Instructor Spotlight
My oldest has always loved swim class but has been pretty particular about her instructors. She doesn't like change and therefore never did well when she moved up a level and ended up with a new teacher.
However, her most recent change, as nervous as she was to make it, was the best one for her. I had seen quite a few of the other kids get very excited to see Mr. Donovan whenever he was around. So, I was looking forward to seeing what was so special about this specific instructor. Within minutes of the class, I could see her laughing and getting comfortable. This allowed her to focus on strengthening her swimming with less anxiety in the pool.
I decided to ask her what was so special about Mr. Donovan, and these were her answers.
Q: What are your favorite things about Mr. Donovan?
A: I like that he's super funny. He always jokes with me that my name is my brother's, and my brother's name is mine.
Q: What does he teach you about swimming?
A: He helps me do my rollovers and makes sure I know how not to sink!
Q: What do you think his favorite thing about swim school is?
A: I think it's probably that he really likes swimming.
Q: Who do you think his favorite superhero is?
A: Batman?
Q: Why do you like swimming so much?
A: Because Mr. Donovan is my teacher and he makes it really fun.
Q: What's your favorite kind of swimming stroke or favorite thing to do with him in class?
A: I like to dive for rings.
Q: If you could tell Mr. Donovan one thing, what would you tell him?
A: I love him!
If you can't tell from her responses, it's pretty clear that he is a large part of her love for swimming class.
So, I wanted to see for myself why this instructor is so amazing too. I reached out to him and asked him some questions as well. These are his answers:
Q: Why are you a swim instructor?
A: I am a swim instructor because it has always been a passion of mine to work with kids! I started babysitting when I was 13 and then was hired at goldfish at age 15 and have now been there the past 7 years.
Q: How old were you when you learned to swim?
A: I learned to swim at a young age around 4 or 5 years old, but learned the more traditional way of just sort of being dropped in a pool.
Q: What is your favorite thing about teaching at Goldfish?
A: My favorite thing about teaching at goldfish is easily the kids and the relationships i've built with not only them but their families. I still baby sit and stay in contact with a lot of my past students coming all the way from when I first started. My other favorite thing about teaching at goldfish is Maddie of course! :)
Q: Who inspires you (real or fictional character)?
A: My biggest inspiration is without a doubt my mom. She's been my role model my whole life and definitely made me the person I am today.
Q: Can you think of the funniest thing a child has said or done during class?
A: Oh boy I could come up with a lot for this but, one of my favorites was a little girl (Olivia) who I believe was 4 or 5 at the time saw me take a drink of coffee and asked "what are you drinking?" I said "coffee... do you drink coffee?" and she responded "no I drink Bud Light."
Q: Where is your favorite place to be (other than swim class, of course)?
A: My favorite place to be would have to be Disney World! I've been 6x and would probably go way more often if I was made of money lol.
Clearly, Mr. Donovan is pretty amazing and Goldfish Swim School is lucky to have him!