In Marin / CURRENTS
CHERYLL BOISSEVAIN SA YS she has “paddled her way through life.” Boissevain teaches kids and adults how to swim, which she has done for four decades, both at her Novato home and at the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center in San Rafael, where for the last 10 years she has
been the aquatics program manager. When did you start teaching?
Really in 1974 when we bought our house in Novato. It had a huge
down-sloping backyard. I told my husband I wanted to build a pool.
He said I was crazy, but we
built the pool and I made
our money back the first
year. I ended up teaching every kid in Novato every summer. Do you
still teach while managing the JCC program? Tons. I’m in the water
about 10 or 12 hours a week. Babies, children, adults and people with
special needs. What do you enjoy the most? I really enjoy working
with beginners — and that means adults, too. I like that challenge.
Why should someone learn to swim? It’s a lifelong and a lifesav-
ing skill. Everybody needs to learn how to do it. The reward is that
you’re healthier and can enjoy all sorts of water recreation. You can
swim, you can kayak, you can sail. Who’s the hardest to teach? The
perfectionist — both kids and adults. Kids start crying because they
can’t do something someone else can. Adults want to do 10 laps imme-
diately. They need to practice. Repetition is key. Can people who are
afraid of the water learn to swim? Yes, they can, but it takes them a
while. What do you begin with? I try to find a student’s goals on day
one. For a child, it might be wanting to go to pool parties. For an adult
it might be doing laps. I set up goals for success. If they’re not feeling
successful, they’re not going to conquer their fears. What do you look
for as you teach? I watch for a lot of body language, which tells it all.
You can tell when the muscles are really tight, and you can’t relax
when you’re afraid. What’s your best advice for someone learning to
swim? Relax and stop thinking about it. Thinking is overrated. It’s all
in the feel of the water. Stop thinking and feel what you’re doing. M
In the Pool
A local swim instructor wants to teach you to
love the water. BY TIM PORTER
Cheryll Boissevain, Aquatic Program
Manager, Osher Marin JCC, marinjcc.org
ON THE JOB
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