2019 Volume 30 Issue 1

V O L U M E 3 0 | I S S U E 1 2 019

U N I T E D

S T A T E S

YOUR MEMBERSHIP, A DAY IN THE LIFE. “The grass is greener where you water it.”

-Neil Barringham

S W I M

S C H O O L

A S S O C I A T I O N

THE SPECIAL ABILITIES EDUCATION PROGRAM IS REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

Save Your Energy SWIMMERS ARE SMARTER

Leaders continue to learn and grow with USSSA!

IN THIS ISSUE TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

Letter from the President

5 From the Desk of the Executive Director 6 Your Membership, A Day in the Life 8 Swimmers are Smarter 6 YOUR MEMBERSHIP, A DAY IN THE LIFE. COVER AND TABLE OF CONTENTS PHOTO CREDIT

10 The Special Abilities Education Program is Reaching New Heights 12 Save Your Energy 16 Recruiting the Right Swimming Staff 18 Ask Al 22 Hope Floats Foundation Announcement 24 Stop Drowning Now

ASSOCIATION HEADQUARTERS 7100 E. Cave Creek Rd., Suite 109 Cave Creek, AZ 85331 480.837.5525 usssa@usswimschools.org usswimschools.org Executive Director Lisa M. Zarda, CAE, CNAP Editor Monica Martin ASSOCIATION OFFICERS President John Kirk, Little Otter Swim School Vice President Mike Williams, American Kids Sports Center ASSOCIATION DIRECTORS Buffy Folise Chicago Swim School Bobby Hazen SAF-T-SWIM Tracy Koleber Nitro Swimming Melissa Taylor Small Fish Big Fish Swim School Matt Young Hubbard Family Swim School

USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 1

Splish , Splash , & Learn to Swim www.dolfinswimwear.com

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Vince Lombardi said, “Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.”

Some people just seem to be able to lead effortlessly, come up with just the right inspiring phrase to motivate their team. Most of us think of the inspiring phrase later when we are driving home. The hard work of leadership begins in your quiet times.

Because to lead others you must first lead yourself.

The hard work to become a leader happens when we spend time working on our most important asset. Us. We must have the discipline to spend time alone with ourselves. We must carve out time from the demands of family and running a business. Great leaders excelled at this. Martin Luther King Jr. found his courage sitting alone at his kitchen table late at night during the Montgomery bus boycott.

George Washington would carve out a part of his day to ride his horse around Mt. Vernon alone so that he could concentrate on issues at hand. These times can be early in the morning before the house wakes up. I like getting into our swim school early in the morning before I have to deal with everyone else’s concerns and issues.

It is during this quiet time that I can get the most done. This is precious time that as business leaders we do not capture. We have to schedule time to be by ourselves.

We give our time freely to others, but many times do not hold onto some for ourselves.

Peter Drucker said, “Successful leaders don’t start out asking, ‘What do I want to do?”

They ask, ‘What needs to be done.’” To me, this is the crux of the issue. We only have so much time. It is the one thing that we cannot make more of. So, it is incumbent on us to find the tasks that will do the most to help us achieve our goals. We all have tons of tasks that need to be done in order to keep our company running. These are tasks like payroll, making sure the bathrooms are clean and ordering pool chemicals.

All these tasks are vital, but they may not be urgent. Someone could be delegated to do these tasks. The goal is to identify tasks that are vital and urgent. These are the crucial issues that will move your life forward, both personally and professionally.

JOHN AND LORY KIRK ON THE 2019 OWNERS’ CIRCLE ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE

Using your quiet, alone time to really look at your to-do list and identify those tasks that will reap the most benefit is the best thing you can do for yourself. Cutting through the clutter of the hundred things you think you have to do and concentrating on the one thing will give you clarity and peace. Lead yourself and others will follow.

JOHN KIRK President US Swim School Association

USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 3

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FROM THE DESK OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR “Leadership is being a living example of what you hope your followers will one day become.”

John Spence What does it mean to lead? It seems to be an age-old question with a lot of theories.

Whether you are a new leader or have been one for a long time it’s good to keep learning and developing yourself. As they say, there is always room for improvement.

