Teacher Training
Workshops
2010
Infant/Toddler Swimming
Small
group workshops
Lifestyle Swim School
Boca Raton, Florida
Raising the bar on teaching with kindness and joy
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Rob and Kathy McKay have conducted teacher training workshops at their Boca Raton, Florida site with
attendees from as far away as Japan, New Zealand, The Philippines, Scandinavia, Australia, South America,
Singapore, Malaysia, India and Europe as well as from throughout the U.S. They
have conducted workshops for countries, cities, private organizations as
well as for individuals. In 2003 Rob presented a
workshop in Uppsala, Sweden, sponsored by pediatrician Dr. Ludmilla
Rosengen, and in 2004 Oslo, Norway.
Recently workshops have been held in all corners of this
wonderful water world from Wellington and Christchurch, New Zealand to
Brighton, England to
Krakow, Poland and in between.
2008 was
an amazing year as we trained teachers here at our Boca Raton site from the United States, South
Africa, The Philippines, Malaysia, Russia and Greece, as well as hosting
visits from Swimming Hall of Fame award winners from Brazil and Tokyo.
This group included swim school owners, people starting swim programs,
doctors, psychologists, swimmers, child care specialists, and mommies. All
sharing a love of water and children.
2009 was equally fulfilling
with over 125 caring, gentle people participating in our workshops from all
over the world. |
| Rob and Kathy
presented a special one day baby swimming teacher training workshop in Brighton,
England on Oct 6th, 2009. This was held in conjunction with the WABC
world conference. click here:
WABC Workshop England |
25 participants attended Rob and
Kathie's pre-WABC workshop,
from Greece, Israel, Japan, The Philippines, Bermuda and the
United Kingdom. |
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| The lovely Holmes Place teachers from
Athens, Greece at the WABC pre-conference workshop with Rob and Kathy
signing books |
Margarita Kontzia of Athens, Greece owner of
Ydria Baby Swimming School, after Rob and Kathy's workshop. Margarita holds a
masters degree with an emphasis on baby swimming. |
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If after reading
this entire web site you feel that you are in tune with our gentle, "baby
friendly" philosophy and you feel at home with the principles expressed
below, you may be a candidate for our teacher training workshop. Teaching
babies has an incredible impact on a young child's life and is a great
responsibility, the "whole child approach" requires individuals with
special "sensitive traits". It is not for everyone. |
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Click here to see photos of
Rob's PSPN large group workshop in Poland, March 2009
TV,Media,Talks |
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"The Lifestyle Swim School, in
Boca Raton, Florida, U.S.A., has the world's foremost infant/toddler learn-to-swim
program."
Ross Gage , Director Swim Australia
Rob training Nathalie from Water Planet Human
Dolphin-Encounters Panama City Beach, Florida/Bimini Island
Bahamas
Dear Rob and Kathy,
Thank you for the amazing week!
After having read your book (Learn
to
Swim) and watching
your Diaper Dolphins videos, spending a
week experiencing hands on instruction, really pieced everything
together for me!
The teacher workshop is something that I have wanted
to experience for a long time! It was everything that I had hoped
it would be and more.
I am excited to be able to offer to mommies and their
babies the wonderful experience of a child-centered, holistic
approach to baby swimming.
-Jeni |
| Teacher workshop attendees, Suzy from Atlanta, Jeni from Florida and
Kristin from Louisville, enjoy breakfast with Kathy McKay during a
question and answer discussion. Boca Raton, Florida, September
2009. |
Our workshops are for those high minded individuals who:
1. Seek to create a warm and nurturing experience for young children that will
help to shape their lives in a positive way.
2. See the swimming experience as an avenue for guiding and inspiring
growth on many levels, and not focusing solely on the fear of
"not drowning" (see safety link
Pool & Water Safety
)
3. Will only treat children with gentleness and awareness of their feelings,
abilities and readiness.
4. Would never use an accelerated agenda utilizing forced pre-mature
and repeated submersions or unwilling coerced back float. (We welcome those who bring joy,
not crying or fear).
You must understand that this is not "survival backfloat swimming" or "drown proofing". We
are a holistic school, and while we do teach safety skills over time, we are a
child centered, child paced (not fear based) as well as child friendly and
family friendly. We are a happy place, filled with smiles not tears.
