The Fearful Student

This page will attempt to help you understand why you, your child, friend or love one is so fearful of the water and learning to swim. Hopefully you will be able to come to a better understanding and find support here. We do offer special one on one classes for the very fearful student that can take them slowing and gently through the process of feeling more in control of their fear of the water. Once able to do this, then they are ready to learn to swim.


" I am afraid!"
Each individual student, child or adult, generally has a reason for stating that they are afraid. Afraid of the water or afraid of taking the class is the first thing we try to find out and address. Then a plan is set as to how to help the student to over come the fear so that they will then be able to move forward to instruction in learning to swim. The fear factor has to be conquered first and put in it's right perspective and then the student is able to learn to swim.

No one should ever be forced to do what they are uncomfortable doing in the water. This then sets up panic and possible more injury to the fearful student. Our position is to help the student understand why it is they may have a fear (such as putting the face in the water) and how this fear developed ( was it due to an incident involving them or a family member?). We listen closely to the student voicing their fear and if a child, we listen closely to the parent as well.

Fear can develop from a personal incident that the student perceives as life threatening or it can be developed, unknowingly, through transference from another family members experience. Sometimes it is simply that an excited parent set the wheels in motion when their child, at a very young age, accidently slipped underwater and the parents reaction is perceived by the child that that was a very bad thing.

Instruction for the fearful student takes time and patience. It will not be reversed in one session every summer. The student or parent needs to recognize this. Replacing fear with good thoughts takes time, patience and compassion. Very fearful students do need to be worked with one on one and adults generally like the one on one help for the privacy of not sharing "childhood hurts and feelings".

One case history in our school was a young man who was so fearful of the water that both parents had to hold him down to wash his head as a toddler. From day one the child had screamed in bathing and the mom had the perception that he was uncomfortable and did not like baths. It was an emotional struggle for them both. In visiting with the mother more, it was discovered that the mother did not like to swim or be near water such as pools and lakes since childhood. Finding out this information was a gold mine of knowledge as to where her emotions were coming from when she bathed her son. It was very eye opening for her and we set a plan as to how she could assist her son in becoming more comfortable.

After four weeks of working with the young man daily, he eventually joined in with other children in "water play" that included splashing, sprinkling and pouring water over his head. We kept him in a very small class setting with other children his age so that he could see that they enjoyed the water play. The teacher went slowly and followed the plan set for him.

At the end of the four weeks the family moved to a new community. The father picked him up from his last lesson and with a smile on his face said, " I know he did not even learn to relax enough to float on his back all by himself yet, but bath time has turned into fun. There is no screaming when we wash his head and this is worth three times more than what we paid for the sessions." Of course our recommendation was that he continue to have his son in water classes and eventually learn to swim classes in their new home.

Success is possible for the fearful student. It takes time. It takes a compassionate teacher that can follow a plan and never give up. It takes a program that cares and is willing to work hard for the student.