Last January, Anthony Gradillas fell in his family pool fully clothed.
But, the 4-year-old didn't panic. Instead, he managed to get himself to the steps and out of the water.
That's thanks to swim lessons he's been taking at Poppkidz since he was 2-years old, said his mother, Brittney Gradillas. (BTW: Brittney was right there ready to assist if Anthony needed it)
The differences she sees in her son from before lessons to now are amazing, Gradillas said. When he was 2 he would cry at the pool.
"He didn't want to sit on the step. He didn't want to be away from Mommy," Gradillas said. "And now he's totally independent. He loves the pool. He asked me in the car if he could come to swim every day."
Building confident, capable swimmers is the way to prevent accidental drowning and that's the mission of Poppkidz, said Marydale Moore, the organization's director.
"Are there always gonna be situations that you can't control even if you're the best swimmer? Of course," Moore said. "But, if we can get a child to become confident and smart in the water and a good critical thinker to where they can figure out how to save their own life or how to get to the side or how to throw a life-saving device to someone else, rather than jump in themselves, if we can get them to think that way, the chances of accidental drowning goes way down."
The Poppkidz main campus in the Oracle Heights neighborhood near La Cholla and Ina on the northwest side, has the feel of a family pool (an Olympic-sized one at that) and offers swim lessons for children ages 2 and up. Students sign up for eight-week sessions and go to class three times a week.
It's that consistency that yields great results, Moore said.
"The kids retain an amazing amount of information and they progress too because they're coming so often," Moore said.
Free workshops
The swim school also offers free water-safety workshops for children ages 0-24 months old and their caregivers.
During the 45-minute session, you'll learn about hazards in your home that you may not think of as drowning hazards — think dog bowl or toilet. You'll also learn how to safely go to a public pool or a neighborhood barbecue with the family.
The workshop includes pool time, too. Parents will learn basic survival skills such as how to safely hold kids in the water.
Other free workshops include Prenatal AquaSpa, for pregnant women and their partners and AquaSense, for fearful, special needs or atypical children ages 2-7 and their caregivers.
Goggles and diving rings sit on the side of the pool at Poppkidz. The swim school has recently added cheer for kids and boot camp and water fitness classes for adults, as well as weekly family events.
Swim team
If your child really loves swimming, there's a swim team for kids ages 4-18, which caters to children in school and working parents. Poppkidz competes in the Southern Arizona Aquatics Association League, which consists of 2,000 to 3,000 swimmers in the Tucson area.
Practice has started, but you can sign your kids up through Memorial Day. Prices vary depending on when you sign up.
Cheer
Poppkidz has recently added a cheer program to its offerings.
"The girls are getting tumbling, stunting, cheerleading and learning routines," Moore said. "They're active and it's with music. They have fun and you can see it in their happy little faces."
The addition of cheer is another way to help children build their confidence and self-esteem, Moore said.
"The kids who build that up while they're young are much more likely to be strong in school when they come against things they need to say no to or walk away from," Moore said.
Adult fitness classes
Adults aren't left out of the mix.
A boot camp for ages 8 to adult (on dry land) has recently started. Classes are held at 6:30 p.m. every Monday. It's a drop-in class that costs $10.
You can also take a weekly aquatic exercise class at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesdays. Expect to get your heart rate up while keeping cool in the water. Classes are $10 per student per class.
If you want more aquatic fitness, there's a new Swimfit program. It's for adult swimmers to enjoy aquatic workouts, lap swimming, walking or range of motion exercises at their own pace. Workouts are scheduled Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings through October.
A Swimfit membership is $45 per month and includes as many morning workouts as you want to go to and unlimited Tuesday night aquatic exercise classes.
Family events
POPPKidz hosts a variety of events for the family. The upcoming Kids Night Out includes dinner, lifeguard supervised swimming, crafts, games, obstacle courses and reading books under the stars.
If you're looking for something fun for the kids to do on the weekends, look no further.
Poppkidz has something scheduled every Saturday night through the end of October.
There are teen nights, family block parties, kids night out, movie nights, adult game nights and more. Prices range from $5-$30.
"The events are becoming a more and more integral part of what we're doing in trying to bring families together," Moore said. "You don't have to be signed up for a program to attend an event. We encourage people to bring friends and families to hang out."
Details
Poppkidz has two locations: 2045 W. Omar Drive (main campus) and 5245 N. Camino De Oeste.
Swim lessons: Classes are limited to 2-3 students of similar age and skill level. Each group class is $20 per class. A block of lessons is three classes per week for 8 weeks.
Private lessons are also available. A starter pack of four private lessons is $160.
Call 989-9589 to sign up for lessons, workshops, swim team, cheer and to reserve your spot at one of the family events.
