COACH KIM
I used to love swimming when I was at school and I got back into swimming after taking my son to parent and child classes. I started by volunteering as an assistant in a special needs class. I decided to take my Level 1 Assistant course in June 2007, followed by my Level 2 in Dec 2007 and discovered that I really loved teaching pupils of all ages to feel safe and confident in the water.
For me coaching is not a job but a passion. I love interacting with the swimmers from babies right up to adults. It is great to see the progress pupils make and gain confidence in their abilities.
Children should be taught to swim as it is a life skill. Being able to swim could save their lives or someone they are with. It is also a great sport to get into as it can lead to many other water-based activities such as paddle boarding, kayaking, boating and many more.
My style of teaching is interactive and fun but constructive at the same time. I am also able to maintain eye contact with my swimmers and give reassurance when needed. I remember how I felt when learning to swim and understand how strange or scary something can be trying it for the first time, so I never force a pupil to do something but take it at the child’s pace. Encouragement and feedback to both the pupil and the adult is a way of building a bond between us all.