SWIMkids USA - About Us

Mission Statement

We provide an atmosphere where success in inevitable.

We believe that with consistent guidance and loving respect, children will flourish and grow. We believe swimming, gymnastics and dance is a means to an end…to build self confidence, self-discipline, integrity and courage for life.

University Researched Method

Our internationally and nationally recognized SWIMkids USA method is the result of 35 plus years of empirical research with over 50,000 swimmer students. The SWIMkids USA method has been researched and tested at Arizona State University and published in the school has been recognized for it's cutting edge techniques in water safety training and advanced swim techniques on: Good Morning America, Disney's Epcot Magazine, That's Incredible, The Montel Williams Show & Omni Medical Documentary.

Our purpose in providing aquatic safety and swim lessons is to:

Equip your child with an immediate method of survival in an emergency situation
Teach your child a love and respect of the water
Increase your child's sensory/motor development and self-esteem
Train your child in cutting edge techniques in advance swim methods

Presentations

OUR EXPERTISE HAS BEEN SOUGHT WORLD WIDE

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2008

November - World Aquatic Babies Congress, Japan
October - US Swim School Association Conference, Phoenix
May - Women On Water Summit, Palm Desert, California

2007

October - World Aquatic Babies Congress, Wellington New Zealand
July - US Swim School Association Workshop, San Antonio
May - Australasion Oceania Swimming Professional Convention, Australia
April - National Drowning Prevention Symposium, Phoenix

2006

November - World Aquatic Babies Congress, Portland Oregon
October - US Swim School Association Conference, San Diego

Awards

2007 Best Special Event – US Swim School Association

2007 Best Promotions – US Swim School Association

2007 Best Non Print Advertisements – US Swim School Association

2006 Best Special Event – US Swim School Association

2006 Best Re-enactment of Olympic Medal Ceremony – New Times

1998 Outstanding Facility Design – National Swim School Association

1996 Best Newspaper Ads – National Swim School Association

1996 Best Training Manuals - National Swim School Association

1995 Best Photography - National Swim School Association

1995 Best Special Event - National Swim School Association

1995 Peak Performer – National Swim School Association

1985 Best Baby Swim – New Times

Instructors

OUR STAFF

SWIMkids USA is lead by a group of talented and energetic professionals dedicated to your child's success in swimming, gymnastics and dance. The owners and their outstanding staff have redefined the "lesson" experience for thousands of children by providing a unique, creative, animated and remarkably challenging style of teaching that keeps children active, smiling and safe!

Our staff is chosen for their love of children and their talent for teaching. In addition to CPR, First Aid, Lifeguard and instructor certifications, our teachers receive an extensive 150 in-class training with our master instructors. We continually strive to meet even higher standards by attending annual training seminars at the US Olympic Training Center, The United States Swim School Association, the American Red Cross, and the World Aquatic Baby Congress and monthly training workshops.

SWIMkids USA offers your child the safest, most effective aquatic training in the world, in a warm nurturing environment.

Meet the Instructors

Founder and Managers

Lana Whitehead, President and Owner
Lana Whitehead has owned and operated SWIMkids USA for over 35 years. The swim program is the result of Lana's Master's thesis which included four research projects tested and researched at Arizona State University. Lana has authored several swimming books, articles, videos, and has lectured internationally and nationally for professional education and swim forums.

Mrs. Whitehead received a Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Physiology and a Masters in Special Education, specializing in Sensory Integration, training children with disabilities, including signing to the deaf. She holds Arizona and California Teaching Certificates and is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine. She is certified in American Red Cross WSI, Lifesaving, CPR and First Aid for the Professional Rescuer and YMCA Adaptive Swimming Instruction.

Lana has been a competitive swim coach and served as a State and National USA Swimming Official. She and her team continually strive to meet higher standards in the industry by attending numerous training workshops and seminars at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, U.S. Swim School Association and the World Aquatic Baby Congress.

Her method has been featured on:

Good Day Arizona (3TV - Phoenix )
12 News (Phoenix)
Channel 5 (Phoenix)
Channel 10 (Phoenix)
Good Morning America
Disney’s Epcot Magazine
PM Magazine
Omni’s Medical Documentary
That’s Incredible
Montel Williams Show

Bryan Crane, General Manager
Bryan started in September 2003 and is currently the General Manager. Since 1991, Bryan's professional aquatic experience began as a Pool Manager and Aquatics Director. His experience includes Head Swim Coach at Pullman High School, Spokane Waves Aquatic Association, Stephen Wise Aquatic Team, Whitworth College, as well as assistant coach for Desert Thunder Aquatic Club.

Bryan completed studies in Kinesiology at Whitworth College in Spokane, WA. He applies his expertise in education and development of swimming athletes. He is a certified coach with United States Swimming. From 2000 to 2005, Bryan attended and contributed to the Boomer and Paradigm Clinics at the Olympic Training Centers. During this time, he had the opportunity to work and discuss with some of the greatest swimmers and coaches in the world on issues concerning aquatic development for infants through elite level competitive swimmers.

