Thaggard Swimming & Safety Lessons
Lessons are based in West Hattiesburg, Mississippi!
Registration for summer 2024 swimming & safety lessons is now open! Info regarding private and semi-private lessons coming in July 2024!
About Us
Thaggard Swimming and Safety Lessons is a swimming family! I started lifeguarding and teaching lessons in high school. After having children and stopping teaching elementary school temporarily to stay home with the children, swimming lessons were essential each summer. Through the years, God has blessed our family by teaching young and old children to swim and meeting people in our community during the summers. We are passionate about teaching children swimming and safety lessons. These safety lessons are essential to our family because of our friend, two-year-old Gracie. In 2001, Gracie crawled out of her crib, opened the door, crossed the street, pushed open a gate, fell into a neighbor’s pool, and drowned.
Would your child know what to do in a situation like the one described above? Gracie was a victim of the “silent killer.” Not only do I urge you to teach your children to swim, but also to make sure pool gates are closed and very secure. Swimming lessons do not guarantee that children can survive in any situation, but they certainly increase their chances. When my three-year-old son fell into our pool, I knew he must learn to swim, despite his fear of the water.
Although I had been a school teacher, lifeguard, and swimming instructor, I learned that children this young and afraid of the water could learn to swim when I met Ms. Lou. Before meeting her, I went along with the YMCA, thinking children should be four or older to swim. She shared her swimming technique with me, and it works! Using her approach, I’ve taught countless children to swim, some as young as three months. During this time, I also realized that most swim instructors need to teach water safety skills that can save lives. As an educator and mother, I added my twist of safety and storytelling. Teachers of young children teach students to stop, drop and roll if they are on fire, yet talk very little, if any, about water safety. As parents, I know you are responsible for teaching this or letting us! For children ages 1 to 5, drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death! We have taught numerous children over the years whose sibling has drowned, and it is heartbreaking! Water safety has always been vital to our family, and hopes it is yours.
Meet Leah
Hello, I have been an educator for over twenty years. Over my career, I have been an elementary teacher in the classroom for 18 years and currently serve as a parent educator with the Lamar County School District. During the summers, I am passionate about teaching children swimming and safety lessons. These lessons are essential to me because of our friend, two-year-old Gracie. Some children never whimper or cry during lessons, but others do because of their personalities….
What We Teach
Pool Side Safety
Ocean Safety
Swimming Basics
Parent Education
Parent Testimonies
Click any of the names below to read about their experiences with our swimming lessons.
Julie Breazeale
“We have 3 children, now ages 18, 15, & 13. When they were all toddlers we knew they had to know how to swim. I did some research and Leah seemed to be a good fit for our needs. We started with Barrett and he learned to swim on only a few short days, as did the other two. Fast forward many, many years and the kids will still randomly shout out “push the water behind you” and they recall exactly why they know that! Leah is dedicated to teaching students how to swim and water safety so if you are looking for an instructor she is excellent.”
Rhyan Davis
“We highly recommend Mrs. Leah for swim lessons! I’ve known her for almost 15 years, and our pediatrician refers all his patients to her. We took our son to swim lessons when he was only four months old and were amazed at how much he learned from Mrs. Leah at such a young age. Mrs. Leah has a structured but age-appropriate curriculum for each day, and we felt like we bonded with our son by being in the water with him. She cared for each child so well and worked with them individually, whether they were afraid to get into the pool or eager to jump into the deep end. We have continued to use the techniques Mrs. Leah taught, and we can’t wait to bring our son back again this summer.”
Kaylynn Johnson
“I would love to recommend Leah and her team to everyone. Our child was terrified of the water and almost drowned before these lessons. Everyone was so patient and kind that we felt these lessons answered prayer!”
Terell Alford
This was our third place to try swim lessons for our seven-year-old. I added in our three-year-old with low expectations, and I’ve been blown away by our boys’ growth! Now, they both swim like a fish. Thank you, Leah, Brand, and Kat! Don’t waste your money anywhere else!
Leigh Ann Bass
We have been taking our grandchildren to Leah’s since 2015. Thanks to Ms. Leah and her caring instructors for helping them overcome their timidness about swimming in a big pool. Last year they were so patient with the younger one as her swimming abilities grew. Our family appreciates all that you do by not just teaching them to swim but also how to be safe around the water!