Nashville Dolphins

Programs: The nashville dolphins swim team provides year-round swim practices and competition to over 60 children and adults with intellectual disabilities at no cost to any participant. Swimmers must be able to swim 25 yards independently and take direction from a coach on deck to participate on the swim team. We offer practices four times a week fall, winter and spring and twice a week during the summer months. Our swimmers are encouraged to attend practice as often as they like. The dolphin swim team competes in special olympics locally, regionally and nationally. Our swimmers take great pride in being part of a team like their siblings and peers. Once a year we take our swim team to an out of state swim meet. This weekend trip is the highlight of the season for our swimmers. We pay all travel expenses. Opportunities for adults with disabilities diminish after the age of 21, leaving many sedentary, lonely, and often overweight and unhealthy. We not only make available weekly aerobic exercise, we also provide many out of water socializing opportunities for our team members including parties, canoe trips, hiking trips, goat yoga, etc. We also encourage our swimmers to give back to the community, and as an example, we volunteer once a month feeding the homeless at the nashville rescue mission.

the junior dolphin programs provides swim instruction to those children with disabilities who can swim several yards independently but need more work before they are able to join our swim team. There is no cost to any participant. The junior dolphin instructors and volunteers are in the water with our swimmers teaching proper technique on all four strokes and proper breathing. They also work to build each swimmers endurance. Typically, volunteers are positioned down the swim lane, so swimmers begin to do laps during practice with rest and instruction all along the way.

the future dolphins program provides one on one learn to swim lessons and water safety to 120 children and adults with intellectual disabilities each semester at no cost to any participant. Drowning is a number one cause of accidental death among children with special needs and learning to safely swim is a sure way to prevent drowning. People with disabilities need individualized instruction and attention in the pool which we provide, and each lesson is customized to each swimmer's needs and abilities. Before each session begins, parents of children new to the program fill out a detailed questionnaire about their child's needs, likes, abilities, behavior, etc. So our instructors and volunteers can plan how to work best with their swimmer. Each lead instructor fills out a skill evaluation sheet on each swimmer at the end of each class. Children are paired with the same volunteers and instructors each week. There is no limit to the number of lessons a child can receive in this program as all of our swimmers learn at different levels and speeds. Whether it takes 6 weeks or six years, most participants learn to safely swim and can then move up to our junior dolphin (intermediate) program. Some participants with more severe physical or mental challenges may never be able to swim independently, but the one on one attention in the warm water builds muscle strength, increases flexibility and improves muscle relaxation.

the murfreesboro swim team is for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in the murfreesboro area. Practices are held at the mtsu campus twice a week to improve swimming skills, endurance, water safety and confidence in the water. These swimmers compete in all the same special olympic meets as the dolphin swim team, including our annual out of town meet.