Spring Workshop 2026
February 19 – 20, 2026
Welcome to the schedule for the Spring Workshop!
We’re excited to kick off planning for the 2026 Spring Workshop and can’t wait to bring our community together again! Below is the preliminary schedule for the event — stay tuned for more details as sessions, speakers, and activities are finalized. This schedule will continue to be updated as we get closer to the workshop and session times are subject to change.
Wednesday, February 18th
Little Fins Swim School – 1625 Medical Center Point, Suite 160, Colorado Springs, CO 80907
9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
SafeSplash Swim School, Castle Rock – 658 Genoa Way Unit D, Castle Rock, CO 80109
9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
SafeSplash Swim School, Parker/Lone Tree – 12240 Lioness Way, Parker, CO 80134
3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Join us for our Welcome Reception with Exhibitors in the Pompeii Room—enjoy drinks, connect with fellow attendees, and meet with exhibitors as we kick off the workshop in The Broadmoor’s main building.
Thursday, February 19th
Location: Broadmoor Colorado Hall, Center Aisle
Pat will share her journey from competitive swimmer, charity open water swimmer and Special Olympics swim coach to a resilient advocate, driven by a true passion for water. Drawing on personal experiences of overcoming unexpected health challenges and her professional background working in the diamond industry, she will explore the importance of showing up for life, even when it’s difficult, and how resilience is forged through adversity. Her talk will highlight the critical role of perseverance and adaptability in what feels like an alien life, inspiring and motivating attendees to face challenges and support one another, and how to SHOW UP in life (and in this important aquatics and water safety work) even when it sucks or when things feel unsteady.
Speaker: Pat Henneberry
When you build a team that genuinely believes they have the best job they’ll ever have, something extraordinary happens: the customer experience transforms from standard to unforgettable. In this session, we’ll explore how a powerful internal culture—rooted in belonging, purpose, and celebration—naturally drives the “BMW-level” customer journey every swim parent dreams of. From the first phone call to the first splash, you’ll learn how to turn staff into proud ambassadors, families into raving fans, and your swim school into a community people can’t wait to return to each week. This is the inside-out strategy that creates magic in the water and at every touchpoint.
Speaker: Leighann Day
Bring your questions and join a dynamic panel of experienced swim professionals for an open, interactive discussion on teaching, safety, and school growth. Panelists will share real-world strategies for working with different ages and skill levels, handling common challenges, building strong lesson progressions, and creating a positive experience for families. Whether you’re looking for fresh ideas, troubleshooting advice, or practical takeaways you can use immediately, this session is designed to give you direct access to expert insight and actionable solutions.
Panelists:
Nick Curl, Propel Swim Academy
Nick Anderson, Little Kickers Swim School
Taylor Backes, Safesplash Swim School
Haley Armstrong, Little Fins Swim School
Location: Colorado E
Join members of the USSSA Board of Directors for an open, collaborative conversation about where our association is headed and how we can keep moving forward—together. This session is a chance to hear updates on current priorities, share your perspective, ask questions, and discuss the opportunities and challenges facing swim schools today. Whether you’re a longtime member or new to the community, your voice matters here. Come ready to engage, connect, and help shape the future of USSSA.
Bring your questions and join a dynamic panel of swim school owners and operators for an open, interactive discussion on running a stronger, safer, more scalable business. Panelists will share real-world strategies for improving common operational challenges such as staffing and training, customer communication, growth planning, strengthening safety and consistency, increasing retention, and creating an exceptional family experience.
Panelists:
Alvaro Mendoza, Commercial Energy Specialists
Ryan Larson, Premier Swim Academy
Nick Anderson, Little Kickers Swim School
Trish Miller, SwemKids
We live in a society that values instant results and instant gratification. However, when it comes to working with children—especially in skill development—progress takes time, and quick fixes rarely lead to lasting success.
To add to that, parents spend years teaching their children not to talk to strangers or go near water without supervision. Yet, during their first swim lesson, those same children are often handed to a stranger in a pool. Understandably, this can be overwhelming—or even frightening.
This talk will walk through common anxieties students face, techniques coaches can use to build trust and confidence, how and why we can partner with parents, and how we can redefine what progression looks like.
