Community Spotlight: Swimming LA

Spring has sprung and although it’s still a little chilly out, have no fear, our next featured local business has a beautiful indoor heated pool! Returning to the South Bay after a long hiatus, Swimming LA has been teaching babies and adults to swim in LA for over 10 years. We are so excited to share, they now have classes in El Segundo at “The Plunge” aka Urho Saari Swim Stadium.

This is a sponsored post, but we are selective on the companies we work with to ensure they align with our community.

Tell us about your company:

“Swimming LA Swim School is the only swim school in Los Angeles that focuses exclusively on parent/child swim classes for infant/toddlers ages 2-36 months. Although Swimming LA offers only parent/child classes, the curriculum is much more progressive than typical “Mommy & Me” swim classes. All classes are taught by Swimming LA President & Founder, Matt Harrigan, a former Princeton University record holder, U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier, and father of two young boys. Swimming LA is also the only swim school in Los Angeles that offers the consistency of the same instructor for every class. Swimming LA’s curriculum focuses on the intellectual benefits of early age swimming, designed to make your child safer in the water and smarter for life.”

What inspired you to launch this business?

“I first started Swimming LA because the sport of swimming has given me so much opportunity in life and I wanted to give something back. As I started coaching and teaching all ages and abilities, I quickly learned that I most enjoyed working with the least-experienced swimmers because I was making a major impact on their lives. I started teaching parents how to work with their infants as well as adults with fear of water and the appreciation people showed became my motivation. As my patrons started sharing more detailed experiences in their Yelp and Google reviews, I became even more inspired to help people. I continue to evolve the business every step of the way and I feel truly blessed that Swimming LA allows me to transform lives in a positive way.”

What is one of your proudest moments?

“One of my most recent proud moments starts about 6 months ago when a mom brought her son, Kevin (then 18-months), into the water for his first-ever swim lesson. The first lesson, as most first lessons go at this age, was rocky to say the least – he cried from the first time he went underwater through the final goodbye song. Kevin is a first child and his mom was concerned that Kevin’s first lesson went so poorly and wondered if he would be traumatized. She emailed me later in the day because he woke up crying from his nap. We scheduled a time to speak the same day and I walked her through how the next several weeks of class would likely go. She put her trust in me and did not waiver – Kevin did not skip any classes and everything went according to plan. Four classes later, Kevin was the proudest swimmer in his class and he is still progressing now at two years old. He is now one of my most enthusiastic and gregarious students. Just this past Sunday, Kevin’s father was in class with him and as they were exiting the pool after class, his father said to me, “You’re SO good with him. Well, you’re good with ALL of them, but you’re just so good with Kevin. Thank you, Matt.” Those are the moments I teach for – changing lives and showing people that I care.”

What can one expect when working with you/visiting your location?

“You can expect me to take a personal interest in teaching you and your child. If you follow my instructions, you can expect your child to make fast and considerable progress at Swimming LA and you will always feel that I care about making a difference for your family.”

Tell us a little about you:

“I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, working hard in swimming and public school to become a 5-time Pennsylvania State Champion and earn admission into Princeton University. At Princeton, I earned two individual Ivy League titles in two different events and qualified and competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials. After college, I worked in finance in NYC and San Francisco before meeting my wife in Maui and subsequently moving to Los Angeles to join her. Although I still maintain a career in real estate finance, Swimming LA is my passion. I now live in Encino Hills with my wife and two sons.”

What do you enjoy doing in the South Bay when you are not working?

“When I’m not working or spending time with my family, I enjoy masters swimming and yoga sculpt classes. I also frequently volunteer at my sons’ schools.”

How do you give back to the community?

“Before my first son was born, I volunteered as a Big Brother for three years for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater LA. I served as a Big Brother to my little – a 6 year old Egyptian boy raised by a single mother. More recently, I served on the Board of Brentwood Presbyterian Church Preschool for three years while my kids were in school there. I do look forward to discovering other ways that Swimming LA can give back to the local South Bay community while becoming the go-to, most highly-recognized parent/child swim program in the area.”