Cy-Fair Edition | May 2023

BUSINESS FEATURE

BY DAVE MANNING

Dustin and Ashley Yates own two locations.

STAY SAFE THIS SUMMER The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designates May as National Water Safety Month.

WHAT ARE THE STATS?

Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1-4 in the U.S. For every child who dies from drowning, ve receive emergency care for submersion injuries.

British Swim School in Cy-Fair caters to students of all ages with a mission to promote swimming safety. (Photos courtesy British Swim School)

British Swim School Local instructors focus on water safety for all ages A shley Yates, owner of the British Swim School of Cypress-Spring, left her role as a Cy-Fair elementary

WHAT CAN I DO?

Ensure fencing around pools is at least 5 feet tall with a self- closing and self-latching gate. Designate an adult to be responsible for keeping their eyes on all children in the water.

This franchise opportunity was ideal as it made use of existing spaces by partnering with tness facilities such as LA Fitness, Yates said. With a pool temperature of 82-84 degrees, the environment is ideal for young students. Yates, alongside her husband Dustin, opened her rst location in Cy-Fair in 2022, and a second opened in Spring earlier this year. These locations have served about 200 families, teaching water survival through one-on-one instruction. Group sing-alongs are often used to help calm children so they can learn. Yates said students rst learn to get comfortable in the water, oating and treading water before learning swim strokes, such as

freestyle, backstroke, and eventually buttery and breaststroke. Drowning prevention was the primary mission of the founder of British Swim School, Rita Goldberg, who started the school in her home in 1981 in Manchester, England. Yates, a native Texan, said when she is asked how the school got its name, she jokes that “it’s because we always stop class for high tea.” Today, the school stays on brand as the students wear life preservers decorated with the U.K. ag. “The name remains the same because we carry on her same curriculum, but we’ve added a few things over the years as COVID[-19] brought about the need for an adult program,” she said.

British Swim School 17800 FM 529, Houston 281-601-4588 www.britishswimschool.com Oce hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Sat.-Sun. Pool hours: Tue., Thu. 3:30-7:30 p.m.; Sat. 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., closed Mon., Wed., Fri., Sun. SOURCES: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY IMPACT

school science teacher to pursue an education-related business opportu- nity that would allow her to be more involved in the community. She was drawn to British Swim School’s mission of water safety for children. Although she did not have a background in swim training, she said she felt teaching children to swim would empower them to be safe and condent around water. “My passion is working with children and families. But I wanted to own my own business and ... really impact the community on a large scale,” she said.

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