water safety measures are shown to students so they know how to save themselves should a pool mishap occur. Novices quickly learn to float vertically, tread water, and safely maneuver themselves to the poolside while swimming with me or without my guidance.
Lessons are provided regardless of the student's age, disability, or skill set. Children and adults with learning difficulties like extreme fear, dyslexia, autism, physical limitations, and handicaps can be successfully taught swimming.
Along with carefully viewing my students’ swimming from outside the pool, I always get in the water to view their proficiency up close so the tiniest errors may be detected. During sessions, trainees are instructed to focus on all their swim movements and to recognize what they are doing right and wrong. This way, they can recognize which parts of their swimming require improvement and make the appropriate corrections.
SWIM INSTRUCTION OVERVIEW
My mission is to make my students elegant, accurate, efficient, water-safe swimmers.
I see myself as an encouraging, detail-oriented coach who builds my students' confidence and skillset and cheers them on to success. My trainees see me as their truth-telling ally and eagerly accept my instruction on their road to greatness.
Novices quickly learn to swim precisely and gracefully, as well as become completely pool-safe. Some of the most stubborn, anxiety-ridden, unruly, and resistant individuals are among those I effectively teach. I’m able to break down barriers until beginners become putty in my hands. Crying, whining, biting, scratching, kicking, slapping, spitting, hateful insults, pleading, and negotiation attempts are all ignored. Kids try it all on me to no avail. I relentlessly encourage my students to succeed.
I routinely push pupils to perform the impossible, but I’m also fair. From the very beginning, my students are programmed to accept the goal of being OUTSTANDING swimmers. Very good is NOT good enough! My target is EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE and nothing less. However, when a gentle, loving approach is required, I use it.
To excel in swimming, trainees must develop the right attitude and accurate swimming skills and must deeply embed this information in their psyche. These skills are taught during my sessions. My secret? My students fully comprehend swimming concepts and INTERNALIZE them rather than MEMORIZE them.
MY FEES
I charge $80 - $85 per hour for many areas in South and Central Orange County. Other charges such as travel time are added when I teach in outlying areas.
The following are offered during each lesson:
• I charge a FLAT RATE per session no matter how many students are included.
• My rate is based on the distance of the client's pool from my home in Irvine.
• I have a one-hour minimum per session.
• I regularly teach at my clients' homes or community pools. However, if required, I can teach at the client’s fitness club as their guest or at any 24-hour Fitness if the client also has a membership there.
• I regularly travel all over Southern California for lessons; last year I even lifeguarded on a photo shoot for a mobile phone company at a popular Riverside lake.
• My clients pay me per session; I never ask clients to purchase multiple swim sessions in advance.
*** NOTE: My policy is that you pay as you go! However, some clients prefer to pay upfront for multiple lessons, which I accept.
You may call, text, or e-mail me; I will answer your questions and give you a quote to teach at your pool of choice. Texting tends to be the best way to reach me since I regularly check text messages.
SERVICES OFFERED
All lessons are tailored to student's abilities, skills, and goals.
I regularly teach:
• The PROPER swim methods for all the major swim strokes that many instructors don't know or bother to teach.
• All the swim strokes:
- CONTINUOUS STROKES: freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly.
- GLIDING STROKES: Breaststroke, elementary backstroke, and sidestroke.
• Trainees are empowered to recognize their errors and correct them. Endless patience, encouragement, and nurturing are provided.
• Even IMPOSSIBLE youths, as well as those with no interest in learning to swim.
• Autistic learners, those mentally and physically challenged, and individuals deathly fearful of entering a pool.
In the Blue Dolphin aquatic program I developed, proven teaching methods are regularly used. This way students quickly and correctly progress. The research and development I conduct enable me to improve upon my instruction methods on a regular basis. The techniques outlined in Swim Speed Secrets for Swimmers and Triathletes, famous swim instruction books, and autism-specific teaching manuals are regularly consulted.
My instruction methods can be unconventional at times, but they do work! Time isn’t wasted on irrelevant activities. In 2021, I began training kids as young as two to use fins to build leg strength. Big thumbs up on that idea!!!