One book that I really enjoyed on the topic of leadership is “The Truth About Leadership: The No-Fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know” by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. In this book they use three decades of research on the topic of leadership to unveil ten truths. It’s just as good for new leaders as for it is for longtime leaders, as they discuss the realities of leadership to help you think, decide and act more effectively. The stories and examples they share come from around the world and across three-generations demonstrating these are time tested truths. The truths are: 1. You Make a Difference 2. Credibility is the Foundation of Leadership 3. Values Drive Commitment 4. Focusing on the Future Sets Leaders Apart 5. You Can’t Do It Alone 6. Trust Rules 7. Challenge is the Crucible for Greatness 8. You Either Lead by Example or You Don’t Lead at All 9. The Best Leaders are the Best Learners 10. Leadership is an Affair of the Heart No matter your level of leadership and experience there is always an opportunity to learn and grow. In this new year, I challenge you to take some time to invest in yourself as a leader. As you all rise as leaders, so does this great industry!

And if you’re looking for another great resource on leadership, I recommend checking out John Spence’s blog at https://blog.johnspence.com. He’s a top business thought leader, consultant and coach who travels the world and reads at least 100 business books a year. This affords him some really interest insights into leadership and business.

LISA M. ZARDA, CAE, CNAP Executive Director US Swim School Association

YOUR MEMBERSHIP,

A DAY IN THE LIFE What does membership in USSSA mean?

Well, it depends on who you ask and where they are in their swim school journey, but the number one answer we hear is how invaluable this community is to each one of them.

Where else can you talk with others that understand your business, understand the struggles and the successes you face day in and day out? We’ve seen our community pour out their support to fellow swim school owners in their time of need, be it natural disasters or in a crisis. We’ve also seen them come together to celebrate successes and milestones such as grand openings and anniversary celebrations. And there are numerous times a member has opened their swim school doors to a fellow member for a tour and a few hours to talk business. This association was built on the foundation of sharing information and best practices so you can learn from other’s mistakes and not have to reinvent the wheel.

Your association has been working hard to continue to offer you increased benefits, including more ways to connect and learn. Our goal has been to make information and benefits easy to find and use for you, our member. As we continue to develop increased offerings and the platform to deliver it to you, we will be introducing a dues increase for 2019. On your next membership renewal, you will see a $60 dues increase. This works out to just $5 per month. Would that $5 coffee in the morning or that $5 popcorn at the movie theater be worth saving you valuable time and money in your business? We think so. For any of you that have had a professional graphic designer create a marketing piece you know how much that can cost. Just think, 6 | USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG

BY LISA ZARDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, USSSA

if you use only one of the now five marketing toolkit themes available with your membership, it will pay for your annual membership in savings, and that’s just one of the many benefits we offer!

There are five categories of member value we’ve been building upon. They include: • Connections • Education • A Voice in the Industry • Being Informed • Visibility

Check out the sidebar to see a sampling of what we offer to you, our members. And we encourage you to check out our new online platform, your Member Resource Pool. Dive in and check out how you can now easily register you and your staff for events, assign and manage online courses for staff, find recordings of past webinars, view past issues of our magazine Ready.

Set.Swim. and access professionally designed marketing pieces to customize and use at your convenience.

If you feel like you’ve been missing out on making these connections, we encourage you to attend an event, ask a question on our private Facebook group, or simply call and reach out to a fellow member swim school on your next trip out of town. We rise when we lift up others and this association is a shining example of that.

Membership in USSSA Offers You: Connections • Private Facebook Group (contact admin@usswimschools.org to be added to group) • Caring Community, support, celebrations, tours • Owners Circle Events – Chicago & Bali upcoming for intimate learning and relationship building • Receptions, Dinners and Social Events at Conference •

Alliances with Stop Drowning Now, Hope Floats, Australian Swim School Association (ASSA), International Swim Schools Association (ISSA) – USSSA to host International Swim Schools Spectacular (ISSS) in 2021

Education • Online Courses on New Platform to Easily Train Staff • NEW Pre-K Course Coming in 2019 • Infant Toddler/Special Abilities Workshops at Conference AND On the Go at Your Location • NEW Water Safety Marketing Tools in 2019 • Average of 10 Hours Education at Spring Workshop and 16 Hours Education at National Conference • Webinar Series • NEW Women of USSSA Chats in March/Virtual Sharing Solutions in November

A Voice In The Industry

Visibility • Online Find a School Directory with Google Map

• USSSA Infant Learn to Swim Statement

• Marketing Toolkit

• USSSA Treatment of Children in Lessons Position Statement

• NEW Community Impact Committee, Developing Resources for Schools to Make a Community Impact • Alliances with World’s Largest Swim Lesson & Pool Safely • Industry Awards, Awards of Excellence, and Teacher Awards

