Learning to Swim the Wembley Way

Our mission is to ensure that everyone has the skills and knowledge to be safe around and in any body of water; be it a pool, lake or ocean. We find students excel using our “unstructured-structured” lesson plan. We use our unique method of giving swim lessons to ensure students not only learn safety but enjoy the water!

Unstructured-Structured Swim Lessons

What is the unstructured-structured swim lesson? We believe that every student learns differently. Our instructors use the Red Cross WSI guidelines as many others use — that is the structured part. What makes us unique is that we use the “structure” in an “unstructured” way and adapt to the needs of the students. Our lesson plans are never the same for any student or even each lesson. The instructor gets to know the students and adapts the lessons according to their needs. 

Repetition is important for learning; but doing the same exact routine every lesson can get boring and eventually slow down progress. We use repetitive skills but change it up so the student doesn’t associate the activities as being the same.

For instance, blowing bubbles, doing 10 submerging bobs, making chipmunk faces, and retrieving objects from the bottom of the pool are all practicing breath control? Did you know breast stroke can be improved by using a kick board or even hula hoops? A child typically has the average attention span of 3-6 minutes for each year old. Our lessons are set to be 30 minutes long. The majority of our students aren’t able to swim for the full 30 minutes without their mind wandering off or giving up on lessons all together. We use simple steps to keep the lessons moving forward and the students attention for the entire 30 minutes! 

Not all kids of the same age are developmentally equal and no student should be controlled in the water by their differences in coordination, motor functioning and general comfortability in water. Our Wembley Club Way of swimming lessons allows everyone to learn!

Our Commitment to Health

As the number of coronavirus infections surge across the country, we would like to remind all of our members and visitors about actions we are taking to ensure the safety of everyone who visits our facilities, and our efforts to better the community health in the area. 

This post is just highlighting club guidelines that were published earlier; please refer to the guidelines for more detailed information. 

Self assessment

We request all of our members and visitors to continue checking their temperature every day. Please stay home if you or anyone in your immediate social circle does not feel well or has tested positive for COVID-19.  

Face covering requirements

A face covering that meets or exceeds CDC guidelines is required to be worn when visiting the Wembley Club. All employees and instructors will be adhering with this requirement. 

Swimming Pool

A face covering is to be worn at all times when you are not in the water. For safety reasons, face coverings should not be worn by anyone who is in the water.  Lifeguards are required to keep their face uncovered for safety reasons when they are on duty around the pool or in the lifeguard chair. 

Fitness

A face covering is to be worn at all times when you are not actively working out. Please be sure to wipe down all surfaces you touch after completing your workout.

Tennis, Pickleball, and Paddle

A face covering is to be worn until you are on the court.  Effectively immediately, for all USTA League matches, spectators from the opposing team are not allowed to watch the match. Members can still watch tennis matches as long as they follow all face covering and distancing protocols.

Child care

While children are not required to wear face coverings, we recommend it if your child is comfortable with it. Please remember that childcare must be reserved in advance. This helps us control the number of children in the room at any given time.

Taverne

A face covering is required to be worn unless you are actively drinking of eating in the Taverne area. Please be mindful of other patrons already seated at the Taverne and choose seating  options that allow for safe distancing.

Regular cleaning

We have contracted with Your Healthy Spaces for a deep cleaning of all our common spaces. You can read more about this partnership on an earlier blog post.  Your Healthy Spaces completed their last cleaning at the club on November 4 and will return approximately every 4 weeks. 

Indoor spaces

As the temperature drops and we move more of our activity indoors, we are taking additional steps to ensure everyone’s safety. We are installing air purifiers with H13 HEPA filters in fitness locations.

We would also like to share an excerpt from this recent post by the Farley Group:

  1. The Air Quality In a Dome Resembles Outdoor Conditions.
    A typical dome contains 500,000 to 5,000,000 cubic feet of air; for a topical comparison, a typical classroom contains just 6,000 cubic feet of air.
  2. Dome Ventilation Is Remarkably Better Than In Most Buildings.
    Under ASHRAE standards, a normal classroom’s ventilation is designed to move 222 cubic feet of air per minute; domes have a minimum of 50 times more outside fresh air!
  3. There’s Tons of Room To Breathe In a Dome.
    At 6-foot social distance, a dome provides about 800 cubic feet of ventilation air per person per minute; a typical classroom with 20 students would provide 11 cubic feet. 

We hope you will join us in ensuring the health and safety of our whole community by reviewing these guidelines and adhering to them as closely as possible!

community health

Thank you!

Magazine article

Michelle is Featured in a Magazine!

Just last month, we highlighted an article by our very own Michelle Scacchi about the importance of functional fitness. We are excited to learn that Michelle has been featured elaborating her views on Functional Fitness in the Club Business International magazine!

Club Business International (CBI) is the health and fitness industry’s leading magazine published by International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA).

Michelle notes that with the lockdown that was in effect earlier this year and the continued strain On outdoor activity during the pandemic, it is more important than ever to focus on functional practices.  

She goes on to say:

“The special circumstances having to do with the pan-demic have led us to reexamine the role of functional fitness in different populations, young and old, alike. As people return to their routines, the best functional practices have never been more vital, especially given how many members have lost conditioning. Movement patterns—such as squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling, hinging, rotating, walking, and running—are essential for performing everyday activities, so we’ve put movement in the forefront of our fitness classes, across the board.”

Read the whole article on the IHRSA website using their e-magazine format.

Michelle Headshot

Michelle Scacchi

We wish Michelle more successes going forward! Check out our schedule and come work out with her!

Sesame Chicken with Noodles or Zoodles

Try this easy and healthy, seasme chicken with noodles, mid-week recipe – it is sure to be a family pleaser!

Sesame Chicken with Noodles or Zoodles

Sesame Chicken with Noodles or Zoodles

THE SESAME SAUCE

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey (omit for Whole30)
1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

THE ZOODLES + Noodles

4 chicken breasts, cubed
4 medium zucchinis
Noodles
2 teaspoon sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

First, mix all the sesame sauce ingredients together. Place the chicken breasts in a bowl and pour 1/2 cup of the sauce over the top. Allow the chicken to set aside and marinate while you spiralize the zucchini.

Next, heat 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and all the marinade to the pan. Cook, occasionally scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan, until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Last, combine the remaining teaspoon of sesame oil, the zucchini noodles and sauce to the pan. Continue cooking until the noodles are soft, about 5 minutes.

Finally, ENJOY!

Practical Strategies to feel good this week:

Map it out.
Think about what you need to do to feel good – maybe it has to do with sleep, or exercise, or yoga or reading a book. Look over the week and map it out.

Wembley Classes

Remember, you have control of you.

Don’t let your circumstances take over and control you. You have choices each day and all day, so just embrace that and take care of you.

Let go of this idea you have to be “good or bad”.
Focus on being intentional and not applying judgement to this. When you choose to do something – catch yourself if you say “I was bad”.

Relax and have fun.
Remember, what you do everyday matters way more than what you do once in a while. Keep this in mind and stay present so you can enjoy yourself!!

Kijia Living

~Ali