Jackson Creek Swim in Inkom empowers kids with essential water skills
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INKOM — Paige Armstrong and her daughter Kari Welch share a passion for teaching children to swim, and it’s evident in every lesson they give at Jackson Creek Swim. For eight years, they’ve dedicated themselves to teaching swimming skills and instilling life-saving water safety techniques to children as young as 2.
Jackson Creek Swim, a private indoor facility at 1005 East Jackson Creek Road in Inkom, focuses on safety. With an emphasis on helping kids learn to float on their backs first, Armstrong and Welch believe that building confidence in the water starts with mastering the basics.
“Getting kids in the water at a young age is so important. We start by getting kids floating on their backs. If they can float, they can save themselves,” said Welch.
“After they can float, we work on rolling over, swimming a few strokes, then rolling back to the breath. Once these foundational skills are down, we can move on to different swim strokes and diving,” Welch added.
Armstrong recalls working with an autistic child who was initially terrified of the water. With patient instruction and encouragement, that child overcame his fear and went on to compete in the Special Olympics, earning second place in the backstroke and third in freestyle swimming.
Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for autistic children, accounting for 91% of all accidental deaths in children with autism ages 14 and under, according to the National Autism Association. For all children under 14, drowning remains a top cause of accidental death, making the work Armstrong and Welch do at Jackson Creek Swim even more vital.
“Drowning usually doesn’t look like it does in the movies, with people flailing their arms and yelling for help. It’s often quiet. People go under the water and don’t come back up,” said Welch. “We want our students to be able to save themselves. It’s incredibly rewarding to see them gain that confidence.”
Welch has a 2-month-old baby and is already introducing her daughter to the water.
“I bring her in the pool with me, holding her head and helping her float on her back,” she said. “I want her to get used to the feeling of water. I want water to be a happy experience.”
Jackson Creek Swim offers swim lessons in convenient two-week blocks, providing the consistent practice children need to build strong swimming skills. Each two-week session includes eight days of instruction, each lasting two hours.
Within that time, each swimmer receives a one-on-one lesson of 10 minutes. The remainder of the time, the parent or guardian can get in the pool with their child to practice skills or to play.
As instructors, Armstrong and Welch set high expectations for their students but approach teaching with warmth and encouragement, pushing them to succeed in a supportive learning environment.
“We’re passionate about teaching kids how to swim,” said Armstrong. “Access to swimming lessons isn’t always easy, so we were initially concerned about being too far out. But we’ve been thrilled to have families from Pocatello, Blackfoot, Idaho Falls, Arbon, Soda Springs, Georgetown and Malad.”
Jackson Creek Swim also provides adult lessons, with one of their oldest students being 70. Although the facility is not open for public swimming, it is available to rent out for private birthday parties for kids.
“Some of our students enjoy it here so much they want to have their birthday party here,” said Armstrong.
Those interested in renting the facility for birthday parties should contact Kari Welch at (208) 223-4111 or kari@jacksoncreekswim.com.
The pool is open for lessons Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. year-round, with some time off during the holidays. Jackson Creek Swim has openings for late summer and fall sessions.
For more information or to register for swim lessons, visit Jackson Creek Swim or follow it on Instagram at @jacksoncreekswim or on Facebook.