Being Informed •

NEW Upgrade Option to Membership – store your company documents, videos, files for your swim school employees within your my.usswimschools.org platformadditional fee/year

• Ready Set Swim Quarterly Magazine • Monthly E-news • Exclusive Access to Vendors a nd Discounts • Industry Survey, Completed in 2018 & Available in Member Resource Pool • Additional Resources and Library Being Added • Facebook Page with Content You Can Share

To become a Member contact: Phone: 480.837.5525

Email: admin@usswimschools.org www.usswimschools.org

• USSSA Code of Ethics •

ISSA Position Statements: Why Swim Schools Are Vital, Drowning Prevention, Good Swim Schools & Force and Trauma Free Swimming

USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 7

SWIMMERS ARE SMARTER Ideas and resources to promote swim lessons at your school!

Be sure to tell your clients about the life-saving benefits of year-round swimming lessons. The National Center for Biotechnology, NCBI, reports that “participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88%.” This drowning prevention statistic and more is available online at the US National Library of Medicine. Visit www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19255386 and make sure that all of your families know that statistic!

You can also tout the health benefits that continued swim lessons provide! It is great exercise and easy on the joints and used for physical therapy in children of all ages.

Share with parents that swimmers are smarter! Groundbreaking research led

by Griffith University shows the results of a study done with 7000 under-fiveyear-olds from Australia, New Zealand, and the US over a three-year time period. Lead researcher, Professor Robyn Jorgensen, says the study shows young children who participate in early-years swimming achieve a wide range of skills earlier than the normal population. This study was a joint venture with Griffith Institute for Educational Research, Laurie Lawrence’s Kids Alive Swim Program and Ross Gage with Swim Australia.

The survey results are outstanding!

The study showed that children who swim are able to: •

•

Understand directions 21 months before the average non-swimmer Start spelling 10 months before the average child

• Start letter/word identification 18 months before the average child.

And much more! Consider getting this information to parents in an easy to read format. Here is a sample flyer from Houston Swim Club that is readily available to hand out. This is just one more piece of information that proves how valuable swimming lessons can be!

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BY TRACY LAMAN HOUSTON SWIM CLUB INFANT TODDLER COMMITTEE MEMBER

Customized Live Demo

JackrabbitSwim.com/USSSA18 Use Promo Code: USSSA18 for an extended free trial.

THE SPECIAL ABILITIES

EDUCATION PROGRAM IS REACHING NEW HEIGHTS The Special Abilities Committee has taken great strides since its inception. Created in 2010 and hosting its first training course in 2011, the committee has had several members over the years and has grown into a very well-rounded and diverse group that includes members from across the United States and, most recently, Australia.

The course has been offered at every national conference and spring workshop since 2011. It was originally comprised of two sections; a classroom and an in-water session. Participants would complete approximately four hours in a classroom setting, looking at case studies and learning how to work with a wide range of students. The in-water portion of the course was hosted by local USSSA member schools and students were brought in to work with the course participants. After several years of this format, the Special Abilities Committee made the decision to

10 | USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG

BY KIM WALTERS STONY CREEK SWIM CENTER SPECIAL ABILITIES COMMITTEE MEMBER

discontinue the in-water portion of the training course. While hands-on, in-water training was considered highly beneficial, it was determined that it was an unrealistic expectation to ask special abilities students to swim with new instructors and surrounded by a group of people. However, in order to continue providing quality training to course participants, the Special Abilities Committee began collecting videos of the committee member’s own students. These videos provide real-life examples of situations course participants might encounter along with teaching tools and tips.

The Special Abilities Committee has recently partnered with the Australian Swim School Association to collect and produce training videos demonstrating teaching scenarios for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, visual and hearing impairments, and numerous other diagnoses. The USSSA and

ASSA are in the process of creating a cross-cultural video library that will be accessible to members of both associations. Committee members feel that the video library will provide excellent educational opportunities for all members and add to the value of memberships.

Over the years the Special Abilities Course has developed into an eighthour classroom-based course that is designed to help instructors understand how to work with students who have unique or special attributes and learning differences. Participants are able to learn from the video library, case studies, interactive activities, and group work. The Special Abilities Committee has worked hard to develop a course that is intriguing, interactive and diverse. The course is also offered ON THE GO, which allows USSSA members the opportunity to have a member of the SA committee teach the course on-site at the member’s school.

