Frequently Asked Questions
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General FAQs
We are running all classes in gymnastics, swimming, baseball, lacrosse and soccer
Masks are not required for adults or staff who are fully vaccinated. All students, instructors not vaccinated are required to continue to wear a mask the entire time in the facility. Swim students are require to wear masks in the building but are allowed to remove them during their lesson (time in the water). Our instructors in the pool are required to have a face shield at all times.
We sanitize after each class. Our students and teachers sanitize after each rotation on equipment. We have hand sanitizing stations throughout the facility. Washing hands with soap and water is also encouraged regularly. A complete list of safety measures and protocols are available at SAFETY PROTOCOLS
We have adopted a very flexible make up policy as we encourage parents to keep kids home if they are feeling sick. We want to ensure the safety of all during this time.
We are no longer doing temperature checks at the front door, but ask everyone to do so prior to arriving at the facility. If you or your child has a temp. of 100.4 or higher, please stay home. Sanitizing your hands each time you enter the facility is required. Everyone will be asked a couple of simple questions prior to entering related to possible COVID – 19 exposure.
We have individual seating spaced out at least 8 ft and are limiting the amount of parents in the building to help limit overall numbers. We have configured our classes so that the 8 ft. spacing is in effect even during classes. Students learn using designated markers in classes and rotate once they have been instructed to do so.
All water fountains have been turned off and we ask parents to send in water bottles for their child’s use. We do this in an effort to limit shared spaces. We sell individual water bottles should anyone need it.
Aquatics FAQs
All classes will begin on time, please do your best to arrive 5-10 min before your scheduled time!
Lifeguard/Pool deck personal will be calling in your child from the glass entry door 5 min prior to the lesson and escort him/her to the pool area for the swim lesson.
It is preferable to have your swimmer in their suit prior to arrival.
Please feel free to change in our locker rooms before or after your lesson.
We perform free evaluations to ensure proper group placement. For available times and to register your child for their evaluation, click here.
Each swimmer needs a swimsuit and a towel. Children who are not potty trained are also required to wear a snug-fitting swim diaper. If your child is under three, they must be accident free for at least six months before swimming without a swim diaper.
Swim caps are required, since they can improve your child’s swimming experience because long hair is heavy and can make swimming more difficult. If you child is working on breathing and head rotation, it can make it very difficult for them to take a breath. We recommend that you braid the hair or pull the hair back into a ponytail if you don’t have a swim cap.
We encourage all swimmers to have goggles. As your child becomes a more avid swimmer, goggles can be helpful. If you decide to use goggles, have your child try them on before coming to class, and make sure they fit your child’s face snugly and comfortably. It’s also a good idea to write your child’s name on the goggles in permanent marker.
Condensed from “The Baby Swim Book” by Cinda L. Kocken & Janet McCabe
Pack your bag
- Parent & baby’s swimsuits
- Accessories to tie hair back
- Three towels
- Baby’s snack, Lotion
- Diapering needs
- Baby’s favorite water-resistant toy
Arrive early to allow time to acclimate to the new environment.
Dress comfortably and familiarize the child with the suit they will be wearing. (Remember children under the age of 3 must wear a snug fitting cloth reusable swim diaper.)
Feed your baby a light snack such as a cracker or piece of banana 15 minutes before the lesson and bring a snack for after the lesson. Swimming is hard work.
Accommodate your child’s nap time and if possible schedule a nap before the lesson.
Come prepared to participate fully, your interactions and participation will set the tone for your baby’s involvement.
Just like any other exercise, you wouldn’t want to feed your child a large meal just before getting into the water. It’s fine to have a small meal or snack before class as long as they have had at least 20 minutes to digest. Aqua Babies (children under three years) can have a light snack up to 15 min before each lesson.
A part of you wants to go rescue your child. But, another part of you wants your child to “tough it out” and gain victory over this fear. You may feel uncomfortable having a child who is so unhappy, and you are hopeful he/she doesn’t disrupt the class too much. Crying is not uncommon and is a natural expression of his/her emotional discomfort due to immersion in the water or separation from you. We will actively combat your child’s discomfort because his/her emotional comfort will greatly affect the acquisition of new swim skills.
Suggestions on how you help:
Give your child to the instructor
Walk your child out on deck and hand him/her over to the teacher. Then calmly walk back to the viewing room with a pleasant expression on your face. By handing your child over to the teacher, you are telling your child that you trust the teacher.
