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      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.

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

News Regarding Prohibiting Infants and Toddlers in Swimming Pools

From one of our swim fathers who lives in a planned community.

Re: Pool Rules Prohibiting Persons in Diapers

Dear Board Members:

You advise that certain homeowners have petitioned the Board to enact a rule prohibiting people (children and adults) in diapers from using the pool and ask whether the Board may promulgate such a rule.   The Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. at 3604, in pertinent part, makes it unlawful for anyone:

(b) To discriminate against any person in the terms conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling, or in the provision of services or facilities in connection therewith, because of...familial status... (emphasis provided)

 The Fair Housing Act defines familial status, in pertinent part, as “...one or more individuals (who have not attained the age of 18 years) being domiciled with a parent or another person having legal custody of such individual or individuals...” and makes it unlawful “to coerce, intimidate, threaten, or interfere with any person in the exercise or enjoyment of, or on account of his having exercised or enjoyed.... any right granted or protected by....” the Fair Housing Act.  While the suggested rule, prohibiting anyone in diapers from using the pool may, at first, appear to apply to everyone, our concern is that it may still be interpreted by an Administrative Law Judge as targeting toddlers and small children, the predominant users of diapers, which could result in a substantial financial penalty being imposed on the Association.

 In the two cases which follow, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) specifically addressed the issue of pool rules designed to prohibit children in diapers from using the association’s swimming pools.  While we understand that prohibiting children is ostensibly not the intent of the proposed rule these cases will shed light on how HUD reviews these types of rules and the justifications offered by other community associations. 

 In HUD v. Paradise Gardens, Section II, Homeowners Association, (1992 WL 406531), an association had pool rules which were specifically directed towards young children.  One rule provided that no child under the age of 5 was permitted to use the pool. This rule was said to be for the child’s safety and because of the “possible presence of fecal material in the pool.” Another rule stated that children between the ages of 5 and 16 years old are allowed in the pool from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

 HUD called an environmental specialist for the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, Broward County Public Health Unit, as an expert on pool operation and inspection and water safety. She had nine years experience inspecting pools to insure they are safe and sanitary.  She testified that there is no health reason to exclude children of any age from a pool, and that a pool can be maintained in a healthful and clean condition, regardless of the ages of those who use the pool.  She further testified that she is aware of incidents of human waste in pools of all adult health clubs and that there is no correlation between the age of swimmers and the sanitariness of a pool.  She testified further that children should not, as a group, be excluded from a pool. Rather, under proper supervision, children should learn to swim because it is a life safety skill and she was aware of no health or safety reason for excluding children under 5 from a public pool. 

 The rules were found to discriminate against families with children and interfere with the enjoyment and use of the facilities.  As the association was not able to establish that it was exempt from the fair housing laws regarding familial status (i.e., as a housing for older persons community), they were found to be in violation of such laws.  The only type of rule which was found acceptable was one in which children under a certain age legitimate purpose of maintaining safety.   The Association in the aforementioned case received a $7,000 fine for violating the Fair Housing Act which was awarded to two families for emotional distress, humiliation and inconvenience.  The penalty could have been as high as $10,000.  

 In Leonard v. Seaboard Arbor Management Services, Inc. (HUDALJ 04-91-0931), HUD offered specific language for a pool rule to an Association which may prove useful in the present matter.  Along with requiring the Association to pay the homeowner a $1,500 penalty, the Administrative Law Judge required the Association to change its rule prohibiting all  babies and a small children not fully potty trained from entering or being carried into the pool, as follows:

 Any person who is incontinent or not fully potty trained must wear appropriate waterproof clothing when entering or being carried into the pool.

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