The Special Abilities Committee has always taught the importance of focusing on a student’s abilities rather than their disabilities. For this reason, committee members made a conscious decision to change the terminology and begin using “special abilities” in its course and training. By learning to focus on a students’ abilities and adopting customized learning plans, instructors can help students achieve unprecedented success in the aquatic environment. Placing the focus on a student’s abilities has allowed this committee and course to grow and reach new heights that would never have been possible had traditional paths been followed.

You can take the Special Abilities Course in Milwaukee, Wisconsin prior to the National Conference in September or if you are interested in hosting an ON THE GO course for staff at your school, call the USSSA at 480-837-5525.

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SAVE YOUR ENERGY As a swim school owner, we are often immersed in numerous issues other than the delivery of our core service that comes with the turf of being a small business owner. The adage that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks never seemed appropriate to me for our industry. There is something new to learn every day, and I have been in business for 29 years.

This has certainly been the case with the energy efficiency project I embarked on that is being funded by the Coutts Family Scholarship. I would like to thank the Coutts family and those who have given me the opportunity to dive deep into this topic for our industry.

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Energy auditors and the local energy company talking about my energy consumption and how my equipment for the pool, showers and air flow for the building is performing.

BY KAREN CLAY SWIMWEST SWIM SCHOOL

I hope you enjoy this article series and come see my presentation at the USSSA National Conference this September in Milwaukee, WI.

I also want to thank those individuals who completed the short survey that has helped me gain a better perspective of where our industry stands on energy efficient issues and interest in the subject. We had 24% of our organization’s membership fill out the survey. I felt somewhat relieved that as a long-term business owner, I might not be as late to the energy savings arena as I thought. In November, I hired an Energy Auditor to study the facility I own that is 9,600 square feet and built in 1995. My second facility is a 5,000 square feet leased location that was reviewed but not fully audited. This has been an educational investment that has taught me about the technologies and ways to lower my energy costs, and worthiness of projects with a short-term Return on Investment (ROI). Like many of you, ROI is a significant element in my decision-making process.

The goals of my energy assessment were to: • reduce annual energy consumption and annual costs • improve building system control and occupant comfort Several swim schools have asked where to start on being energy efficient.

My first advice is to understand how your energy is billed. Energy bills are not a fixed cost, they can be managed like any other expense. My electric bill includes several cost components.

One component is a fixed charge, that regardless of how much electricity is used, I must pay each month. My bill also includes a peak demand charge, which is the greatest amount of electricity used in the billing cycle over a 15-minute period. If you use less energy, you will likely lower your peak demand charge. The last component of my bill includes a time-of-use charge. In the fall and winter months, I am charged a higher electric rate for power used between 5 pm and 9 pm each day. If this isn’t confusing enough, the time-ofuse period changes in the summer for three months. So, why is this important?

First, in order to calculate a ROI, you need to know your cost per kilowatt hour of use. Second, you need to know how much power you currently use as a benchmark to determine your actual

Our HVAC maintenance person explaining why our boilers need to be replaced and talks about maintenance of the old boilers and what could of been done better for them to last longer.

ROI. I decided to use my fall electric bills to determine a conservative, average cost of electricity that excludes my fixed charge. This will help me determine the potential value of the projects I consider based on the estimated reduction of power used and the price I currently pay. In my case, for every kilowatt hour I don’t use, I save just over nine cents.

Your cost of power (and the amount of potential savings) will vary considerably depending on where you do business.

You also need to verify your facility is within the appropriate rate class. The facility I own is considered a commercial account and my rate is just over nine cents per kilowatt hour on average.

Residential customers of the same utility company pay more than 13 cents.

Industrial and large commercial account users typically pay less. Once I learned how to read my energy bill, I was able to work with my electric company to make sure we were in the appropriate rate class. At my leased location, I was able to change my rate class and save $900 by doing this.

Similarly, you will need to do these same things for your gas bill.

The majority of the energy used at SwimWest is natural gas, accounting for 78.6% of the energy usage. Electricity is the majority of the utility cost at SwimWest, accounting for 42% of the cost, followed by natural gas at 34% and then water accounting for the remaining 24% of utility costs.