If your crying child continually looks at you and calls to you in the observation room, break eye contact. This can easily be done by looking at a magazine or book every time your child looks at you. Keep a pleasant expression on your face. We prefer that you not hide from your child or disappear from the viewing area.
Play with them in the water.
Come to a family swim or practice time and play with them in the water to speed up the adjustment period. Don’t make this a mini lesson, just have fun and enjoy the water together. Do not come for practice time immediately before the lesson. That is like putting dessert before dinner.
Praise and encouragement
After lessons is very important to give your child positive encouragement about being brave and trying something new. Don’t forget children are actually learning even if they are crying. Muscles are being built, coordination is increased, correct patterns are developing in the brain, and breathing control is increased
How Long Is Too Long?
How long is too long for your child to cry in swim lessons? On average, most swim students that cry have stopped after the third lesson. At the very least you should notice that the crying is diminishing. If not, it is possible that your child may need a private lesson. Some children are much more comfortable with the undivided attention of a caring teacher.
Our teachers are trained to deal with the most fearful of students and our deck managers are always on hand to assist if necessary. We use simple distraction techniques; toys, songs and games to help calm if you need help getting your child into the pool, please ask our staff for assistance and be sure to let us know any information that will help us get to know your child better (favorite toys, special songs, heroes, etc.). We will gladly get your child in the water and swimming happily in no time!
As the parent of a young child you are no doubt aware that each child is an individual and there are very few “rules” when it comes to learning new physical skills. Remember back to when your child learned to walk. Think how long it took them to learn; and they practiced that every day, all day!!! Learning to swim is teaching your child a completely different kind of motor skill unlike any other. There are also several fear factors that potentially come into play. Learning to be comfortable in the water, putting their face in the water, learning to breath correctly and then to push off from the side and trust the water to hold them up. These are major psychological steps. The Schafer Sports Center instructors are committed to allowing each child to learn and develop at their own pace. We see learning to swim as part of a bigger picture and we value the opportunity to invest our lives in your children and accomplish our mission of growing happy, healthy responsible kids who love to learn.
Our schedule is set up for the convenience of busy families. You can attend as little as one class per week or as many as seven. Consistency and repetition is the key to success; therefore, the more classes per week you can attend the faster your student will learn… especially beginning students. Once your child is comfortable in the water and learns the fundamentals, once or twice a week is acceptable.
First, ask him/her to swim using the skills they learned during class. Remember, practice only makes permanent, perfect practice makes perfect. Take advantage of family swim and practice times. Second, encourage him/her to swim with their face in the water. Third, the body should be horizontal in the water when making forward progress. Finally, try to reassure your children that the water is a fun activity.
Yes, you may request a teacher and we will do everything possible to fulfill your request, but unfortunately we can’t guarantee your child’s placement with a specific instructor. All Schafer Sports Center instructors are safety-certified and trained to our standards to ensure quality and consistency in every class.tent
Plateaus are common, especially when a child gets to levels that tend to be difficult (i.e. the Advanced Preschool and Breather levels, Advanced levels). Our teachers are sensitive to these issues and are trained to motivate and guide swimmers through these difficult levels. As a parent, it’s important to remain positive and supportive to help the child work through these times. If you are concerned about your child’s progress, please talk to your swim coach, Assistant Director or Director for advice on working through the possible plateaus.
There are two main types of ear infections — middle and outer ear infections. Middle ear infections are usually a complication of a cold or virus, where the Eustachian tube becomes clogged with mucus and the pressure in the ear rises and the ear becomes infected fluid. Outer ear infections (also known as “swimmer’s ear”) commonly occur in children who spend a lot of time in the water. Too much moisture in the ear can irritate and break down the skin in the canal, allowing bacteria or fungi to penetrate. To prevent the latter, children should gently dry their ears with a towel and help water run out of their ears by turning their heads to the side. Using over-the-counter drops of a diluted solution of acetic acid or alcohol in the ears after getting them wet can also help as long as the child does not have ear tubes or a hole in the eardrum. Swimming does not cause the middle ear infections. Children with ventilation tubes in their ears can still swim, but should wear ear plugs, a tight fitting cap, and should not swim deeper than a foot below the surface of the water.
Certainly swimming is a physical activity but ½ hour of swimming often seems to be much more exhausting than ½ hour of other sports activities. If your child is in an upper level class, the answer may lie in your water bottle. Proper hydration is very important particularly in a warm water facility like Schafer Sports Center. It’s easy, and common, to mistakenly figure that because your sweat isn’t obvious, that it’s not happening. You can sweat off 6 to 8 ounces every 15 minutes in the pool. Following are some Smart Swimmer Drinking Rules:
- Take a healthy swig of fresh water (not pool water) every 15 minutes.
