Goldfish Swim School is now open in Fishers! We were given the opportunity to visit and try out lessons for one month in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own, and only influenced by these little monkeys actually taking the lessons.
It was a Tuesday night and I was pacing the house. I could not sit still, I was in full-on panic attack mode. It took me a while to figure out why. I wasn’t up against any deadlines, I had no public speaking events coming up, and there were no holidays which would require me to deal with outspoken family members on the opposite end of the political spectrum. So why was I freaking out so bad? Then it hit me: swim lessons.
My boys are 7 and 9 years old. Normal people put their children in swim lessons at like 3 and 5 years old, maybe even 2 and 4. Not me. I put it off to the point where I figured they would just spend the rest of their lives not swimming, which was fine by me. Now, I recognize that that isn’t a healthy way to think. As a matter of fact, it’s dangerous. Children need to know how to swim. I don’t deny that. But my irrational fear of water knows no bounds. Some primal cat-like instinct doesn’t allow me or those I love anywhere near water deeper than a wading pool.
A little bit more about me: I had many summers’ worth of swim lessons at the public pool. I went through group lessons and private lessons, and forced swimming in middle school gym class. And guess what? I still can’t swim. I was too scared to let myself learn, and too stubborn to let my instructors force me. I spent many years clinging to the edge of the pool while my friends and classmates learned how to do tricks off the diving board. It’s no way to live. It’s not fun and it’s not safe, but some things just can’t be helped.
Back to 2015: I am now the proud parents of two non-swimming children. I’ve tried putting them in lessons before. I even signed them up once. But that crazy in me makes excuses or somehow “forgets” when that darn class starts. Then Goldfish Swim School contacted me to tell me about their new location in Fishers and ask if my boys would like to try it out. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse, no matter how nervous it made me.
On our first day, I tried to play it cool. We were signed up for a weekday morning, which means every other child walking in the place was a toddler. My boys gave me a “what have you gotten us into?” look. There was a little miscommunication when we signed up for a class time, and somehow the boys really did end up in a class with two other children, aged 3. The staff immediately saw the problem with this and did some rearranging. That crazy part of me kind of hoped they would tell us we couldn’t have a lesson that day, just come back later (to which I would conveniently just not go back), but nope, they fixed it so the boys moved to another area of the pool with a separate instructor. They both appeared nervous, especially Big Boy. I had to quit watching because he looked so uncomfortable. I focused solely on my phone for the rest of the half hour. In the last five minutes of class time, the parents are called in to see how the kids are doing. Miraculously, both of my children were smiling, putting their heads under water, holding their breath, and more. I could not believe it. All of a sudden, Wednesdays became their favorite day of the week, because that was Goldfish day.
Goldfish Swim School is pretty amazing. When you walk in the building, you immediately feel like you’re on some kind of tropical vacation for kids. There are a couple of aquariums, one with fish, one with turtles, that you can’t help but go say hello to every time you walk in. In a style reminiscent of a cabana, there are about twelve individual dressing rooms for changing into and out of swim suits. There’s tons of seating available for parents to watch their kids while they’re in lessons, but don’t worry, you’re separated by a big glass wall so you avoid getting splashed. Also? They have free wifi. I know that probably shouldn’t be the most important thing, buuuuuut…. it’s very helpful. 
And speaking of helpful, I’m pretty much in love with the whole staff. First, as I mentioned above, they were very accommodating when there was a misunderstanding on the boys’ ages. Also, every member of the staff goes out of their way to be friendly, helpful, and make sure everyone is comfortable. Andrew, the General Manager, has sat down and chatted with me multiple times. He was understanding of my personal water fears and takes a genuine interest in each child there. He wants them to succeed and he wants them to love swimming as much as he does. That’s the vibe I get from everyone there. This isn’t just a job, this is a lifestyle they love and want to share that with us.
Because we’re homeschoolers, my guys are the oldest kids there on a Wednesday morning, but because of the 4:1 ratio (one instructor focuses solely on their four students), it’s not like they’re stuck in a class full of toddlers. Goldfish is very happy to work with you and figure out a way to find an appropriate class to fit your schedule.
I think my favorite thing about Goldfish is that it is a year-round swimming school. You pay on a monthly basis instead of committing to a class for x number of weeks, so your child can continue their lessons and really practice their skills for as long as you feel they need. I believe that a large reason I never took to swimming personally is because it took me a long time to get comfortable in the water, and as soon as I started getting comfortable, the session was over. My boys don’t have that problem. We will continue their lessons until they are water safe and really have the skills to take with them. When you’re ready to move on, just give them a thirty day notice and that’s it.
It’s been almost two months since we began at Goldfish Swim School. The boys still wake up every Wednesday morning excited to get going. They both really enjoy their time there and are making great progress. Big Boy still has some practicing to do, but he can definitely swim now, and he loves it. Little Man is making slightly slower progress, but he loves being in the water and each week he gets his breathing more under control and his legs behind him more. And I am happy that they are really enjoying it and gaining skills that will help them throughout the rest of their life, and they’re doing it in a safe, friendly, caring environment.
Visit their website to find all the information on hours and costs. Also? They offer family swims Monday-Thursday from 12-1 and Friday from 6:30-8. The cost is $5 per person/ up to $15 per family. It’s a great way to enjoy some swim time, especially on these cold days, and check out the facility for a reasonable price.
