Swimming is different from almost anything else we ask our children to learn. The water can feel scary. The process can be uncomfortable. But learning to swim is not simply an activity or a sport, it is a necessary life skill. In my philosophy, swimming is not optional. How we teach a child matters deeply, but whether we teach them should never be the question.
I will never ignore your child’s emotions. But I will not allow a moment of discomfort to convince me your child is incapable.
With over 25 years of experience teaching children in the water, I’ve learned to watch, listen, and understand the child in front of me. I know when to slow down, when to stop, and when a child is capable of more—even before they believe it themselves.
I understand that watching your child struggle or cry can be difficult. I see their emotions, I respect them, and I pay close attention to what they are communicating. But I also ask parents to trust the process. Sometimes growth happens just beyond a child’s comfort zone, and with trust, consistency, and the right guidance, that discomfort can become confidence.
Through The Swim Method™, I teach the child before I teach the skill. I build trust, understand behavior, and guide each swimmer through challenges with patience, praise, and progressive expectations.
Sometimes a child simply needs an adult who believes in them until they begin believing in themselves. Trust the process. Watch what the magic 🩵
Our super power is saving lives, what’s yours?
I began teaching swimming at just 18 years old in Southern California, and within six months, I was promoted to Head Coach. Early in my career, I had the opportunity to learn under legendary USC swim coach Peter Daland (the most recognized and respected coach in the country), an experience that helped shape my understanding of coaching, discipline, progression, and what children are truly capable of!
Yes, I will comfort your child. Yes, I will encourage your child. Yes, I will cheer them on through every breakthrough. I will teach them to roll over, find the wall, swim independently, and continue building every skill that comes after. But I will not hold a child back from something I know they are capable of simply because, in a difficult moment, they say “no.” I understand the difference between fear, hesitation, frustration, and a child truly needing me to stop. That understanding comes from more than 25 years of experience. My job is to listen to your child, protect their trust, and believe in their ability, even in the moments when they don’t yet believe in themselves.
But my greatest teachers have been the thousands of children I’ve worked with over the past 25+ years.
I’ve taught nearly every type of swimmer, the fearful child, the strong-willed child, the cautious child, the child who cries before ever touching the water, and the child who believes they can do absolutely anything. After decades of watching, listening, adjusting, and learning, I don’t just see a swimming skill. I see the child in front of me.
For the past 10 years, I’ve poured that experience into Sierra Swim Academy and what has become The Swim Method™—a behavioral, trust-based approach to teaching children through confidence, connection, and progressive challenge.
People sometimes joke that I’m part swim coach and part child therapist. 😂 The truth is, understanding behavior is at the heart of how I teach. I pay attention to the little things—the body language, the type of cry, the hesitation, the moment fear turns into avoidance, and the exact moment a child realizes, I can do this.
I teach the child before I teach the skill. And after 25+ years, I still believe there is nothing more powerful than watching a child discover what they are capable of. And watching their faces because they are so proud!
PRICELESS
A Question I get asked often, Christa, can you teach the ”roll over”, absolutely, but, there is so much more!
Trust Me, Trust The Process, it works!🩵
