Parent Resources: Preparing for Your First Swim Lesson at NSA

December 19, 2025

Teaching your child how to swim is one of the most meaningful gifts you can give. Swimming proficiency is a lifelong skill that offers countless “ripple” benefits. Kids who learn how to swim build confidence and independence at an early age, along with a healthy respect for the water and important safety rules in and around the water.

At Nashville Swim Academy, we guide our learners toward building a positive and safe relationship with the water from day one. Parents searching for swim lessons in Nashville will find a supportive, developmentally focused program where children of all ages can progress at their own pace.

In the pool area, this begins with an encouraging and enthusiastic environment that lets your child know we’re excited to welcome them to our program. Our instructors are highly trained professionals who are passionate about what they do, and they understand how to meet their learners wherever they are in their skill set—from those entering the pool for the first time to those returning and advancing in their classes.

For more than a decade, we’ve had the privilege of playing a central role in developing and honing water safety, swim skills, and stroke technique among hundreds of kids as they’ve made their way through our program.

So, while we continue to model the very best in water-awareness protocols and convey a sense of excitement and anticipation about learning to swim, there are a few things you can do to prepare your child for their first class at NSA.

How to Prepare for Swimming Lessons at Nashville Swim Academy

The following is a guide to helping your child build foundational swim skills, acclimate to the feeling of wading and floating in water, anticipate the muffled sounds water produces, and begin preparing for swimming lessons through breath and movement. These simple steps can help your little swimmer start with confidence.

Step 1: A Deep Dive Into SAFEty

Before your child’s first NSA lesson, develop a “safety script.” Establish clear, consistent water safety expectations well before your child’s first lesson.

Use this same short safety script every time you head to the pool, so important rules are easy to remember and follow. Here are some pointers to help you tailor your “swim speech.” Always remind your kids to:

Put on your listening ears for Swim because instructors and lifeguards are there to keep you safe.
Never swim without a grownup’s eyes watching you. Buddy up because we never swim alone.
Expect adult supervision until they reach the required proficiency.
Use “walking feet” in the change rooms.
Never push, pull, dunk, or wrestle in the pool, and be sure to keep flippers to yourself while swimming.
Use their swim gear appropriately.

Treat these pool rules like you would car seat or street crossing rules: they’re in place for a reason, and they’re non-negotiable.

Step 2: Splashy At-Home Activities — Preparing Your Child for Swim Lessons

These fun, low-pressure activities help children build foundational skills for extra confidence during lessons:

The Breath Control Game: Practice taking big breaths to prepare for going underwater. Ask your child to breathe in through their nose with their lips closed, like they’re smelling a rose. Practice holding it to a count. Then have them exhale like they’re blowing out birthday cake candles. Encourage your child to hold their breath a little longer each time until they reach a reasonable count.
The Nose Exhale Game: Practice blowing air out through the nose. Have your child take a deep breath in through the mouth, close their lips, and hum. This forces air out through the nose, a skill they can turn to whenever they need to clear out residual water that can feel uncomfortable.
The “Speaking Whale” Game: This is all about acclimating to underwater sounds and to water on the ears. Pretend you’re Dory from Finding Nemo and “speak whale” underwater while your child turns their head to one side and places their ear in the water to listen.
Red Light, Green Light: Play the kicking game. When you’re in the car, engage your kids in a little swim lesson prep! Get them to kick, kick, kick whenever you say “green light,” and to stop when you say “red light.”
Bathtub Float: This helps swimmers develop balance and buoyancy in water. Have your child lie back in a tub filled with just enough water to create buoyancy. Help steady them on the water’s surface and show them they can breathe and float at the same time. Sing a song to signal the beginning and the end of the game and praise their success afterward.

These simple activities only take a few minutes a day, but they make a world of difference once your child steps into the pool. By turning new sensations into playful, low-pressure moments at home, you’re helping your little swimmer arrive at their first lesson feeling calmer, more familiar with the basics, and ready to learn.

