Enterprising Ideas
Making Waves in Water Safety
Little Waves Family Swim School
By Emilee Lindley
Little Waves Family Swim School provides a unique opportunity for families to participate in a safe and fun environment where children learn to swim for the first time or refine their skills and prepare for competition. Located at 175th Street and West Center Road, Little Waves is now registering for private lessons as well as small group lessons for children or all ages. They also offer aquatic exercise for seniors, all at affordable prices.
Little Waves is a locally owned and operated business run by Mike McKamy, an expert in aquatics instruction and water safety. Mike has been in the swimming business for more than 45 years. His experience ranges from teaching at Millard High School to coaching elite swimming at Swim Omaha and Millard Aquatics Club. Many of his athletes went on to compete in the Olympic Trials in Omaha and have become success stories in numerous ways.
In the eight years since Mike opened the business, Little Waves has taught over 5,000 students, some as young as six months old. The experts at Little Waves believe that children should start swimming lessons “as early as possible to become safer in the water and more aware of water safety.” Little Waves offers parent-child lessons for children aged six months to three years. In these early childhood classes, an instructor guides the parents in teaching their child to be comfortable and safe in the water. “In the parent-child lessons,” Mike says, “we emphasize rolling onto the back and floating, to feel safe and to be safe.”
When children are three years old, they move into lessons without their parents. “At this time, our instructors continue to encourage novice swimmers to roll onto their backs for safety,” Mike says. “The younger they start, the sooner they learn to be safe in and around the water.” Mike and his team believe in an instructional process that encourages fun while developing swim skills and focusing on water safety. Swimming can become a healthy practice in life as well as a fun form of recreation or a competitive sport. It is also a survival skill that everyone needs, no matter how young or old and no matter where life takes us.
Because this life skill is so essential, the team at Little Waves has chosen to make swimming lessons their main focus. “Many fitness facilities provide swimming lessons as one item on their menu of services,” Mike notes. “At Little Waves, our primary business is swimming lessons. We believe that this focus means we provide more effective lessons.”
“Our leadership staff is passionate about swimming, and that passion keeps our staff well trained and motivated to provide the best lessons possible,” Mike continues. Little Waves stays up to date with new curriculum. Their staff members participate in professional development by attending national and international conferences to learn new trends and practices. While being professional and deeply invested in their work, the staff at Little Waves is also committed to getting to know your children and family members. They love being an important part of their students’ lives.
The Little Waves facility is not just a pool where lessons take place. It was built especially for swimming lessons, with shallow water and built-in benches and platforms. This makes it easy for children to hang out in the water while they’re waiting their turn. The 90-degree water, warmer than a recreational pool, means that kids can stay comfortable in the water for the duration of their lesson. “We can accommodate every child and have an inclusive mindset when working with students and children with special needs and different abilities,” Mike shares. “Please feel confident that we can support your children in any way they may need on their journey to becoming successful and confident swimmers.”
Every May, Little Waves dives into a deeper focus on water safety to prepare families for a summer of fun in and around the water. They provide weekly tips to make families more aware of risks around water and ideas to keep the family safe through the summer. It’s never too soon to get your family started on learning water safety and improving their swimming abilities!
“Swimming is my passion,” Mike concludes. “At Little Waves Family Swim School, we love teaching children how to swim and be safe in the water. We purposefully included the word ‘family’ in our name because we want our staff and our families to feel like we are all family. We want children to love swimming as much as we do.”
Register for lessons at Little Waves Family Swim School today! For more information, please call 402-932-2030 or visit littlewavesfamilyswimschool.com.
Mike McKamy, Manager