Skills for a Lifetime of Confidence®
Our Philosophy For Meeting, Supporting, and Advancing Students of All Abilities.
At Foss Swim School, we are proud of the Swim Path® approach developed and refined by our founder, Jon Foss, over his decades as a swim teacher and coach. But what is the Swim Path, and why is it important?
Simply put, the Swim Path is a learning system for swimming that reflects the different journeys each student will take learning to swim. We believe there is a best way to learn to swim – but each student will take their own path to get there.
Why? Because not every student starts at the same age, develops physically or emotionally at the same rate, or feels the same way about water. Learning isn’t a universal, steady process. Our three different Swim Path programs – Learn to Swim, Swim Stronger, and Swim Faster – and the levels within them ensure every student has a place to start and a path for progress.
Students at FOSS will:
- Be safer and more confident around water
- Understand swimming fundamentals and the four competitive strokes
- Develop their love of water
At Foss Swim School, we offer three distinct programs for students of many ages, abilities, and swimming goals.
LEARN TO SWIM
This is our best known and most foundational program. Starting with classes for babies, but welcoming new students at any age, this program teaches the basics of swimming and has prepared hundreds of thousands of students to be safer, more confident swimmers.
SWIM STRONGER
Graduates of Learn to Swim can learn more about the four competitive strokes, additional skills like turns and finishes, and build stamina in the Swim Stronger program. It can make them stronger recreational swimmers or prepare them to swim competitively.
SWIM FASTER
Graduates of Swim Stronger or already-strong swimmers can get a swim team experience in the Swim Faster program. Structured like a club but without competitions, Swim Faster students refine each stroke and increase their speed.
How Will You Experience the Swim Path?
Level Placement
The Swim Path approach is evident in the care we take in placing swimmers in the right level. Our online Swim Path tool is a great place to start, and a free Preview Lesson is even better. Finally, on the first day of class, we do a last check.
Milestone Mastery
Because the goal is to master milestones, often a student will continue learning at the same level more than once throughout their Swim Path journey.
Student Engagement
We always start with fun – we want to make the experience a good one for students, so they are open to learning. It’s part of our culture: Laughter, then learning, confidence, and mastery.
Teacher Expertise
Our teachers go through extensive training in the Swim Path approach, offering consistency and quality education.
From its inception, the Swim Path was developed in a unique way. As a coach to top-level swimmers, Jon Foss started with the endpoint in mind – what a strong, confident stroke should look like – and worked backward, breaking down the motions and skills step by step.
We always start with fun – we want to make the experience a good one for students, so they are open to learning. It’s part of our culture: Laughter, then learning, confidence, and mastery.
Three underlying beliefs are the foundation of our approach:
Consistency is key to learning
The Swim Path assumes students are in a steady, consistent learning environment. It’s why we schedule in quarters, like a school, and keep students and teachers together for the quarter.
Students learn best with peers
We match students not only by swim skill level, but also by age. Students who see their fellow students as peers learn well together; a 10-year-old and 5-year-old with the same skill level will need different teaching styles.
Progress comes with mastery
Each level has different skills for students to master to help them reach their next milestone. In each quarter, we will help students progress, but we won’t move them to a new level until they master the things they need to learn – not just once, but many times and instinctively.
See the Swim Path® Difference
Read on to learn more about our programs and milestones. With this background, we feel parents will better understand the strategic design of our classes and how cleverly these lessons are presented as age-appropriate fun and games. You don’t have to know all the science of swimming to appreciate seeing it when it comes together – as it will for your student as they create their own Swim Path!