5. Are in tune with and consciously become of aware of what the child
is capable of, only seeking the highest good of each child
6. See swimming as a road to celebrate life, each class being it's own
reward
7. Come open and ready to learn from the babies
and from us
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Meg Balfour from Durban, South Africa, attended the
two week baby, infant/toddler swim teacher workshop, May 4-15th,
2008. Here Meg is seen at the International Swimming Hall of Fame
for the annual Paragon Awards and the Virginia Hunt Newman Award ceremony.
Seated from left to right are Meg, Jose Fontanelli of Sao Paulo, Brazil
recipient of the 2008 Newman award and presenters Rob McKay and Kathy
McKay. |
Cesar
Acsencio from El Salvador, attended our infant/toddler swim teacher
workshop for three weeks in May, 2010. A successful lawyer in San
Salvador, Cesar plans on introducing the family oriented, playful
approach to baby swimming in his country. Our baby students here in
Florida took an immediate liking to Cesar, the babies of El Salvador are
very lucky to have Cesar as their teacher and guide. |
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| M. Satish Kumar from Bangalore, India,
starting the nations first baby swimming program with the help of Rob and Kathy
McKay. |
Rob and Kathy with
Nina who trained in our holistic/gentle approach to teaching babies to
swim. She participated for 4 weeks in the fall of 2007, at our Boca Raton
site. Nina is from London and Brighton, England |
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| Dr. Lyudmila of
Moscow, Russia participated in our baby swim teacher training in September,
2008. Combined with pediatric medicine and baby massage, it is her
hope to add infant/toddler swimming to her work in Moscow. |
Dr.
Lyudmila is now convinced that swimming at early ages in a gentle,
nurturing, child paced, playful environment will greatly enhance the healthy
development of the child. |
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" I must say that your clients are blessed
to be a part of your program" |
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Dear Rob and
Kathy,
I just wanted to let you know what
a wonderful and informative week I spent with you at the Teacher’s
workshop. First of all I was touched by your hospitality and your
genuine interest in us as participants. I learned so much during our
talks and lectures and it was great to put it all into practice
during our daily swim sessions. It is obvious that your years of
experience have allowed you to perfect your gentle loving approach
to baby swim classes and I must say that your clients are blessed to
be a part of your program. I am grateful to you for affording me the
opportunity to benefit from your knowledge of children’s swimming.
I
also appreciate your continued support as I return to my own
community to implement the ideals
of the program.
Sincerely,
Suzy
(Atlanta) |
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Teacher Training at our site in
Boca Raton, Florida
Small
Group Workshop Schedule for
2010
Winter format
We
may be able to customize a training time for you. We usually have
several individuals interested in the workshops at any given time, so we
try to coordinate their schedules on the same weeks. Let us know as far
in advance as possible if a particular time period beginning on a
FRIDAY evening looks good for
you. Otherwise below is our posted
schedule thus far for 2010 at our Boca Raton site.
2010 Workshop #1
January
Beginning week
one: January 8-13
if attending two
weeks: week two January 15-20
if attending three
weeks: week three January 22-27
if attending four
weeks: week four January 29-Feb 3
Week one only participants running
Friday
Evening through Wednesday Morning
2010 Workshop #2
February
Beginning week
one: Feb 5-Feb 10
if attending two
weeks: week two Feb 12-Feb 17
if attending three
weeks: week three Feb 19-Feb 24
if attending four
weeks: week four Feb 26-March 3
Week one only participants running
Friday
Evening through Wednesday Morning
2010 Workshop #3
March
Beginning week
one: March 5- March 10
if attending two
weeks: week two March 12- March 17
if attending three
weeks: week three March 19- March 24
if attending four
weeks: week four March 26- March 31
Week one only participants running
Friday
Evening through Wednesday Morning
Summer format
We
may be able to customize a training time for you. We usually have
several individuals interested in the workshops at any given time, so we
try to coordinate their schedules on the same weeks. Let us know as far
in advance as possible if a particular time period beginning on a
SUNDAY evening looks good for
you. Otherwise below is our posted
schedule thus far for 2010 at our Boca Raton site.
