Today we’d like to introduce you to Korrinn Lubarsky.
Korrinn, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always enjoyed being in and around the water and have been in the aquatics industry for more than 20 years. I started swimming lessons at 6 months old and continued lessons until I joined my town’s recreational swim team, the Dedham Clippers at 8 years old. I swam for both the Clippers and my high school swim team until I was 17. During high school, I started teaching swimming lessons and realized my passion for teaching kids how to swim. The look on a child’s face when they master a skill for the first time is priceless. And although I have seen it happen countless times in my career, each moment is special and unique because it is different with every child.
Now, as a mom of two small girls, ages 4 and 3 ½ months, I am thrilled to see my own children participate and take swim lessons through JCC Greater Boston’s Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Academy (LKSA). Both kids have been swimming in this program since they were 2 months old and are thriving. Swimming truly is a gift for life and I am so privileged to be able to bring this program to my daughters as well as our community.
Over the last nearly 15 years, I have had the opportunity to oversee aquatics departments in the local area. I recently celebrated my 10-year anniversary at JCC Greater Boston as the Director of Aquatics. Currently, I oversee all operations and programming for our two thriving pools and manage more than 100 people during our busy summer season. I consult with other JCCs and LKSAs as well.
I am so blessed that I have been able to mix my passion and love for aquatics in a full-time career.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There will always be struggles and challenges in any business you manage, but the challenges have motivated us to respond proactively to market conditions and ensure we offer the types of classes our community wants while offering the best customer service.
While I have been lucky to build a career in aquatics, it’s not a typical career path. Many use it as a stepping stone or a temporary job, particularly for high school and college students, so staffing and retention is often a struggle across the industry.
Please tell us about Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Academy at JCC Greater Boston.
LKSA offers a learn-to-swim program for children of all ages, starting at 3 months old. Started in 2005 by 4-time Olympic Gold Medalist Lenny Krayzelburg, LKSA’s core purpose is to teach and inspire children to be water safe. We currently provide year-round swim lessons to nearly 425 children in 38 communities around Greater Boston. In addition, during the summer, we serve an additional 240 children each week who attend day camps in our Newton location.
We offer parent-tot lessons, group lessons, as well as private lessons. One of the unique aspects of the LKSA program is the perpetual sign-up method, giving swimmers the flexibility to join the program whenever it’s convenient and to change days, times or instructors when needed. You don’t need to be a member of JCC Greater Boston to participate – swim lessons are open to the entire community.
Our swimmers are taught the SwimRight® method, which focuses on correct body positioning and proper alignment from the early stages of lessons. All students learn first to have an instinct to roll over onto their backs to breathe, which provides them with the ultimate tool for saving themselves in a time of need.
Our learn-to-swim program features eight levels. Each level has a fun name and a color-coded swim cap that helps inspire kids to move up to the next level. Additionally, each child in the program receives their own student progress book to help them keep track of all the skills they learn and their achievements throughout the program.
Something unique to LKSA is our survival tests. Every eight weeks, swimmers participate in safety tests to confirm their proficiency so they can move ahead with a sense of accomplishment and pride. Survival tests are important because they provide both the parents and the children with the confidence of knowing their child can survive in a real-life situation. We are proud to say we truly put our teachings to the test!
We want to make sure all children who want to learn to swim are given the opportunity. Within our LKSA curriculum, we offer adapted swim lessons for those children, teens, and adults with special needs. Instructors with adapted aquatics training help participants feel comfortable and safe in the water. Our instructors are highly skilled at meeting the needs of all swimmers.
I am incredibly proud of having taught thousands of kids water safety and the importance of knowing how to swim since the inception of LKSA.
Pricing:
- Private Class (15 min): $30.50-$38.50
- Group Class (25-30 min): $25.00-$32.00
Contact Info:
- Address: 333 Nahanton Street
Newton, MA 02459 - Website: https://www.bostonjcc.org/lksa
- Phone: 617.558.6442
- Email: lksainfo@jccgb.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lksanewton/
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