Bryan’s passion in aquatics is to see children develop from infancy through swim team so they can develop a life-long love for the water. His love for the water began at the age of 9-months when his family would take him swimming in a backyard pool. He continued to swim by playing in the Mediterranean Sea while his father was stationed in Sicily with the US Navy. At the age of 10, Bryan’s family returned to Washington State where he joined a year-round swim team and swam competitively through college. Bryan swims on the Master’s team he started at the Chandler High School Aquatic Center and plays in the ocean when he gets a chance.

Along with his love and respect of the water, he is also an avid road and mountain biker who also enjoys backpacking, hiking and camping. He enjoys spending time with his family playing on the trampoline, barbequing, cooking s’mores over a backyard campfire and just relaxing with a fun movie.

Shaunna Risinger, Business Manager
Shaunna has worked for SWIMkids USA since March 2004. She is the Business Manager and still gets in the pool 3 days a week. Currently, she is pursuing her Bachelor degree in family studies and child development. Her past employment was with the Grand Traverse County Fire Department as a firefighter and is currently a certified EMT-B.

Lance Whitehead, Accounting Manager
Lance studied at the Al Collins Institute and Mesa Community College. He served on his church mission in upstate New York. In 1995, Lance joined SWIMkids USA (then Swimfants), the family business. In addition to his accounting, payroll and organizational duties, Lance is responsible for the year round decorations. He enjoys planning staff and client events. He is an avid fan of Disney and goes to Disneyland several times a year.

James Brocki, Swim Team Director
James is the current Swim Team Director at SWIMkids USA. He started swimming at 8 months of age and at 12 began competitive swim. At age 15, James became a lifeguard and then a head guard. During his competitive swimming years, James was the anchor of the 400 medley relay at the Jr. Nationals in 1999. James has been teaching for over 10 years with experience at the American Red Cross, Assistant Director for the YMCA and SWIMkids USA. He holds certifications in American Red Cross CPR and Lifeguard, USA Swimming Coach, and a former New York EMT.

Allison Price, Gymnastics & Dance Program Director
Allison started dance training when she was 3 at the Worley Ellis Studio in Wilcox, AZ. She continued training at both facilities until age 14 when she moved to the Phoenix Valley where she trained at DancEnergy for 5 more years. She was also a member of their competition company for 4 years. In 2004, she began teaching all types of dance including tap, ballet and jazz. In 2006, Allison joined the staff at SWIMkids USA and is pursuing her degree in Speech Therapy from Mesa Community College.

Ruth Broos, Marketing Director
Ruth started in April 2007 as the Marketing Director of SWIMkids USA. Ruth brings 9 years of experience in government relations and liaison work with federal and state lobbyist’ throughout the country. Ruth has earned her Bachelor’s of Health Care Services and Master’s in Business Administration. As a graduate of University of Phoenix, Ruth will help launch SWIMkids USA into another dimension as growth continues to bring good fortune to the company.

Ruth has her American Red Cross CPR and Lifeguard Certificate to help on the pool deck. Her 2 daughters have learned swim survival skills at SWIMkids USA. They are currently developing their talent by participating on the Rookie Swim Team and GYMkids.

Britt Kimball, Special Projects Manager
Britt grew up in east Phoenix. At an early age, she remembers taking summer swim lessons and wanting to be a swim instructor. She went to Rice University in Houston, TX where she majored in Sociology and Behavioral Sciences. She took life guarding as a Physical Education class and worked for three summers at the YMCA and a backyard swim school. Following her interest in event planning, she worked for the Old Pecan Street Festival in Austin, TX, for the Tempe Festival of the Arts, and for the Arizona Hospitality Expo. In 1999, she received her Masters of Business Administration from Arizona State University and in 2003, she became a Certified Festival and Event Executive. She joined SWIMkids USA in 2004 as the Front Desk Manager and a swim instructor. She loves children's energy, enthusiasm and frankness. She spends her free time with her husband and two daughters.

Cole Johnson, Facilities Manager
Cole was born and raised in Arizona. He started working aquatics in 2002 for the City of Tempe and SWIMkids USA in the fall. After graduating from Maricopa Community in 2004, Cole served his mission in Southern Georgia for 2 years. When he returned from Georgia, he came back to SWIMkids USA as the Facilities Manager and holds several other positions such as deck manager and American Red Cross Life Guard instructor/safety coordinator. He plans to pursue his Law Degree in the Fall 2008.

Brandon Whitehead, Swim Team Coach
Brandon has been teaching for SWIMkids USA for over 13 years. He graduated from nursing school at Mesa Community College and is a Certified Nursing Assistant. He holds certification from the National Swim School Association, and American Red Cross CPR and Lifeguard.

About Us