Understanding how to calculate the amount of power a device uses and translating that to a cost is also a useful exercise. I had always been on the fence about whether the vending machine we have for the convenience of our customers pays for itself. Most devices have a sticker or data plate that will tell you how many watts they use. Take the number of watts times the hours of use each day. Divide this number by 1,000 to calculate the kilowatt hours (kWh) used for one day.

Then multiply by the rate you pay on your electric bill (9.1 cents/kWh in my case) times 30 days to determine the monthly cost of operation. This simple calculation told me that the amount I was receiving from the vending machine company exceeded the cost for the electricity needed for its operation. On a side note, you can install a SnakMiser plug (cost is about $15) that senses when people are present and limits its operation to that time. For this vending machine, the SnakMiser plug should cut my annual electric bill by $83.

This is the same calculation you would use to determine the savings from using more energy efficient devices. More detailed information on these calculations can be found on the US Department of Energy’s website: www.energy.gov/energysaver/ save-electricity-and-fuel/ appliances-and-electronics/ estimating-appliance-and-home Continued on next page.

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Simple low-cost items you can do today to lower your energy bill: 1. Change your lights to LEDs - since I was at the point where my lights needed to be changed, I replaced them all with LEDs for an annual energy cost savings of $1,020 and a state energy savings incentive payment of $676 for the bulbs.

2.

Install a programmable thermostat for office space scheduling - like the vending machine example above, scheduling your energy use when people are present can bring you savings.

3. Front-load washing machine consider purchasing an Energy Star front-loading washing machine. We calculated with the amount of towels we wash per year, we would save 17,885 gallons of water and $333 in natural gas expense by changing to a front-loader Energy Star machine.

4. Energy vampires, even when you think you turn off sound systems, TV monitors, computers, hair dryers, and appliances, in reality they still consume energy. Put these devices on a power strip and at the end of the day turn off the power strip.

According to the US Department of Energy, one computer that remains in an idle state uses about $20 of electricity annually.

5. Use occupancy sensors to turn on lighting in rooms where you do not need the light to be on constantly like pump rooms, offices and storage rooms.

6. Embrace technology. Most companies invest in technology for business efficiency, but there may also be side benefits such as using less office supplies (paper, ink, etc.)

Water Conservation: At SwimWest, 24% of my utility bill is for water. My energy audit found some things we need to improve on.

Currently, a pool cover is used on the majority of the pool. However, a 430 square foot part of the pool is not covered at night.

My energy auditor determined that the evaporation from this portion of the pool alone is 15.72 gallons per day, just for the hours left uncovered. This equates to approximately 5,750 gallons per year of evaporation solely from the uncovered portion at night.

Edison recommends covering the entire pool surface during unoccupied hours to limit evaporation into the space.

To implement this measure, we purchased a pool cover for use over the small area.

The second cost saving measure SwimWest should consider is utilizing bulk water sales from the city of Madison for the annual refill of the pool (Rate BW- 1). This would result in a charge of approximately $535, instead of more than doubling the standard bill (an increase of approximately $900).

This would require filling the pool from a nearby fire hydrant but could be completed in a significantly shorter period of time as well.

Me working with the state on energy programs to get incentives for upgrading to more energy efficient equipment. What ROI makes sense and which ones don’t.

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Other simple cost saving measures that may lower your water bill: 1. Use a solar blanket on your entire pool.

2. See if your water utility offers a bulk water rate when you need to fill your pool after cleaning.

3. Have your swimmers do a 12 second rinse and wear swim caps to make a big difference on the cleanliness of your pool, which means less backwashing.

4. Proper maintenance to fix leaky toilets, showers, etc., could be costing you on a daily basis.

5. Train staff to backwash properly.

One swim school in Chicago had an excess of $1000 per month on their water bill because the pool manager was backwashing each filter over 5 minutes, when they only needed a 2-minute flush.

HVAC and pool equipment operate efficiently only when it is properly maintained. Cutting back on equipment maintenance costs not only results in greater energy use, it often reduces its life expectancy. When the HVAC company comes to change the filters, have them date when they changed the filters on the edge of the filter or in a maintenance log.

This simple measure will put everyone on the same page and more accountable.

