Four lessons we can learn from successful athletes.

• Discipline – Successful Athletes wake-up and do the work every day. Success doesn’t happen without the grind and the effort.

“No matter what your ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishment.”― Carol S. Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology Of Success

• Goal Setting: Athletes set goals, then create a strategic plan to accomplish them. (Often involving deliberate, disciplined  practice. Then they reassess them as necessary. Successful athletes know that targeted training works. Athletes have seasons within seasons, micro and macro training periods, and swimmers have three seasons per year: Macro cycles, Meso cycles, and Micro cycles for training. Athletes break down goals and set smaller, incremental goals to achieve the bigger goals. Ultimately, have a strategy but DON’T be afraid to fail – utilize a growth mindset to continuously learn and grow.

“Want to know the secret to victory? Fail to make the varsity team.”― Michael Jordan

• Nutrition & Healthy Living! – On a practical level, athletes embody what our potential can be when we make the best choices for our mental, physical, and emotional health. Take swimming for example. A regular swimming program can result in increased cardiovascular function, increased muscle tone and strength, anxiety and depression relief, improved flexibility, and weight loss. Additionally, when we maximize our nutrition choices, we reduce the long term risk of disease, while increasing energy and productivity in the short term.   
• Team Work! A lot of companies hire former college athletes based on the above and this factor. Team work promotes socialization, cooperation, and accountability, while elevating individual performance and creating outcomes impossible to achieve alone. It’s easy to recognize that heightened teamwork skills translate to success on the field. It’s important to recognize that these same skills cross over into all areas of life. Fred Northup, Founder and President of Athletes for a Better World espouses these same sentiments in his book, Winning More Than The Game.  “We are all on more than one team all the time: the family team, the work team, the neighborhood team, the school team, and even the national team because as citizens of this country we are all on the same team.”

The bottom line? The qualities that make athletes successful make them prime candidates for the corporate world, and we would all do well to take this roadmap to athletic excellence and apply it across the board in our own lives.

Kenneth Rippetoe

Kenneth is a Life-time member of the American Swimming Coaches Association and holds certifications as a Level 4 Disability Coach & Level 3 USA Swimming as well as US Masters Coach. Coaching since 1985, Kenneth specializes in Swimming, Strength and Conditioning coaching.

The post 4 Lessons Successful Athletes Can Teach Us appeared first on One with the Water.

But, if like me, training has taken to back seat to life (with or without four kids), then we’d love for you to start with THE Triathlon, a boutique triathlon event right here in LA with all proceeds benefiting us, One with the Water.

THE Triathlon

Do you have what it takes to complete THE Triathlon? Join us on 10/01 to sweat for a great cause!

Starting with a SwimTeam class at the Culver City Pool, followed by a picturesque run around Downtown Culver City and followed by a incredibly fun Soulcycle class at the Platform Center. After the sweat, join us after the class on the Soulcycle patio where you’ll be enjoying tunes, complimentary refreshments and quality time with the community!

The event will be fully donation based and your donation will guarantee you a spot in the event! All of the proceeds will go to One with the Water to help vulnerable children have access to the life saving skill of swimming.

Go here for more information on location, time and tickets. We’d love for you to join us – you can be a hero while you improve your health!

Don’t forget, you can ALWAYS donate right here on our website to help us help people take back their lives. From 2 to 20, 8 to 80, veterans, adaptive athletes, new swimmers, infants, toddlers and more. When you donate, your money goes toward teaching the lifesaving skill of swimming to ANYONE who needs it.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post THE Triathlon, benefitting One with the Water! appeared first on One with the Water.

Independent Study in Physical Education

In brief, Independent Study in Physical Education (ISPE) is a Physical Education option put forth by the California Department of Education and approved by the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. Essentially ISPE allows students to participate in physical education learning outside of school hours and off school property. Additionally, ISPE creates the opportunity for students to experience advanced levels of activity not typically available in the district. In order for a program to be ISPE eligible, the following is required:

• Must be a significantly different program from what is offered by district.
• Applicant must be competitive at state, regional, or local level.
• Approved ISPE programs must be structured programs taught by qualified coaches responsible for supervising, documenting and verifying student participation, progress and performance.
• Approved ISPE programs must engage students for a minimum of 250 minutes for each 5 school days (weekend events not included), in physical activity, support personal growth, and promote healthy living and physical activity as lifelong goals, and adhere to the state’s content standards in physical education.

One with the Water Coaching

Our swim team programs are taught by expert coaches with years of experience competing, teaching, and coaching. We maintain our certifications and our physical condition, to ensure you get the best swim coaches in the business. Our instructors continue to compete at the professional and amateur level, and most have competed at the collegiate level.

At One with the Water, our lessons are not a one-size-fits-all coaching. Every lesson is customized to fit your experience, personality, and strengths. Additionally, we are equipped to teach children & adults with: ADD & ADHD, Anxiety, Autism Spectrum, Down and CHARGE syndrome, Sensory Integration Issues, auditory processing disorders, amputation, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, spinal cord injury, obesity, and other disabilities.

Our students have gone onto to compete in the ParaOlympics as well as swimming competitively at the high school and collegiate level. Combine your child’s love of the water with a time-efficient way to meet district standards and manage their schedule appropriately … all while reaping the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of swimming.

Follow the link for ISPE application forms and detailed program instructions.

No high schoolers at your house? Help us serve the underserved in your community by providing lessons to low income students and students with special needs. Partner with us today and you can be a hero to those that lack traditional access to swimming and swimming lessons.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post PE & Swimming: Independent Study in Physical Education appeared first on One with the Water.

It is not all about the kids!

