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Swim instruction: Who’s the best?
This is the second part in a review of Austin-area swim instruction, and includes info on facilities and quality of instruction. In terms of a final assessment, one location stands out in several ways — although I was able to find positive attributes at each facility (well, mostly). Your own personal preference may depend on where you live in Austin, what else you like to do besides swim, and how into the whole swim team experience you are.
Click here to read the first part of this review.
Austin YMCA
I spoke to Sarah Kreisner, the aquatics instructor at the Town Lake Branch of the YMCA. She is very friendly and helpful, much like the rest of the staff at the Y, and the facility is large and well-maintained. There is a smaller, shallower pool for children’s lessons. The indoor lap pool is heated to 72-82 degrees, and the instructional pool is kept a good 10 degrees warmer. The instructors range from a 72-year-old swimmer who is, I am assured, an excellent teacher and has provided swim instruction for many years, to 19-year-old swim team alum.
As it happens, it is possible to participate in swimming instruction, from youth classes all the way up to their “YBATS” Masters Swim Team without being a member of the Y, although the per-session cost is higher for non-members. One additional downside to not being a member is that the facility cannot be used for practice outside of the scheduled lesson.
I personally don’t see much point in taking lessons at the Y without joining up, as one of the main advantages the Y has over other local swim instruction is flexibility in location and activity. If you are already a member of the Y, or want to take advantages of the many programs the Y has to offer, I see no reason to pursue one’s triathlon or masters swim instruction anywhere else.
With 7 other sites besides Town Lake (instruction does vary from location to location), the Austin YMCA wins the “convenience of location” category.
Nitro Swimming
When I walked into Nitro Swimming, I thought I had died and gone to aquatic heaven. This, coming from a native Atlantic Ocean swimmer who generally has little patience for treated, heated pools and finds Barton Springs positively balmy. Stretched before me in the 28,000-square-foot facility are 23 lanes of 25-yard laps, and one multi-lane instructional pool. Many lanes are filled with slickly moving swimmers. Bleachers surround the pool, and the bleachers, too, are filled with parents and siblings shouting encouragement. Several of Nitro Swimming’s seven full-time coaches (teaching staff expands to 40 in the summer) wander around the enormous pool. Many of the instructors are NCAA All-Americans, and all conform to a teaching manual developed by Coach Mike Koleber.
These people are intense about their swim instruction. When I speak with Coach Mike, it is clear he is passionate about his job. He talks about providing encouragement regardless of ability level and seems eager to accommodate every possible need; from providing information to moms and potential instructors, to removing lane dividers from the entire pool for his triathlon class, to providing introductory swims to potential students. His staff is all likewise professional and exceptionally friendly.
Frankly, except for us North Austinites, Nitro Swimming won’t win any awards for convenience of location, although Coach Mike enthusiastically reports that he coaches swimmers from Dripping Springs to Buda to Temple (one family recently moved from Waco to be closer to Nitro Swimming, which may seem a little, um, insane — but now that I’ve seen Nitro, I can understand). Maybe someday Coach Mike will open additional branches. Still, in terms of pretty much everything else, including cost-to-value ratio (all adult swim classes include access to the small-but-high-quality fitness area); quality of instruction, and amazing support, Nitro Swimming is the fins-down winner.
Tom’s Dive and Swim
Not everyone who wants swim instruction — be they adults or kidlets — want the frenzy of a Y or Nitro Swimming. The first thing one notices about the indoor, heated pool at Tom’s Dive and Swim is that it is small. But instruction is offered on a private basis only for adults, with two persons maximum in a class; and privately as well as in very small classes for children. The pool is absolutely sufficient for as many students as it is likely to contain at any given time. Still, like the non-member YMCA option, there’s no use of the pool outside of scheduled lessons. Nikki Allen is the swim coordinator for a staff of three qualified, friendly instructors, and private lessons for adults are held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The atmosphere at Tom’s is definitely relaxing, and is obviously geared towards SCUBA diving. My recommendation? Tom’s Dive and Swim is a good option for Central Austin swimmers who don’t want distraction, spectators or hubbub, and don’t mind spending the dosh on private lessons. The children’s group classes are a much better value.
West Austin Athletic Club
There are things I like about the West Austin Athletic Club. The chance to swim in an outdoor, heated pool, while wearing my diamond-encrusted bathing cap and contemplating my stock portfolio, for instance. Oh, I kid. But membership is darn expensive, and even the non-member swim cards are comparatively pricey, and this dulls my appreciation for the very beautiful facility.
The pools are maintained during the winter at 80-82 degrees. The temperature of the air surrounding the pools tends to fluctuate. The facility includes an eight-lane, 25-yard pool, a four-lane, 50-meter pool and six lanes in WAAC’s island pool (25 yards). The masters/triathlete program is directed by Andy Williams, and four additional highly qualified coaches teach children and high school students.
I would recommend WAAC to Austinites who have an aversion to the hoi-polloi.
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By M Forbes
January 29, 2008 8:56 AM | Link to this
We have been involved with Nitro and its predecessor Splash Swimming (so named before the new state of the art swim center was created)for three years. Our two children go three and four times a week because of the positive manner in which their abilities (and their confidence)systematically improve. Alot of pride in their ability is engendered through the unique Nitro approach.
This is no tedious exercise — in fact — Coach Mike stresses repeatedly in learning the child must enjoy, have fun and in so doing, surprisingly finds they look forward to Nitro Swim. Our barely able to swim (started at Nitro at age four and age 7)children have really come into their own. They continue with practice and occasionally want to do the in-house trials put on for the Nitro “family”. We see them inching toward competition (Nitro is respeceted regionally and statewide, with its swimmers often competing at UT)but for now, just experiencing the magic of Nitro coaches is fine with us!