Finally, I can’t say enough about the value I have gotten from working with my utility company and my state energy conservation program’s staff. Both have very knowledgeable and talented people. By making these contacts, I have identified several financial incentives and have received services from design engineers and others at no cost. They, along with my energy auditor, are working to identify worthy projects to consider and available financial incentives that will lower my capital investment. In the next article we will be covering solar panels, installing a pool pump VFD with the proper motor, and different water filters that may save you water consumption.

USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 15

RECRUITING

THE RIGHT SWIMMING STAFF Swimming instructors are the lifeblood of the learn-to-swim industry. They are required to build the trust of families they have never met and take on the responsibility of providing children with a skill that will stay with them for life. Team a capable group of instructors with friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable reception personnel, and you are on your way to creating a successful business.

Recruiting the right team is vital for swim school owners and operators in order to build a thriving business. In many instances, swim schools are the first educational environment parents introduce their children to. Oftentimes, parents may enroll their children in swimming lessons even before they are enrolled into childcare. For this reason, swim schools need to ensure that they hire a team who not only possesses the right skills and knowledge to interact with families but have the right motivations and values to ensure they stay with the swim school for the long term.

Establishing long term relationships and patronage with families enrolled in a swim school will undoubtedly contribute to the overall success of the business operation. With this in mind and understanding the importance families place on swimming with particular 16 | USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG

BY LAURIE LAWRENCE

WORLD WIDE SWIM SCHOOL,

FORMER AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC

SWIM COACH & USSSA NATIONAL CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKER

instructors, it can be detrimental to the business if your swim school has a high staff turnover. Clients may see it as a reflection on the business if their favorite instructors are continually moving on and being replaced with someone new. This can be difficult to combat as the swimming industry can be seasonal depending on the location or the facility from which a swim school may operate, and this can result in swim schools only being able to offer employment on a casual basis. Implementing the right recruitment process, coupled with a great working environment will boost a swim school’s staff retention and in turn boost their business.

Here are a series of tips to help with the recruitment process.

1. PREPARE FOR THE INTERVIEW Before conducting any interview, it is important that the interviewer thoroughly reads through the applicants resume.

The interviewer should try to establish questions which will allow them to draw out more specific information about the person. The person conducting the interview should ensure they have a list of questions to ask prior to the meeting.

Interviews should be conducted in an environment free from distractions.

This can be difficult at swim schools particularly during lesson times, therefore, choose an appropriate time of day to make this easier.

2. BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Behavioral interview questioning can help swim schools identify future performance of candidates. The idea behind behavioral questioning is to ask applicants how they would respond to certain situations or how they have responded to situations in the past. By having applicants explain past experiences, the interviewer can identify whether the ideas and values of the applicant, are similar to that of the swim school.

3. COMMUNICATE PROFESSIONALLY AND CLEARLY WITH THE APPLICANT Make sure you introduce yourself and anyone else in attendance. Explain to applicants the swim school’s history, future plans, goals and objectives. Give a brief overview of what will happen during the interviewing process and ensure

you clearly explain to the applicant the roles and responsibilities for the position you are trying to fill. Make sure you ask the applicant if they have any questions about the role or the swim school. Finally, inform applicants of when they will be notified if they were successful or not in obtaining the position.

4. REVIEW THE APPLICANT After conducting the interview give yourself time to make notes immediately following. This will ensure you have fresh in your mind any answers, impressions, personal style or attributes which will enable you to make a balanced opinion after interviewing other candidates. Take time to follow up on references as they help to ensure that you select a candidate that is appropriate for your team.

The World Wide Swim School is the leading online swimming resource for parents, teachers and swim schools, developed by Olympic Gold Medal and World Champion Swim coach, and former Australian Rugby Union Representative, Laurie Lawrence.

Known for being Australia’s water safety guru, Laurie developed the World Wide Swim School in order to educate children, parents and the swimming industry about safe water practices and to improve swimming standards on an international scale. Visit online at worldwideswimschool.com

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ASK AL

BY ALVARO G. MENDOZA COMMERCIAL ENERGY SPECIALISTS, INC.

WE HAVE AN ACTIVE INDOOR SWIM SCHOOL PROGRAM AND HAVE BEEN HEARING A LOT ABOUT ISSUES WITH LEGIONELLA BACTERIA IN POOL WATER. SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED? WHAT CAN WE DO TO PREVENT PROBLEMS?

Welcome back to our “Ask the Expert” feature, designed to assist you with issues related to swimming pool water, mechanical equipment, space conditioning and code compliance.

