The Foorce

***Please check back often for updates – last updated July 6th, 2011.***

After over a dozen phone calls and emails since March, I have finally begun to unravel the mystery of the 2011 Adaptive Swim schedule in NYC, a free program offered by the NYC Parks Department each summer. Though I am feeling a little cranky and more than a little critical of how disorganized they have been this year, I will be the first to say that we had a fantastic experience with their adaptive swim lessons during the Summer of 2009 and are excited to participate again. James was given two days a week of free, private swimming lessons and went from “screaming and terrified to put his feet in the water” to “up to his neck and happy about it.” We are hoping to build on that even more this Summer. The instructors were young, experienced and energetic, making it well worth the lengthy trip (45 minutes) to the pool every other morning. As many of you know, private swim lessons for special needs people can cost $60 or more per hour – makes me want to go into the business. These were FREE, no strings attached.

It is for these reasons that I am (reasonably) happy to provide you with the (not-100%-but-hopefully-pretty-certain) information available about NYC Parks Adaptive Swim Lessons (most current updates listed below). I am grateful to Victor Calise of the NYC Parks Department for sending me the information below about free lessons in all five boroughs.

You must call Citywide Aquatics at 718-760-6969, ext. 0 to register. Update on July 5: After spending 45 very frustrating minutes on hold with 3 different people, we are still not registered. I am looking into this and will keep you posted if I can figure out an easier way. **On July 6th, I was informed that we simply had to show up tomorrow a little early. So, that is the current plan.

If you know of other pools in the NYC area that are offering free adaptive lessons, please leave the information in the Comments section below or email me. If you have questions, feel free to email me or call the Parks Department at 718-760-6969.