When we think about swim lessons, we automatically think about children. The truth is, many adults need and would benefit from swim lessons. According to a national survey done by the American Red Cross, “Overall, the survey finds that more than half of all Americans (54 percent) either can’t swim or don’t have all of the basic swimming skills” (American Red Cross, 2014, para. 6).

 There are varying reasons people may not have the basic swim safety skills.  Lack of access to a pool or body of water is a real concern for many who live in remote or low-income areas. For instance, my grandparents took swim lessons in their 70s. Crazy, right! They live in a rural part of Wyoming, but they took the initiative to drive an hour to town and take adult swim lessons. They always joked that they signed up for lessons so they would know how to swim in case they fell overboard on one of their cruises.

Other primary reasons include traumatic events and negative memories associated with the water. Several years back, I had a client who was terrified to put his face in the water. He used to be an avid surfer and scuba diver, until he suffered a traumatic event on a routine dive. He got caught in a rip tide off the shore of an area in Malaysia. He screamed for help, but it seemed like no one heard him. Scared he was going to drowned, he was finally rescued. From then on, he never got back into the water. At least until his daughter was born. He wanted to be able to get over his fear of the water so he could one day take her swimming. And he did it!

Adult Swim Lessons

If you are an adult interested in swim lessons, I want to empower you to sign up. Think of the reason(s) you have not taken swim lessons thus far in your life. Ask yourself, Why you want to take swim lessons?  Next, ask yourself, What are some fears you have with taking lessons? It doesn’t have to be a big reason, it could simply be that you feel uncomfortable and are scared of failing or looking foolish.

The truth is, we all have fears when doing something new.  In many studies, large portions of fear have been attributed to the unknown. As an adult, the unknown is paired with your ability to critically think through tasks. Our frontal lobes are fully developed now, allowing for executive function. Executive function is the ability to plan, problem solve, self-monitor, and have self-awareness, which, when applied to swimming, can create unfortunate but rational fears before lessons.

However, when we go many years without knowing and understanding something, it is easy to build upon these fears. It is a simple thing to let your fear continue to grow and become more elaborate. The most challenging part is to begin. Let me assure you that after starting your lessons you will find out your fears did not live up to their expectations.

So what are you waiting for? Stop thinking about the five year-old who might be swimming fearlessly next to you– we all have to start somewhere. Remember, you are not alone. You are not the first adult to take an adult swim lesson, nor will you be the last. The key is to recognize why you want to learn to swim and identify how it will add to your quality of life. Then go for it!

You can be a hero … through swim lessons!

Have you taken the first brave steps of beginning? Do you want to help empower others to overcome their fears and be confident, safe and successful in the water?Partner with us today to teach economically disadvantaged families, special needs children, and Service-Disabled Veterans to become One with the Water! You can be a hero to those that lack traditional access to swimming and swimming lessons.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Do I really need adult swim lessons? appeared first on One with the Water.

My nine year old is creative, witty, and smart. In addition, she has a short attention span and a serious lack of follow through. She took gymnastics for six years, soccer for a few seasons, and is currently practicing Tai Kwan Do. She participated but was easily distracted and lost interest quickly. It wasn’t until she joined the swim team last summer that the real breakthrough happened. At the prospect of racing against her peers, and the concept of getting faster, my girl came alive. She produced a consistent, hard work effort over the course of a whole season. She was intent on beating her personal record each time. My scatterbrained child had a goal. 

And I, the anxious mama in the corner cheering on her successes and encouraging her in difficult moments of loss, I learned anew the value of healthy competition for my children. In addition, I understood the unique position swimming occupies as her teacher.

In the end, it’s not about winning and losing, but about mastery. We teach our daughter to race herself, to get better each time. And whether she is playing a fierce game of dog bingo or swimming the backstroke (her favorite), our motto is, “There is no winning or losing, only winning and learning.”

At One with the Water, we encourage and value healthy competition in our athletes, preparing them to master the skill of swimming, race against their peers,  and challenge themselves to be their best. 

Healthy competition in children

• Healthy competition helps kids understand that it is not always the best or smartest who succeed but those who work hardest and don’t give up.
• It encourages the learning and application of valuable social skills through interaction with other athletes and peers.
• In many instances, healthy competition teaches the value of teamwork and cooperation, and the benefit of working for the good of the larger group.
• Healthy competition allows kids to learn how they react in challenging situations. This creates opportunities for them to shine in difficult circumstances.
• Healthy competition teaches children how to win and lose gracefully.
• And finally, healthy competition can result in improved self-esteem and confidence.

Does this sound valuable to you?

We know you want your children to be confident, safe and successful in the water. One with the Water offers infant, child, adult, and special needs swimming lessons to help them succeed both in and out of the water. We teach you to swim, improve your existing skills, and prepare you for competition. Register today and we can help you take advantage of what healthy competition combined with the unique sport of swimming can do for your family.

And did you know we are a nonprofit as well? We know life with special needs can be unpredictable, challenging, and isolating. That’s why, in addition to our regular infant, child, and adult swim lessons, we developed an Adaptive Athletes program to train athletes from elementary age, through high school and beyond.

We also know you want to be compassionate, involved members of your community. When you donate to One with the Water, you create real and lasting change in the lives of our adaptive athletes.They are confident, courageous, successful, and safe, thanks to you!

Remember, 

• $180 a month provides a child access to the life-changing swim team preparing them for high school and college!
• $275 a month teaches a special needs child the lifesaving skill of swimming.
• $5000 provides education and credentialing for our coaches.
• $10,000 provides six months of pool access.

Donate now and be a hero in the life of a child.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post On Healthy Competition appeared first on One with the Water.