Ask a question, and we will try to answer to the best of our ability.

Yes, there is an enhanced focus on Legionella right now and the typical swim school owner should be concerned about it. Read more:

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WHAT IS LEGIONELLA? According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Legionnaires’ disease is a serious type of pneumonia caused by bacteria, called Legionella, that live in water. Legionella can make people sick when they inhale contaminated water from building water systems that are not adequately maintained.

RECENT TRENDS. Swimming pool insurance leaders recently wrote an industry update in a current magazine and noted that they have 4 separate (high dollar) insurance claims where people contracted Legionnaire’s Disease from a commercial pool/spa where pool companies provided services, and where the Health Departments were checking pools frequently. This is indeed a disturbing trend but follows a national trend where more focus is being placed on this overlooked bacterium. The CDC published a great toolkit that you can download at: https://ceswaterquality. com/files/CDC%20Legionella%20 Toolkit%202017.pdf. The toolkit goes into great detail as a “Practical Guide to Implementing Industry Standards” and it will help you learn more about this serous type of pneumonia.

However, let’s simplify! What can the swim school owner do to protect themselves? Here are a couple of proactive steps: PROVIDE OPTIMUM 24/7 TREATMENT. Legionella is known to be more prevalent in spas and water features where any lapses in treatment can become an issue. As a baseline, the swim school owner should maintain DIRECT 24/7 control over their chemistry. They should target consistently providing an ORP level above 700 mV (optimally above 750 mV) with a pH of 7.3 to 7.6 and should be able to achieve these target levels with a chlorine level below 4.0 PPM. Next, it would be best practice for the swim school to service their treatment equipment often. Periodic maintenance

of chlorination and pH treatment equipment helps, as does a periodic check of the chemistry control system to make sure that it’s properly calibrated to a quality, reliable test kit and is being used according to factory guidelines.

GET ALERTED OF ANY LAPSES. Legionella thrives during lapses. No matter how well you service your mechanical systems, lapses are bound to happen. The better facilities have discovered that staying in touch with their equipment rooms 24/7 is the key.

Remote control and communications were once thought as an unnecessary gimmick, but many leading swim school owners – especially those with multiple locations - now rely on it as a daily helper and a cornerstone to their overall strategy. Several quality chemistry control systems are either set up to communicate or can be easily upgraded, and depending on the make and protocol used, the owner will receive instantaneous alerts of any lapses via text or email, escalating until the lapses are corrected. With some protocols, the communications are basically free, while others use more complicated VPN’s and/or more costly subscription services. Properly set up and used, alert notification programs save the swim school owner lots of time, money, drama and potential liability.

TEST AND RECORD YOUR READINGS DAILY. Local and national codes, as well as best practices, recommend or require chemical readings every 24 hours.

However, some facilities try to operate their pools ONLY with a 3-day per week service, sometimes even falsifying records to show daily testing. This just won’t do. Many health departments are cracking down on less than daily testing, but the real loser is the swim school owner that is opening themselves up for real issues. Reliable new digital test kits can be operated by any adult, while automatically logging results both locally and to a remote secure server and essentially providing proof

of testing. These test kits will also provide an alert with prescriptive steps on ANY out of range water parameter including Calcium, Alkalinity, Copper, Iron, Phosphates and Stabilizer (which shouldn’t be used in indoor pools anyway), as well as pH and Chlorine and Combined Chlorine.

TEST FOR LEGIONELLA PROACTIVELY. Some property management organizations and insurance carriers are now requiring proactive testing for Legionella. This is a great idea for swim schools, as well. However, Legionella tests, historically provided via a specialized laboratory, have traditionally been very expensive and have taken weeks to gather the results. This has now changed as a leading US test kit manufacturer has announced a poolside test kit that gives you accurate (yes/no) results in 20 minutes. This really opens the door for more frequent testing and a quicker response in case of a positive test. Using these new portable kits, testing can be handled by your staff or via a respected service provider.

Following some basic steps outlined above, the well-operated facility can avoid the embarrassment and potential legal liability of a Legionella outbreak.

One thing for sure, that swim school owners now have yet another box they need to check in order to be providing the safest possible environment for instructors, patrons and guests. Please let us know if you have any questions or need any additional information.

Hope that helps! Please feel free to forward your questions and comments through the Association office, or directly to me, via email at amendoza@ceswaterquality.com.

