ESSO In Action
On Sunday afternoons from 2 to 4, Exeter students give lessons to faculty children at ESSO Swimming. Each lessons ranges from 30 minutes to an hour, but the time goes by in a flash. It is hard to tell who is having more fun during these lessons because both the kids and the instructors are constantly splashing around and laughing. The lessons vary by each kid’s skill level, but the overall goal is to make them feel more comfortable in the water and to have a blast.A typical lessons starts off with a nervous kid standing on the edge of the pool deck, hesitant to jump in. After a quick game of rock paper scissor to decide who jumps in first, they both end up in the cold pool and immediately start swimming to warm up. The instructor glides parallel to the kid, showing a thumbs up each time they take a breath to the instructor’s side. The instructor offers a few tips once they reach the other end to take a rest at the wall, but they are back to swimming in no time.Freestyle, breaststroke, and backstroke are all practiced every lesson so the children are able to master multiple styles of swimming. Backstroke can get a little tricky when the kids swerve around the lane, bumping into the lane-lines, but the instructor is there to point them in a straight direction and stop them once they reach the wall.Of course, swimming up and down the pool could get a little boring, but we keep the lessons fun by playing different games and racing. Two different instructors will often pair up and have both of their kids race against each other or join together for a game. Other times, instructors will give the kids around a twenty second head start (depending on their speed) and try and catch up to them. No matter what activities the lesson does, everyone has a great time.After all the technical stuff has been sorted out for each stroke, there is usually plenty of time left to play some pool games. One of the kids’ favorites is jumping off the diving board if it is open. Another is when the instructors sink the pool toys to the bottom and then the kids have to go and collect them.We had 79 eager Exonians sign up to teach these lessons for ESSO Swimming, but only about 20 faculty children signed up. If you are a faculty member and want your child to take swim lessons please e-mail elarovere@exeter.edu or twalshe@exeter.edu. Also, if you are a current student at Exeter and want to learn how to swim, you can sign up for lessons too. Maybe we can pair you up with one of your good friends!We believe that every person should be able to enjoy swimming and want to share our passion. No matter what swimming ability, age, or commitment level, please sign up for lessons. We promise that your child will have an amazing experience every Sunday!