Step 3: Taking the Plunge: Drop-Off Dos and Don’ts

A smooth transition from holding hands with a parent or caregiver to joining the instructor or the class sets the tone for a positive experience. Follow these simple guidelines to prepare for a frictionless process:

Stay calm and confident: a calm caregiver equals a calm child.
Don’t oversell the lesson: remain cheerful and matter-of-fact to keep anxieties at bay.
Don’t fudge the truth: Let your child know you’re going to the pool and frame it positively to help build excitement and set them up for a successful experience—swimming is fun!
Arrive on time but not too early: arriving 10 minutes before class helps keep emotions regulated and prevents the buildup of stress.
A warm parting hug does wonders: a lingering parent can signal something’s up—instead, show trust by letting the instructor take the lead. If your child cries, just know this is normal and that our instructors are very skilled at turning tears to cheers.

With all these strategies and confidence builders in place, you can successfully prepare your child for their first swim class at NSA. A combination of clear safety rules, playful at-home practice, and a calm and confident drop-off sets your child up for success and lays the foundation for a lifelong love of the water.

It’s Swim Time in Nashville

Our new facility is officially open! You can find us at 1105 63rd Ave N, Nashville, TN 37209. We can’t wait for you to experience the spacious pool and thoughtfully designed new amenities!

Find the right swim class for your child at Nashville Swim Academy. Use our class finder tool to get started on developing your child’s lifelong love of the water. We look forward to welcoming you to the NSA family. Contact us with any questions you might have.

Here’s a checklist you can follow for a positive first swim experience:

First Swim Lesson Checklist: Your NSA Prep Guide

Prepare For the Day

Practice quick at-home warmups.
Pack a swimsuit, towel, and any comfort items your child may want after class.
Keep the conversation light and positive.
Avoid overselling the lesson.

Before You Arrive

Run through your water-safety script, keeping rules simple, clear, and consistent.
Reiterate that your child can only enter the pool with a grownup’s permission.
Remind your child that their instructor will be friendly, patient, and excited to meet them.

Arrival at the Pool

Arrive about 10 minutes before class starts.
Head inside with a steady and relaxed energy your child will mirror.
Keep the transitions smooth: Check in, get settled without rushing.

Drop-Off

Give your child a warm hug and positive reassurances for a confident hand-off.
Avoid lingering on deck; it can make separation harder.
Trust the process, even if your child cries initially (totally normal!).
Let our instructors take the lead — they’re trained to turn uncertainty into confidence.

After the Lesson

End the day with praise for bravery and trying something new.
Celebrate your child’s effort and their success. We love little wins!
Ask your child to tell you everything they learned so they feel a sense of accomplishment and build excitement for their next class.

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From Fear to Fun: How NSA Helps Anxious Swimmers Thrive