SWIM INSTRUCTION PHILOSOPHY AND APPROACH
My entire life revolves around teaching swimming. My ability to make drastic changes in students' lives is why I teach year-round, often 7 days a week. Inconvenient times are often accommodated such as at 6:00 am or 10:00 pm and select holidays.
I teach swimming because I love making a difference in people’s lives via my instruction techniques and my willingness to modify my methods when beneficial. From day one, swim concepts and the reasons various steps are taken are explained, which enables my students to better retain what they've learned. I try to instill in my students the love of swimming and how this skill can drastically improve people’s lives. Students are consistently reminded to be pool-safe, execute natural, beautiful swim strokes, and continually strive to achieve swimming greatness.
I am an authentic open-minded swim instructor that believes in tailoring each session to closely match the student’s abilities and goals. All students’ moves are observed so elements that may be hindering success come to light. Students are shown their errors so they understand them and can correct them.
Developing a trusting relationship is crucial to my pupils being receptive to my teaching methods and following my instructions without a fight. Along the way, I end up teaching students motivation, social skills, and the desire to become exceptional swimmers.
I always work on improving my instruction methods. New thought processes with promise are addressed. When my clients suggest approaches, I will often give them a try. When they work, they are added to my swim instruction tool kit. When they don’t, they are banked away for future reference.
During lessons, I often focus on teaching various swim elements individually (e.g. proper kicking, breathing, and controlled arm movements). Then, the student is encouraged to put all the elements back together so the swim strokes can be accurately executed. Students are encouraged to practice to help build their muscle memory quicker.
Accurate swimming methods should make sense to the student and must become part of the student’s being. If students just memorize the information presented, they often won’t retain it. Erroneous techniques and how to correct them are explained.
Swimming notes are regularly updated and given to students, which they use to study prior to attending their sessions. They help reinforce the lessons and allow enthusiasts to fully absorb the presented material so the instruction becomes part of their being.
POWERFUL CASE STUDY
The following is a powerful example of the importance of periodically revising teaching methodologies to address the needs of specific students to achieve extraordinary results.
In early 2023, I began teaching swimming to a successful software engineer. She is intelligent and focused. But, because she is a visual learner, she has a hard time learning new actions and techniques. Traditional teaching methods don’t achieve the desired results. To effectively teach her, I have had to modify my instruction methods to accommodate her special needs.
Fortunately, she carefully observes other swimmers and notices their mistakes, which reminds her of actions to avoid. When she accomplishes something accurately, I reinforce why her modified actions work.
I consider myself a perfectionist, so teaching this engineer has been interesting and challenging. She has tested my teaching abilities to the limit due to her extraordinary need to have information presented to her in such a unique way. One-fourth of an inch in the position of her head, mouth, hands, and feet makes a big difference in the execution of her swimming.
At this point, she is a very good swimmer, but to achieve the level of excellence she desires, I have to use a completely different teaching strategy than I typically use. Tiny variances in my methodology make a big difference in her learning.
Simply put, her brain fought her learning process. She had problems coordinating the timing of her movements, which negatively affected the effectiveness of her strokes. She has shown me that once she understands and fully absorbs an instruction, and executes it properly, she retains it and the results are stunning.
I am now using this new strategy with my other students with fabulous results. With future students, I anticipate that this new instruction method will enable me to achieve outstanding results. This instruction will help all students, but especially those with learning disabilities like dyslexia, autism, and visual learners.
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE SUMMARY
I am a certified Red Cross Water Safety Instructor (WSI) with an MBA and have extensive advanced swim training. My strong background in synchronized swimming and close to two decades of swim instruction is at the core of my success.
Along with my swimming background, I continually improve upon and apply the most effective ways to teach accurate swimming and water safety. My clients are typically shocked at how quickly they are able to learn swimming with my instruction and their dedication.
My unique water safety program can be taught in a couple of sessions, instead of months! I DON'T waste time teaching students time-consuming and ineffective water safety measures NOW being taught by many of the swim schools. I teach what works!
