South Barrington Swim Lessons

Our family has enjoyed swimming lessons from Foss Swim School in South Barrington for nearly three years. Foss provides an outstanding program for infants through adults. Our daughter has learned important swimming skills and she has learned to have self-confidence and improved upon listening. We adore our patient teachers and appreciate that they take the time to teach us skills we can work on as a family. Read on to learn more about South Barrington Swim Lessons and what makes Foss so great!

What are your teacher to swimmer ratios? 

We believe the best results come when kids learn alongside peers in small groups, which is why we make sure our teacher to swimmer ratio is 1:4. 

Swimmers are placed in levels depending on skill, not level. I appreciate the lesson consistency and building of skills as my daughter progresses through each level. (Would you like to talk through the different levels and animals that represent the skills for each group?)

Our founder, Jon Foss, has developed and optimized our Swim Path® over the past few decades to deliver the best results for our students. We have a school-based approach that focuses on developing skills through progressions based on a personalized Swim Path® for each student. 

Our 3 Progressions within our Swim Path® curriculum are Learn-To-Swim, Swim Stronger, and Swim Faster. You can utilize our online tool to help find yours or your students projected Swim Path® and level, or you can attend a Preview Lesson! We group students based on age and ability, so students will be in classes with peers who are like themselves to increase comfort.  

Learn-To-Swim covers all the basics of swimming for students aged 6 months all the way to adults. In this progression, there are four steps – Water Adjustment, Float Up, Flip to Breathe, and Swim Confidently. Students must develop competency concerning the skills within each step to progress to the next level. 

Secondly, Swim Stronger refines swim technique and increases swim duration and distance. It’s for students between the ages of 5 to 13 years old, and the goal is to build strength and technique. 

Finally, we have the Swim Faster progression for students between the ages of 8 to 17. The Swim Faster progression focuses on developing a training regimen to hone competitive edge. 

The water is always warm, and the facilities are spotless! Would you like to discuss water temp, comfort for littles, etc?

The water temperature stays between 91 to 94 degrees year-round, and our pools are built for learning. Children have a greater surface area to mass ratio, which means they chill and heat up faster depending on water temperature. This explains why children under 7 shouldn’t be in a hot tub and should have limited time in cool water. We make sure to keep our pools at that optimal temperature to ensure comfort and consistency for your little ones at their South Barrington swim lessons.

I appreciate the amazing locker room. I’m able to bathe and dress my daughter so quickly. When my daughter was an infant, it was so helpful to have both parents welcome in the locker room. Would you like to share about the amazing family locker room? 

Our schools have the conveniences you want like large private changing stalls, shower rooms, baby changing stations and seats, Dyson air dryers, suit dryers, and storage space for things you don’t want to carry into the pool area. Our showers even have splash guards, so parents can help their swimmers without getting wet. We want to make sure our South Barrington swim lessons families are as comfortable as possible!

After nearly three years of lessons at Foss, I don’t think I’ve encountered team member who wasn’t a delight. Please share what makes your staff so special. 

We believe a school is only as good as its faculty and staff, which is why we hand-pick teachers and staff who are outgoing, love working with kids, and are driven to help our students succeed by delivering progress and fun the FOSS way. Our staff include full-time, part-time, parents, adults, college kids, and all in between, which is what makes us so unique! 

Since our curriculum has many skill levels, our teachers must pass our 55-hour training program including classroom and in-water education.  We review our instructors each quarter, evaluate their performance, and provide training and mentoring to constantly improve their techniques. Ultimately, we train them how to positively influence a child’s life in the water, and out of it too.  We are so grateful to have amazing team members at FOSS that make swimming lessons so safe, memorable, and fun!

What does a typical class session involve? (Feel free to discuss the different goals for each age/level).

Our Swim Path® curriculum considers each student’s age, previous water experiences, skills already developed, and the best pace for learning. We create an environment where students can learn their best. Therefore, we teach skills appropriate for a student’s step on the Swim Path® in small classes with fellow students of similar age and ability. We place each student in the appropriate level to start and advance them only when they have mastered the skills needed to begin the next level.  

Overall, our goal is to keep things consistent and predictable for our students because that’s how the best results are achieved. During our classes, we focus on making learning to swim fun! We keep kids swimming as much as possible, teaching kids to enjoy and respect water, and helping them master core safety skills. Step by step, each skill is broken into teachable components in a unique way so that each skill builds on the other. We like to think of the bigger picture when teaching our students to swim because learning is not a universal, steady process. Not every student starts at the same age, develops physically or emotionally at the same rate, feels the same way about water, or has the same history. The Swim Path® allows for these normal variations and keeps students progressing at their own pace. 

What is the Foss difference? Please let me know why you think Foss Swim School is the best choice. 

We are confident that no other major swim school program offers all that we do. Since 1993, we have set ourselves apart with a unique model and our Swim Path® curriculum. We teach in quarters with scheduled classes, meaning students stick with the same class and teacher all quarter. We believe that the trust and relationships built between the teacher and student is critical to learning.

Another way we maintain consistency and quality assurance is that we have a non-franchised business. We believe a company-owned model ensures our schools uphold our operating procedures and FOSS culture. Parent engagement is a signature part of our program. We believe parents should see how their child learns with their own eyes. When parents are engaged, it shows kids how much swimming skills matter.

We also offer condensed swim camps as a complement to our regular teaching track. Two and four-week camps help students master their skills and offer another option for families with busy schedules. And finally, as we said before, we believe we have the best staff out there. Everyone at FOSS makes our swim school unique, fun, and effective!

Abbie Christine is a Chicago family, newborn, and maternity photographer serving clients throughout Northern Illinois. Please inquire about booking your own session here!