Best Regards, Alvaro G. Mendoza

USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 19

CALENDAR OF EVENTS JULY 29-AUGUST 1, 2019

ASSA NATIONAL CONFERENCE CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA usswimschools.org/events

SEPTEMBER 20-23, 2019

OWNERS CIRCLE CHICAGO CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

usswimschools.org/events

SEPTEMBER 24-26, 2019

USSSA NATIONAL CONFERENCE MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN usswimschools.org/events

JANUARY 13-17, 2020

2ND INTERNATIONAL SWIM SCHOOLS SPECTACULAR SINGAPORE usswimschools.org/events JANUARY 18-22, 2020

OWNERS CIRCLE BALI INDONESIAN ISLAND usswimschools.org/events

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THANK YOU ANNUAL SPONSORS

CHRISTY BOSTIC

NEW FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Board of Directors of Hope Floats Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing scholarships for swimming lessons for disadvantaged children, announced it has hired Christy Bostic as its founding Executive Director.

Congratulations to Christy, who is also a founding board member of Hope Floats Foundation and brings nearly 15-years of nonprofit experience. She previously served as a Program Officer at The Leon Levine Foundation in Charlotte, North Carolina where she strategically developed the grant evaluation process, implemented a tiered staffing structure and maintained a diverse portfolio of human services grants in Charlotte and throughout the Carolinas. Prior, she served as the Director of the Wingate

Society and Parent Relations at her alma mater, Wingate University. She has actively served on boards and given back to the community, most recently as Strategic Planning Chair for the Charlotte-based Women’s Impact Fund.

“Christy is an absolute professional who is passionate about swimming and philanthropy. There couldn’t be a better fit for this position than Christy, and I am thrilled to have her on board,“ said Cindy Tonnesen, President and Founder of Hope Floats Foundation.

“I am honored to serve as the founding Executive Director of Hope Floats Foundation. This opportunity marries my passions for swimming and disadvantaged children with my love of philanthropy and giving back to others,” said Christy Bostic. “I am really looking forward to working with our Board of Directors and outstanding swim schools and business partners to further this life-saving mission. ALL children should have the opportunity to learn-to-swim and save their own lives.”

Bostic began swimming competitively at the age of 11 and continued her career through graduation from Wingate University in Wingate, North Carolina.

Her collegiate swimming accomplishments include NCAA Postgraduate Award Winner, Academic All-American and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team. Her first job was teaching swimming lessons in her coach’s backyard pool.

Bostic has an BA in Public Relations and an MBA from Wingate University.

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Mobile Inventor | p21

USA Swimming Foundation | p25

Cressi | Inside Front Cover

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Why has a new website taken so long? Because this is more than just a website. This is a full online database for drowning prevention educators nationwide. This includes teachers, school districts, scouting troops,

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The new online platform has portals designated for each user. This portal guides the user through teaching tools to use in their communities. Everything a user would need is downloadable directly from the platform.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? Stop Drowning Now is proud of the work we have done so far. But this is just the beginning. We still need your help, both with bringing our drowning prevention programs to local communities as well as donations to help implement these programs. Please consider a tax deductible donation today, and if you have a contact in your area that may be interested in our curriculum suite, reach out to our team and we would be happy to help. Contact us at info@ StopDrowningNow.org.

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IHEARTSWIMMING Teela Branson North Tustin, CA

SEAL SWIMMING Simon Easton Toronto, Canada

AQUA-TOTS SWIM SCHOOL PANAMA Carlos Astro Panama City, Panama

KISS NIMO SWIMMING CLUB Shirley Yan Jiangsu, China

SWIM THEORY Tim Brashaw St. Peters, MO

LEGACY SWIM ACADEMY Brian Hall Coronado, CA

SWIMMING WITH BRIANNA Brianna Searcy Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

FISH TAILS SWIM SCHOOL Dottie Krutulis Salem, SC H2O ACADEMY Kaley Maksymyk Manitoba, Canada

LYNNHAVEN DIVE CENTER AND SWIM SCHOOL Lindsey Hillier Virginia Beach, VA

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The USA Swimming Foundation’s Make a Splash initiative saves children’s lives through swim lessons. Join our network of swim lesson providers and help provide EVERY child in America the opportunity to learn to swim.

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UNITED STATES SWIM SCHOOL ASSOCIATION 7100 E. Cave Creek Rd., Suite 109 Cave Creek, AZ 85331