February 17, 2026

For many children, learning to swim is more about overcoming a fear of the water than it is about learning to float or mastering safety skills. And situations like these can put parents in a very difficult position. On the one hand, we know drowning is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for children ages 1–14. You might also know that learning to swim reduces the risk of drowning by nearly 90% . But seeing the look of fear in your child’s eyes or having them dissolve into tears at the mention of swim lessons and being apart from you can make you feel unbelievably torn and guilty. However, a fear of water is the strongest predictor of low or absent swimming ability, so we need to frame the issue in a way that balances compassion and understanding with the very real, practical benefits of learning to swim. With this, the challenge comes down to finding the right swimming program for your child—one that will work with them patiently and gently, eventually replacing their fear of the water with a lifelong love of it. At Nashville Swim Academy , we’ve welcomed many children through our doors, some of whom couldn’t wait to jump in the water, some who were a bit more ambivalent, some who were anxious, and some who were absolutely afraid at first. In every instance, we acknowledged these feelings upfront. Enthusiastic kids are commended for their positive energy, but also learn that they can’t jump straight into the water without an adult’s presence and permission. For more fearful kids, we acknowledge those feelings too, empowering them with a thank-you for showing up, a welcome to our swim academy , and space to make room for whatever emotions emerge. In doing this, we quickly establish a sense of trust, where our more fearful swimmers feel safe. We also provide you, the parent, with tailored suggestions for at-home activities that can help assuage your child’s fears through games and fun bath-time routines. You can learn more about many of those activities here . As the premier learn-to-swim program in Middle Tennessee, our instructors are trained to recognize and understand each child's individual needs and to meet them where they are. We focus on providing supportive encouragement at just the right pace in our newly designed, state-of-the-art pool, which is clean, well-organized, geared toward families, and equipped with amenities that foster comfort and a sense of belonging. If you’ve been Googling “ swimming classes near me ” to find the right program for your child, welcome to NSA. Your research has brought you to our flagship location in The Nations and to a program conceptualized and designed by founding owner Krysten Call, MSA, a former collegiate swimmer, lifeguard, and coach at Vanderbilt. How an Adaptive Learning Environment Builds Confidence in Young Swimmers While fear of the water often begins after a negative experience, such as a fall into deep water or a stressful, poorly handled swimming lesson, research also shows that fear of water can have no single triggering event. In some kids, it’s simply an innate uneasiness around an environment that feels unpredictable, unfamiliar, and bigger than they. The uneasiness associated with water can grow stronger if left unaddressed. Recognizing this, researchers emphasize the importance of identifying fear early and responding with thoughtful, supportive teaching strategies. We align with this approach, acknowledging that confidence in the water develops differently for every child. Our program begins at our FUNdamentals level, where swimmers are grouped into classes by age, experience, and comfort level. For children aged 2, parents can swim with their child or choose Terrific Twos, designed for two 2-year-olds with one instructor with parents watching instead of in class with their little one. In Beginner 3s, we break skills down to best support true beginner swimmers — ranging from “My child is brand new to swim lessons” to “My child is very tense or hesitant in the water.” Swimmers who can already move through the water independently and confidently are placed in a higher level. We do the same for our swimmers aged 4-6, and those aged 7-11, so that from toddlers to older kids who feel anxious or hesitant, parents can find a lessons group that supports steady, confidence-building progress at a manageable, relaxed pace. How NSA Turns Fear Into Fun As a well-recognized swimming academy , we’ve never taken a cookie-cutter approach to our lesson program. From the moment families enroll, we practice intentional class placement, keeping the instructor-to-student ratio purposely low. We build comfort and trust in the water for our younger swimmers through playful, sensory-rich activities and support the development of balance and buoyancy at an appropriate pace for calm, safe floating. We promote coordination and gross motor skills through simple, fun propulsion activities and set the stage for a lifetime of joy and success in the water. For older children who haven’t had a positive experience with swimming and need to ease into the process slowly, we focus on foundational goals first, helping them: Develop breath control. Build confidence and comfort. Advance toward effortless floating and submerging under water. Transition between front and back horizontal body positions. Practice swim-breathe-swim patterns to build rhythm and safety skills. And while our approach is not a one-size-fits-all, the outcomes are always the same. Fearful kids become confident young swimmers who love the water and love having fun in it. They make new friends, take to other sports activities more easily, and bring their skills, confidence, and the joy of staying healthy and fit with them through their teen years and into adulthood. Find the Right Swim Class for Your Child at NSA When we create conditions that foster confidence, young swimmers’ fears become a thing of the past. And their swimming lessons turn into a source of pride, excitement, and a deep understanding that they can achieve their goals by showing up, trying, and practicing. If your child is anxious around water, you are not alone, and neither are they. With the right environment and guidance, fears dwindle, confidence grows, and learning to swim becomes a genuinely positive experience. Many parents researching “ swimming academy near me ” came to our program for our methodology and stayed for the love of the pool, the team, and the instructors who make up Nashville Swim Academy. Register today and put your child on course to developing a lifelong love of the water!