As you watch your child grow into exactly the person they are meant to be, guiding them along the way and helping them to achieve goals there will be endless people around you also taking pride in everything they do, family members, friends and don’t forget those sports and activity coaches…from your swimming teacher to their first school teacher there will be so many people invested in your child’s goals. With so many proud Puddle Ducks families across Leicestershire and Derbyshire we wanted to share with you a parent’s perspective of their child’s swimming journey with us.
Meet James, though the eyes of his exceedingly proud dad, Jonathon.
“James is a 7 year old train enthusiast, he absolutely loves them. Ask him about the Flying Scotsman and he will reel off a list of information about it as long as your arm. Even though he sometimes doesn’t like going to school he does love going in. Maths is one of his favourite lessons and he does like to read, although he does complain about it. He has recently joined the local Beaver unit which has been a very big step for him. This is because James is also on the Autistic scale.
He is a couple of years behind in development in some areas but streets ahead in others. His focus on things is like a precision laser on the things he likes and wanders completely on the things he doesn’t, like tidying his room. We can’t surprise him unfortunately as it can lead to a sensory overload in which we have to take him away or at least take him to a quiet spot to talk him through what he is feeling.
James has been swimming since he was 4 weeks old and has taken to it like a duck to water, pun totally intended. My main hope was that he would be exceptionally more confident in the water than his Dad, and that has been achieved in spades due to Puddle Ducks. Out of everything he has tried swimming is the one thing that has been a constant love. A lot of his love of swimming can be put down to how excellent the teachers are. He has had Rebecca as his teacher for the last two years, but he had Jane too at the start and both have been wonderfully patient and have pushed him the right amount to help him progress and challenge him. The structure of the lessons has helped enormously too. They strike the right balance between doing core exercises and having them do and try different things to keep the lessons from being boring. Patience in spades is also a big factor from the teachers too. Their ability to push at the right moment and when to give breathing room is second to none, effortless in fact.
It is all these factors that have made Puddle Ducks the go-to swim classes. So much so that James’ younger sisters are on their own journeys through Puddle Ducks, and Rebecca, bless her, teaches all of them. In fact, she deserves a medal too. The high standards they aim for and achieve are excellent. The teachers are second to none and their enthusiasm is never lacking at any point. There are no lines or ability boundaries with them, there is simply the act of teaching and building confidence and that is why they are the best.”
At Puddle Ducks Derbyshire & North West Leicestershire we are definitely PROUD to be part of the Puddle Ducks family, especially when we think about what amazing achievements and progress your children make. Thank you to Jonathon and all our Puddle Ducks parents and carers for giving our team the opportunity to be a part of your children’s swimming journeys. Our swimmers and their families mean the world to us and they are what make our job the best job in the world!