FINISH Aquatic Coaching
About
I am Aalayah Thompson. I am currently 28 years old. I've been playing Varsity water polo for four years and I made captain my senior year of high school. I swam for the Varsity swimming team as well. I've taught swim lessons for 10 years at a swim school my students ranging from babies to adults. I am CPR and Lifeguard Certified. I really believe in making a player and swimmer the best they can be if they have the attitude to do it.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Start at the basics. Understand the the student knows and doesn't know. I want the student to have a solid foundation of fundamentals to be comfortable and confident in giving them a advance set of lessons and workouts.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I played Waterpolo for four years at a high school women's Varisty level. I have practiced with the intense SoCal Club Men's masters team for a year. I have taught babies, children, and adults to swim for almost 10 years now. I have been on a swim team at Varisty women's high school level for four years as well. I attended college to become a physical therapist and that requires me to understand the limits of the body and how it moves.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
My standard pricing is $30 dollars for half an hour (30mins) for swimming and Waterpolo lessons.
How did you get started teaching?
I started teaching because I wanted my own Water Polo team to do better in their performances so I helped my Junior Varisty coach her team after or during practices. Also my swim coach had come up to me and offered me to get a job at the local swim school while I was still going to high school so I humbly accepted.
What types of students have you worked with?
I've worked with a very diverse range of students in swimming from babies as small as 4 months old to full grown adults at age 74. I've worked with boys and girls 13-19 year olds in Water Polo.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
I am very fond of the Junior Olympics club tournament for both Waterpolo and Swimming. I do not participate as a coach or player in this event but I do have a few swimmers I have coached and coaches I know personally.
I am a current participant in the yearly Ocean Swim event. That has a lot of swimmers and coaches who swim a full mile in the open ocean in the morning and afterwards have a good time at the beach with food provided by the event.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Have a good attitude and open mind. A lot of teachers/coaches coach students differently. So the student has to be willing to learn the same things but maybe in a different way from a new coach. There are two types of students who have the ride attitude towards working hard, ones who walk the mile a coach gives them or ones who run the mile a coach gives them. I want my student to be the one who runs it.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
If it affects both the teacher and the student? Our or your own health? Lesson conditions? A limit? Time? Talk to the teacher about the needs the student requires and not wants.
A student can talk to me about almost anything but I do ask that personal questions and personal needs stay personal unless health and safety requires students to tell me.