SWIMWEST MADISON STAFF

"One teacher can shape a child... one child can shape the world!"

All members of our team are carefully chosen based on a variety of attributes, including friendliness, dedication, enthusiasm, patience, and capability. Each individual brings a unique but complementary style of interaction and education to parents, children, or training, while maintaining the standards and quality of our swimming lessons. All members of the staff belong to the United States Swim School Association (USSSA), a professional organization of swimming teachers and business owners in the United States and abroad. SwimWest is proud to be the only swim school in the Madison and Fitchburg area approved and certified by this elite organization. No other swim school in the area has this honor! SwimWest Swim School is also a member of the World Aquatic Babies Congress and regularly participates in research and events to further educate our staff about our students.

All SwimWest instructors are certified by the USSSA in infant/child aquatics and maintain their skills and teaching knowledge at annual and local conferences. Each staff member is currently certified in CPR and First Aid; many are certified through the American Red Cross as Water Safety Instructors and Lifeguards.

At SwimWest Swim School we believe that it is important for our staff to be trained in the latest teaching and life-saving techniques regularly so we can maintain our high standards. Our teaching staff is known for their patience and affection for children. Our instructors form emotional bonds with their students, which play an important role in your child's swimming classes.

Each SwimWest Swim School instructor is carefully selected by their maturity and compassion for children. Whether they are dealing with a child’s first experience with the water or teaching them advanced stroke technique, our instructors have the passion and the patience to make each trip to the pool a rewarding one.

The most important aspect of our teaching process is our disciplined but loving dedication to getting children comfortable with the water. We are thoughtful and observant of each child's behavioral and developmental patterns, and will respond to their fears and concerns with love, humor, and discipline. This will guide them through the necessary

steps to become independent, competent swimmers.

This firm, loving approach is the hallmark of SwimWest Swim School.

Each staff member, from the voice on the phone that schedules your swim lessons, to the lifeguard that watches your child, to the teacher that brings the gift of swimming, is committed to making your time at SwimWest an enjoyable and satisfying experience.

Here is what our staff has to say about what makes a good swim instructor:

Cameron says: "Some things that make a good swim instructor are the eagerness to be patient and understanding when teaching children in a sometimes scary and unfamiliar environment. Also the desire to ensure safety at all times while still allowing for fun and learning. Lots of "high fives"!

Ali says: "My favorite adjectives to describe what a teacher should be are happy, playful, tolerant, helpful, caring, and excited."

Nicole says: "A great swim teacher is someone who is patient, kind, understanding, and able to smile through anything!"

Stephen says: "An excellent swim instructor approaches each teaching situation with a positive and optimistic attitude. He/she makes safety the highest priority and also helps students to understand its importance. Each child's individual needs are assessed and the instructor uses that information to structure the lesson. I believe students will learn the most from an instructor who truly enjoys teaching."

SwimWest Karen Kittelson

KAREN KITTELSON ~ Owner

SwimWest School of Instruction, Inc. was founded by Karen Kittelson in 1990. She started in hotel pools and health clubs, and quickly grew her business to where she could open her own facility on Madison’s west side in 1995. In 2006, she expanded SwimWest to a second location in Fitchburg. In July of 2009 expanded to her third location on the East side of Madison.

She is a graduate of University of Minnesota with a major in Sports Management and Exercise Physiology. As her businesses have grown, she has been awarded over 15 teaching awards through the United States Swim School Association (USSSA), and has maintained her certification as an American Red Cross Certified Instructor for CPR/First Aid, Oxygen Administration, Blood borne Pathogens, Lifeguarding, Beachfront Lifeguarding, and Water Safety Instruction. Karen is also a Certified Pool Operator, Certified Arthritic Water Aerobics Instructor, and has Infant/Toddler Swim Instruction Certifications through the USSSA.

Karen has served on the Board of Directors twice for the USSSA, and is an active member of SafeKids Coalition, Safer Three Water Safety programs, and Swim Australia. In the last 15 years she has become an international speaker on topics such as swim school management, how to be an Elite swim instructor, customer service, and crisis management.

Karen lives in Middleton with her family, and her dog, Tanner.

swimwest

ALISON ~ Aquatic Director

Alison grew up in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and North Carolina. She has loved the water from an early age and been a swimmer all her life. She started swimming competitively at the age of 7 on a summer league in North Carolina. Alison also swam for her Varsity High School swim team and was a co-captain her senior year. She attended college at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC and graduated in 2007 with a Bachelors of Science in Business- Marketing.

She began teaching swim lessons at a local pool when she was in High School and after college, started teaching and managing full time at Little Otter Swim School in Charlotte, NC. Her love and enthusiasm for kids and the water brought her to Madison to continue teaching.

When Alison isn't in the pool, she loves to hike, camp, run, read, and snowboard. She also loves playing with her labradoodle named Otter, and they can often be seen in the lake together!

Alison is certified in CPR/First Aid, AED, and Lifeguarding.

SwimWest Swim School

ARIKA ~ Company Coordinator
Arika grew up in Madison and Waunakee. She graduated from Edgewood Catholic High School in 1995, and began her customer service career directly out of high school. Arika joined the SwimWest front desk team at the Madison location in August, 2000 and accepted the position of Facility Director at Fitchburg in February, 2006. She was moved to the position of Company Coordinator in January, 2009.

Arika lives outside of Madison with her Rat Terrier, Sadie. She loves watching movies and reality shows on TV, shopping, listening to her favorite music, going to concerts, spending time with friends, and playing ball with Sadie. In October 2008, Arika was named the Q106 Fan of the Year at the Madison Country Music Awards, and earned her designation as a Child Passenger Safety Technician in April, 2010.