Swim lessons in great demand amid post-COVID rush by parents

Parents are scrambling to get kids back in swim lessons

In 2020, many swim lessons were put on hold as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the worst of the pandemic is over, some swim classes even have waitlists, as slots become scarce. FOX 10's Danielle Miller reports.

PHOENIX - Summer is looking a whole different than it did in 2020, and many parents are now rushing to get their kids back in swim lessons after they were delayed or cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We were seeing 30% increase over that period of time because kids weren’t in swim lessons," said Jim Gleason with Swim Haus.

Gleason says drownings went up, and the trend is continuing. He says luckily, there's been a recent push by parents to get kids back in the pool.

"When kids stop, even if it's for a month or two, they're going to regress and backtrack. It's just the nature of the game. Until they build up that muscle memory, they're going to lose some of those skills," said Gleason.

Swim lessons reduce drowning risk

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by up to 88%. Gleason says he's glad many parents are now getting their kids back to lessons, which he says is one of the most important barriers.

"That's the biggest thing. Drowning can happen in as little as 20 seconds, so each of those layers buys parents seconds," said Gleason.

It's a barrier Mitzie Warner is happy she now has for her 5-year-old son. Dylan.

"I'm relieved. He’s so confident now, I feel confident as far as his swimming and his skill set, so it's just relief," said Warner.

Gleason says people should not feel guilty if they are playing catch up. They should just get back to it and not put it off. As for Swim Haus, they have all types of lessons for all age ranges.