Before the pandemic hit in March, my boys (ages 4 and 5) had the opportunity to attend swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School in Warson Woods. This place was the real deal: the amenities, the staff, the attention to detail, EVERYTHING. We fell in love fast!
First swim lesson vibes…they LOVED it.
Insert global pandemic and the statewide shutdown. Swim lessons, sporting events, birthday parties, school, EVERYTHING was at a standstill.
Once the restrictions were lifted a couple of months later, places like Goldfish took their time reopening. They continued to build hype on their Instagram and Facebook pages, sent weekly emails with swimming tips and ways you could practice from home, had an activity pick up for their families, and even sent out a YouTube video prior to reopening telling families what to expect.
While I was cautious to return to an elective activity, I knew my kids needed it from a fun and social aspect, and I also knew the importance of water safety. I shared the YouTube video with my boys to prepare them for our return.
Although things had changed at Goldfish, I noticed their extreme attention to detail and safety protocols and their incredibly dedicated and flexible staff. We fell in love FAST all over again.
Here are some of the things that you can expect when attending swim lessons at Goldfish with their new precautions in place:
- Limiting class size to 3:1 and lanes are double their original size (12 feet wide!).
- They limit those in the facility by allowing one parent or guardian per swimmer and ask that extra siblings who are not swimming stay home.
- They provide individualized equipment for each student, and it is rotated for every class to allow for proper sanitization between each swimmer.
- Minimizing shared amenities while still finding clever ways to celebrate with your kids.
- Cleaning viewing room chairs between each use with approved chemicals to kill the COVID virus.
- Documenting the wellness of employees through health screenings and temperature checks.
- PPE for staff; “wet side” staff (aside from guards) wear face shields, “dry side” staff wear face masks.
- They offer PPE for their guests who do not have any or forget (they require masks to be worn at all times while in the facility for adults and children over 9 – they encourage it for all children but understand it’s not easy for younger kids).
- Offering makeup tokens (no questions asked) so that everyone remains mindful of the health of others.
- They’ve gone paperless with registration and waivers!
- Bathrooms, the hair drying area, and dressing rooms are closed (“on vacation”) or limited. This allows the staff to focus on the cleanliness of specific ones for customer use.
- They have place markers for each kiddo to stand on while they wait to go in to swim. Social distancing is key!
They truly have pulled out all of the stops at Goldfish! But as a mom, the thing that sticks out the most to me is the staff. After being cooped up in the house for a few months, my youngest struggled to get back in the pool. The staff was incredibly flexible and took the time to make him feel comfortable, special, and capable.
Pictured: Danielle, Assistant General Manager, reading my son a book and taking the time to make him feel ready to jump in…spoiler alert: IT WORKED!
At Goldfish, we feel safe. And in a time of uncertainty and fear for some, it’s nice to find a place that takes safety, cleanliness, and FUN seriously. Not to mention, my kids have shown significant strides in their swimming and water safety skills!
Check out their website for a list of classes and details on their approach (“The Science of Swim Play”). Have you checked out Goldfish yet?
