One might be surprised to see babies as young as four weeks old in the pool at Emler Swim School (ESS), but ESS has lessons for four-week-olds up to adults, including competitive swimming lessons. Open since March 17, ESS is a sister school of the long-established Stony Creek Swim Center (SCSC).
Amy Davis, founder of Westfield’s location and general manager of ESS and SCSC, worked her very first job at SCSC at age 14 and never looked back. ESS acquired SCSC in 2022, and Davis jumped on board, eager to fill the gap in swim education on the west side of Hamilton County.
“[Kids], a lot of times, learn a lot better when they’re younger,” she says. “I think it’s easier when you start them young. It’s amazing what our little babies can do when they start in swimming lessons at such a young age. Once they get older they might have a fear of the water, and that’s harder to overcome when they’re older.”
Though this location is new, ESS has run for 50 years. Jan Emler founded ESS in 1975. A career lifeguard and swim instructor, Emler saw the need for a new approach to teaching children how to swim, and began her company. With over 30 locations nationwide, ESS is known most for its fun, safe and effective swim instruction.
Davis and her team are dedicated to providing a safe and encouraging environment for the kids, no matter their age or skill level. Class ratios are kept at four to one. Parents can watch through the glass wall from the lobby.
“We also teach a lot of water safety in our swimming lessons,” Davis says. “We teach the importance of not getting in the water without an adult. We teach how you safely get back to the side if you do fall into the pool.”
ESS offers two main options. Children can be enrolled in classes, which meet once a week, or enroll in clinics, which meet five days a week for one week.
“I think there’s benefits to both,” Davis says. “If you are looking to really get kick-started with swimming lessons, I highly recommend the weekly clinic because you get so much. You get five lessons in a week, and that’s a lot of repetition for those kids.”
To spread the word about ESS’s opening, Emler will be having a Water Safety Day event on May 4 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and a Family Open Swim event on May 23 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. These events are free and open to the public whether or not your child is signed up for classes.
Classes are $31 during the week and $33 on weekends. Clinics are $34 a lesson. Families are billed monthly.
ESS is located at 15955 Spring Mill Depot Drive, Suite 105 in Westfield. Visit their website at emlerswimschool.com or call them at 317-759-5010 for more information and to sign up for clinics or classes.
