Swimming used to be thought of in the same way as weekend soccer or piano lessons, which parents enjoyed but put off when their schedules…
The parking lots outside the community pools are more crowded on weeknights than they were in the past. Not with birthday parties or competitive teams,…
No one lists the secret skill on college applications, and there is no certificate for it. It is learned in private, frequently at a young…
In a scene that has become remarkably familiar in recent years, children shuffle toward the pool with towels trailing the floor and goggles bouncing against…
The pool sounds different from the rest of the recreation center on a weekday afternoon. Don’t whistle. No yelled directions reverberating off walls. Only the…
When bodies move slowly, deliberately, and without urgency, water folds back on itself to create a layered sound that is remarkably similar across all pools.…
Children who are shy usually show up early, stand near their parents, and watch the water with an interest that seems remarkably universal, as though…
First come the sounds of a children’s swim lesson: small hands rhythmically slapping water, instructions reverberating off tile, and a sharp squeal that could be…
One of the few locations where kids can run around freely without being told to stop, slow down, or pay attention to their footing is…
Many parents have begun to pay attention to their children’s posture sometime between school pickup and dinner. Shoulders slowly moving forward. Necks cocked at a…