MSA provides private Swim/Safety lessons for students who benefit from one on one coaching.
MSA provides private Swim/Safety lessons for students who benefit from one on one coaching.
Welcome to MSA
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Our Vision
At MSA, we envision a world where every student has the opportunity to achieve their full potential despite any developmental disabilities/sensory issues, or their fear of the water.
Using the Developmental Relationship-Based Intervention (DRBI) technique, every lesson is customized to fit the students needs and goals.
By giving the students “complete control” over their lessons, they become safe, confident and motivated swimmers. After all, a happy student is a thriving student!!!
Our History
MSA was Founded in 2021 by Megan Morrisey. Coach Megan has over 20 years experience in safety/swim lessons. Coach Megan also has over 5 years of experience in Developmental Behaviors and OT from her work with children on the spectrum.
While employed at traditional swim schools, Coach Megan noticed some students had difficulties following their programs and was able to design a program to accommodate all styles of learning/understanding.
Coach Megan also understands her targeted students on a personal level as well. Navigating life from the 80’s until her early 30’s (undiagnosed with ADHD) had its ups and downs. Coach Megan never wants another person to feel the way she did most of her life and decided to combine these tools with her passion for swimming and water safety and thus the culture of MSA was born.
Our Coaches
Our coaches are passionate about coaching and committed to their students' success. Coaches are trained in water safety, swim strokes, and developmental differences/sensory issues. During the first lesson, our coaches get to know each student to analyze the level they are on and individual learning styles. We use the questions you answer during registration to help us engage your students and build that relationship with them. Our coaches use innovative methods, like playing games, to help the students meet their goals. We have structured lesson plans for those students who need structure, however we can always adjust our plans to fit each student’s needs. Our coaches make sure the comfort of our students comes first by communicating with and encouraging them when asking them to go outside that comfort level. Our methods of coaching can also be used in everyday life, and everyday life can be used to teach water safety/swimming.
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Our Locations/Seasons
MSA is year-round at our indoor location off
Davis Mill Road, Germantown MD.
MSA provides lessons during the "Summer Season"
from June 1 - August 31
at our outdoor location in
Potomac/Bethesda, MD
During the Summer Season we also travel to your private pool!
There is a Travel Fee added to each lesson and we are not permitted to travel to neighborhood pools or rec centers/clubs as insurance doesn't permit this.
MSA Level Goals
Yellow
Yellow
Yellow
The yellow level is perfect for students only comfortable on the steps, face out or with a guardian present.
The Goals of this level are:
- Be independent from guardian and able to follow instructions
- Be able to leave the comfort of the steps with flotation devices
- Be comfortable with being splashed in their face and getting their hair wet
Green
Yellow
Yellow
The Green Level is perfect for students who are not comfortable putting their face in the water but like to splash in the pool.
The Goals of this level are:
- “Our Chin Has All The Fun”- Being comfortable submerging their chin into the water
- “Look What Our Lips Can Do” -Being comfortable submerging their lips
- “We Hum A Melody” -Being comfortable submerging their nose and making nose bubbles by humming
- “We Look At The Floor” Being comfortable submerging their whole face in the water while looking down at the floor
- Humpty-Dumpty from our bellies to our backs and back to the wall for safety walks.
Blue
Yellow
Purple
The Blue Level is perfect for students that want to make sure they can save themselves should there be an incident and they were to fall in unexpectedly. This level focuses on all the ways a student can save themselves because at MSA we just want you to be safe.
The Goals of this level are:
- Back Float
- Freeze-Whoosh-Freeze (beginner backstroke)
- “Save yourself” Jump In-Back Float-Freeze-Whoosh-Freeze back to the wall
- Front Float with face in
- Front Float with face in-Lift head to breathe, Pencil-Whoosh (beginner freestyle)
- “Save yourself” Jump In-Lift head to breathe-Front Float-Pencil-Whoosh
Purple
Purple
Purple
The Purple Level is beginner Freestyle
The Goals of this level are:
- Streamline Glide “Pencil”
- Streamline Glide “Pencil” with flutter kicks
- Freestyle arms “Hi Coach”
- Freestyle arms “Elbows”
- Freestyle side breath “1-2-3 Peanut Butter & Jelly”
- Freestyle side breath “Smell your armpits”
Pink
Purple
Orange
The Pink Level is beginner Breaststroke
The Goals of this level are:
- Streamline Glide “Pencil” with breaststroke kick “Up”
- Streamline Glide “Pencil” with breaststroke kick “Up”, feet “Out” and kick “Out”
- Streamline Glide “Pencil” with breaststroke kick “Up”, feet “Out” and kick “Out” then kick “Together” back into a Streamline Glide “Pencil”
- Feet “Together” with breaststroke arms “Down”
- Feet “Together” with breaststroke arms “Down” into “Smell you breath and Breathe”
- Feet “Together” with breaststroke arms “Down” into “Smell you breath and Breathe” back into your Streamline Glide “Pencil”
Orange
Purple
Orange
The Orange Level is beginner Backstroke
The Goals of this level are:
- “1-2-3 Come to me” into a “Freeze” then “Whoosh” Float
- “1-2-3 Come to me” into a “Freeze” then “Whoosh” Float with flutter kicks
- “1-2-3 Come to me” into a “Freeze” then “Whoosh” Float with flutter kicks with “Thumbs Up” dominant arm
- “1-2-3 Come to me” into a “Freeze” then “Whoosh” Float with flutter kicks with “Thumbs Up” and “Thumbs Down” dominant arm
- “1-2-3 Come to me” into a “Freeze” then “Whoosh” Float with flutter kicks with “Thumbs Up” non-dominant arm
- “1-2-3 Come to me” into a “Freeze” then “Whoosh” Float with flutter kicks with “Thumbs Up” and “Thumbs Down” non-dominant arm
Red
Red
Red
The Red Level is beginner Butterfly
The Goals of this level are:
- Streamline Glide “Pencil” with “Dolphin Kicks”
- Streamline Glide “Pencil” with “Dolphin Kicks” with arms “Down” and “Head up” for a breath
- Dolphin Kicks with arms behind your “Back” and fingers out of the water with your “Head up” to breathe
- Dolphin Kicks with arms behind your “Back” and fingers out of the water with your “Head up” to breathe into a Streamline Glide “Pencil”
- Streamline Glide “Pencil” with “Dolphin Kicks”
- Streamline Glide “Pencil” with “Dolphin Kicks” with arms “Down” and “Head up” for a breath with arms behind your “Back” then into a Streamline Glide “Pencil”