School News

The Gentle Journey, Joyful Swimming, Games and Songs Family Bonding.

Celebrating 32 years of Love, Laughter and Learning to Swim

Rob and Kathy McKay Featured Speakers at World Aquatic Baby and Children Conference, 2007

Rob and Kathy McKay each presented at the international conference of the World Aquatic Baby and Children organization held in St. Petersburg, Florida in October 2007. Rob's presentation was entitled "Building the Stage Around the Show--How a progressive curriculum, humane methods and compassionate philosophy transform lives." This was Rob's fourth opportunity to address the world conference which meets every 2 years. Kathy's talk was entitled "A Circle in a Square--Zen and the Art of Baby Swimming" and was a call for teachers to teach "in the zone", elevating their classes from mere routine to mindful celebration using circles. This was Kathy's first time addressing the WABC. The gathering included representatives from 23 countries and boasts a unique mixture of teachers, swim school owners and directors, scientists, researchers, program developers and authors in the field of baby swimming and youth aquatics. The couple also joined other authors in a special "Meet the Authors" hour . To Kathy's surprise, she was the "cover girl" for the Dec. 2007 organization newsletter "WABC Focus" which featured her photograph teaching in Boca Raton and the text of her presentation.

2007 New Zealand Conference Keynoted by McKay

Rob was invited to be the keynote speaker for the 2007 Annual Conference of the Swim Coaches and Teachers Association of New Zealand held in Wellington, New Zealand this past May. McKay last addressed this group in 1996. By detailing our gentle, learn through play methods to the attendees, Rob continued to encourage New Zealand’s teachers to consider the whole child when teaching swimming. Joining Rob at the conference as assistants in workshop presentations were his daughters, Heather, 20, and Brianne, 18, both of whom have assisted at the swim school since they were 10. Post conference, the McKay family traveled throughout the amazing variety of landscapes that New Zealand is famous for-- viewing ocean and beach, mountains, glaciers, rainforests, hillside pastures and botanical gardens. The girls also visited the Te Papa Museum of Maori culture (one of their favorite memories) and took a behind the scenes tour of the Lord of the Rings film locations.

Lifestyle Hosts International Teacher Training

• Lifestyle’s tiny swim students this year will have the opportunity to meet some of Rob and Kathy McKay’s other students – adults taking training workshops in the couple’s gentle approach to learn-to-swim. Our web site has brought international interest from Sweden, Belgium, the Philippines and New Zealand among other countries. Last year's participants included teacher trainees from Hawaii, Hungary and Florida. We know you’ll enjoy welcoming our guests and sharing Lifestyle’s happy and playful learning environment. Returning this year for her annual visit will be the cheerful and talented "Virginia Hunt Newman Award" winner, Yoko Yagashita of Tokyo, Japan.

Looking for a Few Good Moms

Rob and Kathy have always found that moms, familiar with our program from having experienced classes directly with their own children make wonderful, patient and devoted teaching assistants. If you would like to discuss the possibility of contributing to our classes please give us a call at 561-393-6386, ext 4. Sorry, you know how much we love children, but you will need to make child care arrangements when assisting in classes. We can trade-out for your family’s lessons or you can be paid part time.

McKay Receives Inaugural “Virginia Hunt Newman International Award”

• Rob McKay was honored as the first recipient of the Virginia Hunt Newman International Award. Rob accepted the award at ceremonies at the International Swimming Hall of Fame Honoree/Inductee Dinner, May 8, 2004 in Ft. Lauderdale. Awarded to the person who “best exemplifies the teaching philosophy of Virginia Hunt Newman”, the first award was presented by Virginia’s son, Ed Newman. The award honors Virginia Hunt Newman 89 of California, considered the “mother of infant swimming”. Virginia, a pioneering advocate of the gentle, positive approach to teaching babies to swim, author of the first book on infant swimming, “Teaching an Infant to Swim” she has been inducted into both the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the National Swim School Hall of Fame. Rob considers Virginia Hunt Newman a “shining light” for her work with very young children. “Virginia’s love and respect for children, her support and consul to those seeking to teach babies to swim in a gentle manner has been constant inspiration to me. I treasure her friendship, her insight, her ethics, her vision.” The Newman Award is Rob’s second award housed in the perpetual awards area of the ISHOF. In 1999 Rob received the Paragon Award “for outstanding contribution to Aquatic Safety”.

Yoko Yagishita Honored

Our colleague of 10 years, Yoko Yagishita of Tokyo, is the 2007 recipient of the “Virginia Hunt Newman Award” at the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Yoko's heartfelt speech centered on gentle baby swimming and her work as a teacher and teacher trainer for over 500 programs in Japan. Given entirely in English, her humble acceptance speech was extremely well received by the audience of the world swimming community. Congratulations, Yoko!

Learn to Swim goes Global

Learn to Swim(DK Publishing) Rob and Kathy's popular learn to swim book has already been translated into German, Italian and Portuguese with upcoming editions slated in Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Dutch. It is widely available in the US, Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia. The McKay's web site, www.babyswimming.com, has been viewed in 159 countries around the world and is used as an educational resource on baby swimming and holistic, gentle approaches to water education for the very young.

McKays Contribute to The Experts Guide to the Baby Years News, tips and trends for parents

Published by Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel The baby years

What do designer Kate Spade, Iron Chef Cat Cora and Boca Raton children’s swimming instructors and swim school owners Rob and Kathy McKay have in common? They’re all featured in the brand new The Experts Guide to the Baby Years: 100 Things Every Parent Should Know (Clarkson Potter, $19.95), designed for the first two years of parenthood. Spade writes about packing a diaper bag and Cora writes about making baby food. The McKays (authors of the #1 best selling book, Learn to Swim for Babies and Young Children) are children’s swimming experts who founded the Lifestyle Swim School at Florida Atlantic University 25 years ago. Their self-produced video series Diaper Dolphins has sold more than 25,000 copies. They also train other swimming teachers from around the world. This book follows the success of two previous best-selling guides: The Expert’s Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do and The Expert’s Guide to Life at Home. At the New York book launch party hosted by Jerry Seinfeld’s wife Jessica earlier this month, the McKays helped raise more than $225,000 for charity. Rob and Kathy’s web site is www.babyswimming.com