To help with enrollment numbers, we are offering free trial lessons during a specific time frame to children who have never swam with us before. These children may be from completely new families, or from existing Swim Fins families (i.e. their siblings swim with us, but this is their first time).

Goal: Get every child who attended the Free Trial Lesson with you to register for the THIS session (Fall). Put on your business hat and be a businessperson: schmooze with the parents and sell during the last 5 minutes. The more families you can get to register, the easier it is to ensure we can get you the hours you're looking for. Free trial families will often try to follow their free trial coach because you're the one they know and trust!

Equipment

We have informed parents that eyewear is mandatory for their free trial. If any parents have opted to purchase goggles from us for their free trial, we will add it to your current merchandise tracker. Otherwise, they may bring a pair from home, or borrow a pair from us. There should be a pair of goggles at the school marked as "Free Trial" in marker. If there is not, please take one pair from the DO NOT TOUCH bag and write "Free Trial" in marker on the rubber, and text the office to tell us that you have done this.

Starting On Time

1. If you are not already at the pool for a shift, make sure you arrive 15min early  (just like you would for your normal shift) so that you can set up the pool deck like you do for Open House: set up chairs, get the Open House binder with Adult open house waiver and pens ready, ensure the deck is looking clean (no garbage or bandaids lying around). Bill us for the extra 15mins.

2. Pool Temperature: If the pool temperature is under 82 degrees, you need to text the office line and Clo's personal line in a group text so that we can advise. Pool temperature is essential for a successful Free Trial.

3. Free Trial Lessons are 45 minutes long.

4. Make sure you get the previous class out of the pool a few minutes early so that you are opening the doors right at the start time of the trial lesson (set your phone alarm to help keep you on track).

5. (only if your regular students also don't show up!) If the free trial lesson is your last lesson of the day and they do not show after 15min, please let us know, and go home for the day (just like you normally would if your last class of the day didn't show for your shift).

How to Run a Free Trial Lesson

Lesson Timeline:

1. (5min): Meet & Greet

   • Meet the kids and the parents: Shake parents' hands, and high five/knuckle bump the kids. Don't go over 5 minutes, even if a family arrives late. It's important you stay on track.

   • Glance quickly at the kids' old report cards, if they brought them in, then give them back to the parents.

   • Do not have the parents fill out an info page.

   • If the free trial students are trialling during a regular lesson, the free trial parents should be the only ones on the pool deck that day. Get parents settled by signing the Open House waiver, removing their shoes (or putting on clean flip flops that haven't been worn outside), and guiding them to where you'd like them to watch from during the lesson. Parents cannot come onto the pool deck until they have filled out the OH waiver (just like OH) and removed their shoes, or put clean flip flops on.

2. (10min): Get parents settled and kids WARMED UP/ASSESSED (like you would on First Day - but shorter)

   • As the parents get settled onto the pool deck, and you're about to start your assessment, do a quick introduction to the lesson: "Hi, my name is Clo, I'm really excited to have you here with us. Today, we are going to start with a quick assessment so I have a handle on your children's current water safety & swimming skills, just like we would on the first day, then we'll go into a sample lesson so you and your children can get a feel for Swim Fins' unique learn-to-swim program and see what that looks like. That being said, keep in mind that I am only meeting these kids for their first time today, so the lesson might be a bit rocky until I establish trust with your child. I will explain things as I go, and then at the end of the lesson, there will be some time for you to ask questions."

   • Quick warm up for the kids. As usual, put belts on all kids, except for the most advanced ones.

   • Assessment (2min per kid): Do your assessment as you would normally do.

     • Front, Back, BS (no fall ins/treading).

3. (25min): Lesson (run like a normal first lesson)

   • Explain what you're doing throughout the whole lesson, just like you would during Open House. If you don't explain, the parents won't understand - even Clo's husband has no idea what she's doing with their son when they have a lesson, so explaining what you're doing shows value to the parents.

   • Give the kids goals that they can work on, like usual, for this Session.

   • Do fall ins/treading together as a group carefully.

4. (5min): Questions

   • Get the kids out of the pool 5min early and have a little chit chat with each parent, addressing any questions. Watch your time and make sure you don't go over (very important).

   • Make sure each family leaves with a black Swim Fins bag.

When the Free Trial Lesson is over:

Text the business line and let us know if any of the students scheduled for the Free Trial Lesson did not show up.

Free Trial Schedule

1. Please see your free trial students below (the classes they are in will be highlighted in yellow and the free trial students' names will be bolded in green). The age of each child is next to their name in parentheses; for example "Bradley(12)" means the child named Bradley is 12 years old. 

   • Please note: We are accepting new registrations into free trial lessons up until the morning of every weekday lesson, and up until Friday of every weekend lesson. You may also click here, if you don't like using the schedule below.

2. We will reach out to you before each trial to let you know if it is moving forward or not, and which children to expect, but please do your part and check the Winter Schedule (see below - scroll to the right to see Saturday & Sunday) to see who to expect in your Free Trial Lesson.