Grateful For Great Instructors

Dear Editor,

Summer is here and already Maci Schiess is begging to swim. Last summer she was taking private lessons by two wonderful instructors. Madelynn Goodman who is entering her senior year at Oakdale High School. She is a cheerleader and is on the track team. Autumn Neal who is an Oakdale High School graduate currently studying abroad and will continue to study Communication Studies at Biola University in the fall. If her name is familiar it’s because she is a freelance writer for the Oakdale Leader. They are both experienced lifeguards working at the community pool here in town.

Maci would not think twice about letting go of the edge when lessons first started with Madelynn. However; after the third lesson she was dog paddling by herself and building up endurance to swim across the shallow part of the pool, jump in from a step, float on her back and swim to the side. Maci looked forward to each lesson with Madelynn; she made it fun and was extremely patient with her. The day Maci took off her floaties she was so proud. She was keeping her body above water on her own and she was so proud of herself.

Autumn began working with Maci and they began building endurance, learning the freestyle stroke, swimming the lap of the pool, diving in, searching for rings and swimming across the pool. Autumn pushed Maci gently to begin holding her breath for a bit longer than she was accustomed to so she could swim under the water and master those floating skills. Autumn made sure that Maci was aware of what she was teaching her and why. Maci did not want her lessons to end each day wanting to push herself more and learn more.

Autumn has begun working with Maci again this summer and literally they picked up right where they left off. Since this summer their time together is shorter, they sat down recently, talked about goals and wrote up a contract stating the things Maci wanted to accomplish. They both signed it and got to working on that list: Jump in the deep end (no hands maybe), the rings and quarters (diving), freestyle swim the short end (short width). Maci is already showing she is going to keep up her part of the contract. She currently loves swimming as a Mermaid!