Running a swim school means having a lot of people count on you. Your staff needs guidance, families have questions, and there’s always another decision to make. It helps to have someone you can call who understands the business because they’ve been there, too.
That’s what comes through in this video featuring USSSA members. Asked about their experience with the United States Swim School Association, they keep coming back to the people, the owners and professionals who share ideas, answer questions, and become friends.
A Conversation Can Make a Difference
John Kirk, of Little Otter Swim School in Charlotte, North Carolina, believes his business would not have been as successful without the friendships and knowledge he gained through USSSA.
A former association president, John appreciates the education offered at conferences. But he’s quick to point out that learning also happens in the hallways and in conversations after the meetings are over.
Those connections stay with him when he goes home. When something comes up in his business, he has friends around the world he can call and ask, “What would you do?”
For an owner working through a tough decision, that kind of access to another person’s experience can mean a great deal.
Finding People Who Want to Help
Debbie, a member from Portland, Oregon, remembers attending her first USSSA conference and discovering a profession she hadn’t fully realized existed. The experience helped inspire her to leave her career as a mortgage broker and start her swim school.
What stood out was how willing everyone was to share. Coming from a corporate background where people tended to keep business knowledge to themselves, she found a community where she could pick up the phone, ask a question, and get help.
She also saw the value of bringing her team to conferences. She could teach them what she knew, but meeting other swim school professionals gave them a chance to learn beyond her own experience. They could hear how schools of different sizes approached staffing and marketing, meet vendors and sponsors, and see the possibilities for their own work.
Growing Through Connection
Davina, a swim school owner in Toronto, Canada, started teaching as a teenager. She went on to offer backyard lessons, turned her backyard swim school into a year-round operation, and, at the time of the video, had grown to four locations.
When she talks about the value of USSSA, she points to having people she can call for help or simply to talk through an idea.
Davina describes the information members share as something you can’t just find online. It comes from getting to know people, asking about their businesses, and visiting their schools.
She also describes a warm, welcoming environment where people want to share because they care about the same thing: teaching children to swim and supporting water safety in their communities.
Someone to Call When You’re Stuck
Tammy describes the relief of being around other swim school owners who understand the questions she’s facing.
When she gets stuck, she can ask how someone else has handled a similar situation. Those conversations give her useful answers and ideas to take back to her business.
She also values the staff training opportunities and the wealth of knowledge available through fellow owners. Some of her fondest memories come from conference trips where members had time to get to know one another.
Her advice to an owner thinking about membership is simple: “Just join. Just try it.”
Relationships That Stay With You
The final member in the video speaks about learning from one another and building friendships that last a lifetime. It’s a fitting way to close, because those relationships run through every story.
Members describe finding encouragement, practical help, and people who understand their work. A conversation at a conference becomes a phone call months later. A question leads to a new idea. An introduction becomes a friendship.
That’s the value these members see in USSSA and their invitation to other swim school owners: come meet the people, share what you know, and see what you can learn together.
