Swim Angelfish at USSSA: National Conference Recap

We were absolutely thrilled to be diving back into the USSSA National Conference this year!

For the first time in ten years, we re-joined the action and were met with a powerful wave of information and inspiration. And speaking of highlights, our own Cindy Freedman, MOTR, was honored to step up as one of the expert speakers at the event, where she powerfully highlighted the critical importance of adaptive water safety for all swimmers with special needs.

From a deep dive into the learning outcomes from Cindy’s session to our favorite Exhibit Hall shenanigans, take a moment to see what this impactful conference offered the aquatic community!

The energy at the USSSA conference was infectious, and we were fortunate to sit in on several sessions that provided valuable, actionable takeaways. Here are two presentations that truly made a splash:

The energy in the room was palpable during the Paulana Lamonier (founder of Black People Will Swim) session. This was a phenomenal, hour-long masterclass focused on grant writing and sustainable funding. The speaker’s energy, outfit, and content were so organized and breathtaking that you couldn’t help but be engaged for the entire 60 minutes. We learned exactly how to keep the money flowing year after year by leveraging powerful video testimonials, vital statistics, and the sheer passion that your school has for its mission. It was wonderful to connect with the team afterwards; their incredible work is creating a massive impact within the Black and broader communities of color, directly addressing alarming statistics in aquatic safety.

Have you heard of this guy? Steve Cook delivered a powerful, organized presentation on Partnerships, Sponsorships, and Collaborative Promotion. He broke down how to keep track of these relationships and maximize the value they bring to both parties in a highly engaging presentation format. This session was invaluable for thinking about how we all work together to promote each other’s business in a well-thought-out way. I went so far as to sign up for his consulting and got a signed copy of his book, The Playmaker’s Playbook.

Of course, the pinnacle of the conference for the Swim Angelfish team was hosting our own session on Adaptive Water Safety.

Our room was full of dedicated swim school owners and instructors, all united by a single, urgent mission: learning how to reduce the alarming statistic that children with autism are 160 times more likely to drown than their typical peers. The collective passion and dedication to learning about this topic were truly inspiring.

Additionally, we held a group brainstorm on the topic of ‘What is Adaptive Aquatics?” and featured a video of several different types of learners. The consensus was that we are all seeing swimmers of all ages in our learn to swim programs having sensory sensitivities, anxiety and motor challenges. We agreed this is a broad term that includes any swimmer that is having difficulty with traditional swim curriculum and needs a different approach.

A huge thank you to everyone who chose the Swim Angelfish presentation—we appreciate you making the commitment to be there. Our professional training courses will complement the resources and drive that this audience already possesses to keep all children safe in the water.

Moving from the session rooms to the Exhibit Hall was a high point, as the space provided an excellent flow for vendors, food, and incredible opportunities for collaboration.