2010 Workshop #4
April
Beginning week
one: Sunday April 11- April 16
if attending two
weeks: week two April 19- April 23
f attending three
weeks: week three April 26- April 30
if attending four
weeks: week four May 3- May 7
Week one only participants running
Sunday
Evening through Friday Morning
2010 Workshop #5
Beginning week
one: Sunday May 9-14
if attending two
weeks: week two May 17- May 21
f attending three
weeks: week three May 24-May 28
if attending four
weeks: week four May 31-June 4
Week one only participants running
Sunday
Evening through Friday Morning
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2010 Workshop #6
Beginning week
one: Sunday June 6-June 11
if attending two
weeks: week two June 14-June 18
f attending three
weeks: week three June 21-June 25
if attending four
weeks: week four June 28-July 2
Week one only participants running
Sunday
Evening through Friday Morning
2010 Workshop #7
Beginning week
one: Sunday July 4-July 9
if attending two
weeks: week two July 12-July 16
f attending three
weeks: week three July 19-July 23
if attending four
weeks: week four July 26-July 30
Week one only participants running
Sunday
Evening through Friday Morning
2010 Workshop #8
Many participants
committed for July, August, September and beyond
contact us
We
may be able to customize a training time for you. We usually have
several individuals interested in the workshops at any given time, so we
try to coordinate their schedules on the same weeks. Let us know as far
in advance as possible if a particular time period beginning on a
SUNDAY evening looks good for
you.
Contact
Lifestyle on the form below |
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"You truly have a world class program" |
Rob & Kathy,
I just wanted to thank you
for a wonderful week in Boca Raton. I learned so much from
your Workshop and I really look forward to implementing the
gentle philosophy into our Fun Fins Swim School program.
You truly have a world class program and I admire you both
for all that you do. I hope that my assistant, Tatiana,
will be able to attend the workshop in the spring time!
Thanks for everything!
Kristin
(Kentucky)
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Baby Swim teacher
workshop participant Angela (Froggie) from
Auckland, New Zealand and Gabriela from Buenos Aires, Argentina. |
Angelica, a
licensed psychologist from Athens, Greece attended the October 2008, 4
week session. Angelica, was a perfect fit as she tuned into the feelings and
well being of our baby swimmers. Besides practicing psychology, Angelica is
a popular water polo player in Greece. She was also a volunteer for the 2004 Athens
Olympics and Para Olympics where she met an up and coming swimmer named
Michael Phelps. |
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The baby swimming lessons with Kathy and Rob
McKay of 'Lifestyle Swim School were a wonderful experience for me.
The most amazing part of it was connecting to the babies: they were
looking or laughing at me during circle time and checking out who
else was in the pool with them. And when I did the 'Tai Chi Pass'
together with Kathy, they watched me very closely and when they
happily landed in mom's arms again, they looked back to me, in a
very special and intensive way.
Every child should have the luck to go through this child-centered,
joyful, playful and gentle water experience. During four days I have
been in 24 classes and no single child ever cried.
Rob and Kathy, thank your for sharing so much information and your
wealth of experience with me. I love the gentle and cautious way you
teach 'your babies' to swim! I love how you treat them with respect
and how you let them and their parents enter a whole new world. Me,
too, I love to be introduced to new wonderful worlds.
Best wishes and thanks from Claudia Kunz (Switzerland), Austin TX
July 2010 |
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Provide
the contact information below
in an email for course curriculum and pricing, as well as
to receive lodging and
travel information for our next small
group "teacher training" workshop.
Boca Raton, Florida
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Ivy spent two
weeks in the teacher training workshop in July, 2008. Here Scott and
Rob are attempting to make Ivy feel at home. You see, her home town of
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is also home to the worlds two tallest twin buildings,
the PETRONAS Towers. |
Please
provide the following information below
in an email,
along with your interest in baby swimming/send to:
mckayswim@aol.com
Name
City
State
Country
Email
Telephone
Baby swimming workshop, infant
swimming workshop, learn to become a baby swim teacher, learn to become an
infant swim teacher, learn to become a water baby swim teacher
All visual and written material copyright 1999-2010 Lifestyle Productions
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