A life-changing event happened to me a few years ago when a fire captain approached me while I was teaching two adolescents. He complimented me on my effective water safety measures. He told me that annually many youngsters drown because they weren’t taught proper water safety. This incident instilled in me the need to always teach effective water safety as quickly as possible so students will remain safe whenever they swim and will know exactly how to handle a pool mishap should it occur.
QUESTIONS ? ? ? ?
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me and I will address them. We can speak over the phone, text, or e-mail one another to determine if I'm the right fit for your family. Or, you can simply call me to pick my brain. I eagerly give out swimming advice without any commitments.
If you want to learn more about Blue Dolphin Swim School and my background, teaching philosophy, and skillset you may visit my website or contact me.
All the best,
Christina Acosta
School Director | Swim Instructor
Blue Dolphin Swim School
My website: Bluedolphinswim
(949) 291-6322
ca_acosta@yahoo.com
Additional information about me, my program, qualifications, added benefits, and policies are provided below, just in case you wish to learn more.
* * * MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT ME * * *
POOL TOYS
I have spent a small fortune purchasing a wide variety of cool, fun toys that I use as dive toys to build my students' breathing, diving, and lifesaving skills. The use of elaborate pool toys is my secret weapon when teaching youngsters.
My young trainees always look forward to "Toy Time," where pool toys are regularly used in sessions, which helps motivate youngsters to hold their breath and open their eyes underwater while grabbing toys from the bottom of the pool. Even two-year-old students will hold their breath long enough to collect fun toys from the bottom of a pool.
A crying child can often be turned into a smiling one once he/she sees the fun toys I bring to each swim session.
SWIM INSTRUCTION BACKGROUND
• I have over 17 years of experience teaching private swim lessons at clients' homes and group lessons at various swim schools in Northern and Southern California.
• I began taking swim lessons at four and have continued my swimming journey my entire life.
• After I learned synchronized swimming at age 15, I began teaching swimming to fellow classmates at St. Lawrence Girls High School in Santa Clara, California. That same year, I performed a solo synchronized swim show, became a lifeguard, and began teaching private swim lessons to students in my neighborhood and beyond.
• My background in synchronized swimming taught me how to swim accurately and elegantly. I learned how to precisely execute each stroke while expending the least amount of energy. Beautifully executed synchronized swimming techniques are at the core of the swim instruction I regularly teach since these skills turn out superior swimmers.
• At California State University, Long Beach, I took aquatic courses/lifeguard training and received my Water Safety Certification (WSI). Years later, I took an advanced swimming course at Saddleback College, Mission Viejo to update and fine-tune my swim instruction methods.
• While getting my bachelor’s degree, I created a successful swim program for the Long Beach YMCA, which was based on teaching students who were alike in skill level but vastly different in age.
• In 2015, I taught swimming at SafeSplash in Irvine. SafeSplash is a nationwide chain of swim schools that operate out of 24-Hour Fitness gyms. The school manager allowed me to instruct students using my unique methods. I even developed SafeSplash's instruction techniques for teaching the sidestroke.
• In early 2016, I started my Orange County mobile swim academy, Blue Dolphin Swim School. The program is based on the principles of synchronized swimming and my proven swim instruction methods. Its goal is to quickly teach students the best water safety and swimming techniques that they will carry with them throughout their entire life.
SCHOLASTIC BACKGROUND
• MBA Marketing Management, Golden Gate University, San Francisco
• B.S. Marketing, California State University, Long Beach
• A.A. Graphic Design, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo
• Extensive college-level coursework in advanced swimming, business management, computer graphics, data communications, art, writing, fashion, entrepreneurship, culinary arts, and more.
WETSUITS
• I have more than 70 quality wetsuits of different sizes I often loan to students when required for cold pools or nippy weather.
• Wetsuits keep my students warm and comfortable and eager to tackle their swim lessons.
• I know of NO swim school or instructor ANYWHERE in the world that loans wetsuits to its students for lessons other than me.