Speaker: Alexa Gerk
Topics for CEOs, Owners & Managers
- Creating Safer Swim Facilities
HVAC, Dehumidification, Flooring, and Surface Strategies for Durability and Performance
- Managing humidity and air quality to protect swimmers, staff, and buildings
- Flooring and deck surface choices that reduce slips, injuries, and maintenance costs
- Balancing upfront investment vs. long-term durability
- Lessons learned from facility upgrades or retrofits
- Using AI in Swim Schools
Practical, Real-World Tools to Improve Operations, Staff Training, and Parent Communication
- AI tools currently being used in swim schools (what’s working, what’s not)
- How owners are using AI as a “thinking partner” for decisions, documentation, and problem-solving
- Prompts, workflows, and guardrails owners are using to save time
- Manager Development & Accountability
Systems That Build Confident Leaders, Reduce Burnout, and Create Role Clarity
- Coaching rhythms that actually support managers (1:1s, check-ins, feedback loops)
- Setting clear expectations and decision-making authority
- Accountability systems that don’t feel punitive
- Preventing manager burnout while maintaining performance
- Developing internal leadership pipelines vs. hiring externally
- Pricing Strategy & Enrollment Growth
How to Set Rates, Communicate Increases, and Understand the Numbers Behind a Strong Swim School
- Pricing models that support profitability and retention
- When and how often to raise rates
- Messaging price increases to families with confidence
- Understanding enrollment capacity and forecasting demand
- Balancing accessibility, value perception, and financial health
- Opening Location #2 (and Beyond)
What Swim School Owners Must Build, Fix, and Stop Doing to Scale Successfully
- Systems that must be in place before expanding
- What owners need to stop doing personally as they scale
- Leadership structure changes from one location to many
- Documentation, training systems, and operational consistency
- Common mistakes that slow or derail multi-location growth
- Operational Benchmarking & KPIs
The Financial and Non-Financial Metrics Swim School Owners Use to Measure Success
- Must-track KPIs vs. “nice-to-have” metrics
- Payroll ratios, occupancy costs, and margin benchmarks
- Non-financial indicators: retention, staff stability, class fill rates
- Using data to drive decisions without overwhelming the team
Staff-Focused Topics
- Creating a Five-Star Family Experience
Customer Service Practices That Keep Families Engaged and Loyal
- Front-desk, instructor, and management alignment
- Handling complaints and difficult conversations
- First-day and onboarding experience for new families
- Small moments that drive retention and referrals
- Supporting Struggling Teammates
Coaching Through Difficult Classes, Building Mental Resilience, and Resetting After Hard Moments
- Recognizing burnout, frustration, or disengagement
- Supporting peers after tough classes or challenging swimmers
- Turning hard moments into learning moments
- Creating a culture where asking for help is encouraged
- Confident Problem-Solving at the Front Line
Training Customer-Facing Staff to Think Critically and Act with Confidence
- Setting clear expectations from day one
- Teaching staff how to make decisions, not just follow scripts
- Empowerment vs. escalation—when to handle issues independently
- Preventing over-reliance on managers for small problems
- Teaching Swimmers with Special Abilities
Practical Tips, Strategies, and Adaptations That Work
- Adapting lessons for different learning and sensory needs
- Communication strategies that build trust and progress
- Structuring classes for success and safety
- Sharing techniques that have worked in real classes
Friday, February 20th
Body language Expert and Behavior Analyst Traci Brown will share tactics used by the FBI to uncover hidden truths and tactfully steer conversations in a more honest and productive direction so you make decisions using info that’s been hidden in plain sight. You’ll save time, money, energy and get to yes more quickly….and stay off the front page for the wrong reasons.
Participants will learn:
- Subtle body language that suggests deceit in person, on zoom, on the phone, in emails and texts
- Words or phrases that should be red flags
- How to open up conversations so you draw out the truth with kindness and professionalism
Speaker: Traci Brown
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Building Trust Through Social Media! Strategies That Turn Viewers Into Clients
Learn how to use social media such as Instagram strategically to turn views into real swim school enrollments. This session breaks down how to plan Reels that guide parents through a trust-building journey, communicate your brand message clearly, and address real parent concerns. You’ll also see easy content options like Remixing, plus simple automation tools (like ManyChat) to capture leads from comments and DMs. Walk away knowing which metrics actually matter — and create a quick Remix in-session to apply it right away.
Speaker: Jacob Siegel
Location: Colorado A
Struggling with turnover and unreliable part-time staff? You’re not doing it wrong—you’re playing a different staffing game.
This session is designed for swim schools and other people-driven businesses where traditional corporate hiring and training models fall short. Learn how to build people-first systems that work in high-turnover, high-flexibility environments.
You’ll discover how to attract better-fit part-time staff, train them quickly and effectively, run day-to-day operations with less micromanagement, and create a culture that keeps team members coming back season after season.
The session includes a hands-on Star Employee Blueprint exercise, so you’ll leave with a clear definition of what “great” looks like on your team—and a simple plan to build more rockstar employees.
Speaker: Sal Ulloa
Mastering the Fundamentals of Facilities Management is a comprehensive introduction to the core principles, responsibilities, and best practices of modern facilities management. This presentation explores the essential functions that keep buildings, systems, and workplaces running efficiently — from maintenance and safety to space planning and vendor management.
Designed for both newcomers and professionals looking to refresh their knowledge, the session highlights key competencies in areas such as compliance, budgeting, energy use, and preventative maintenance. Attendees will gain a solid understanding of how effective facilities management supports organizational goals, enhances employee experience, and ensures long-term operational success.
Speaker: Andrew Kline
Raising the Bar: Inclusion That Empowers, Not Just Accommodates
Finding a way to create true inclusion even when we didn’t plan for it. Moving from “making it work” to making it standard. Have group discussions on scenarios to see if there is a way to make it work for the swimmer and red flags that it may not.
The takeaway is that Inclusion isn’t a checklist item; it’s a commitment. It’s not always easy, it’s not always perfect, and sometimes it’s not possible, but it should always be the goal. How do we recognize the opportunities to make inclusion and work, and how do we know when it is not the best option for the swimmer? Always pushing for the least restrictive environment.
Speaker: Angie Baker
What happens after swim lessons? Across the country, swim schools see the same pattern: learn-to-swim programs are full, and then families want to know “what’s next?”. The drop-off is steep, and it’s not due to lack of interest — it’s a gap in design. The leap from swim lessons to traditional swim team is simply too big for most families. And as a result, programs stall when they should be exploding.
Join 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Charlie Houchin as he leads you through reframing this challenge — with a clear path forward. Drawing from both elite-level insight and grassroots programming experience, Charlie will unpack the hidden design flaw in most aquatics pipelines and offer a new framework for bridging that gap. You’ll walk away understanding why most programs are losing kids they should be keeping, and what you can do to reverse that trend – increasing your swim school’s customer life time value.
Speaker: Charlie Houchin