- Pre-hydrate. Drink 2 to 3 cups of water an hour before swimming.
- Drink before you are thirsty.
Staying fully hydrated will also help with the post swim munchies.
Water weighs approximately 60 pounds per cubic foot. It is this weight that causes the sensation of pressure. Water pressure increases by one-half pound per square inch per each foot of depth.
With few exceptions everyone floats, however, most people think that they are the exception. The degree of buoyancy is dependent upon several factors: the ratio of fatty tissue to muscle tissue; the amount of bone mass; and lung capacity. Generally, persons who are physically fit are less buoyant. The goal of Schafer Sports Center is to teach proper body position and balance so that each swimmer can maximize their buoyancy.
Some people are naturally more sensitive to the chemicals that are used in a pool’s purification system. There are some very important steps you can take to help prevent any adverse reactions. To protect skin and hair, you should always shower before and after using the facility. Ideally, showering should occur without soap and with cool water. This helps to cut down on any contaminants that you may be bringing into the pool as well as any with which you may leave. To prevent excessive drying of your skin and the development of any rashes, apply baby oil or highly emollient lotions to your body after showering. This is especially important if you have sensitive skin. If you use these preventative measures each time you swim in chlorine, you should not have a problem with how your skin reacts.
Gymnastics FAQs
Currently classes are offered Monday -Thursday and Saturday mornings. Weekday classes start at 4pm and Saturday classes start at 8:30.
Most classes are half an hour and have been structured this way to accommodate our safety measures.
Currently we offer some small group classes with only 4 students per class. We also offer private lessons and semi-private lessons.
We have preschool classes for 4-5 yr. olds. Boys and Girls classes for ages 6 yrs. and up. Trampoline and Tumble classes for more advanced students. We are able to customize some options as well. Please talk with our staff about custom options.
A complete list of safety measures and protocols at SAFETY PROTOCOLS
For regular classes, tuition is billed monthly and is $90 per class for the month. For 80 minute long classes, the monthly tuition is $116.
During COVID, capacity is set by the state of New Jersey in accordance with CDC guidelines and will change up or down as mandated.
All students, instructors and any parent permitted in the building are required to wear a mask the entire time in the facility.
We sanitize after each class. Our students and teachers sanitize after each rotation on equipment. We have hand sanitizing stations throughout the facility. Washing hands with soap and water is also encouraged regularly.
Athletics FAQs
Currently, we offer soccer, lacrosse, baseball, softball and conditioning lessons
- Private lessons will consist of 1 student and 1 teacher.
- Semi private will have 2 students either from the same family or a friend that is in the same pod for a total of 2 athletes and 1 instructor.
- Our small group athletic classes will consist of 4-6 students plus instructor(s).
We teach all athletic classes on our indoor turf field.ent
We do have a conditioning program that may have classes for teenagers and adults at the same time. We ensure that our numbers are compliant with state mandates and everyone is spaced out appropriately along with wearing masks.
If your child is between the ages of 4-6, one parent may enter the building.
Adult Aqua Fitness FAQs
If you don’t’ want to wear a bathing suit, that’s fine. You can simply wear a lightweight pair of shorts or leggings with a t-shirt or tank top.
GOOD NEWS! Your head and hair are kept dry and out of the water, so there’s no need to wash or re-styling your hair or redo your make-up after your workout. Many of our clients take WaterGym early in the morning, shower quickly and go straight to work after class, so their workout is easy to fit into a busy schedule.
All you really need is a comfortable, supportive and covering swimsuit. One-piece are a favorite but 2-piece, sports bra and bikini bottom or shorts are welcome.
Our pool is a comfortable 4′ deep and an inviting 90º, so there’s no need to know how to swim. but it is a great primer for non-swimmers on how to grow confidence moving in the water. All our trainers are also lifeguard certified.
The majority of our classes are women only but we offer co-ed classes everyday.
Water shoes are not required in the pool, however, please feel free to do what makes you comfortable.
Currently all aqua fitness classes are for adults only, so 18 years and up is a requirement. We will look to offer options for teens in the near future.
We hold a 24 hour cancellation policy as our classes are small and limited to 13 guests and we try to accommodate everyone. So, providing us with the required notice will allow us to give someone else the opportunity to take the class. Thank you for your understanding.
If it’s your first class : Be sure to check in at least 10min before class to allow enough time to change and meet your instructor and go any safety requirements. Recurring clients : Please make sure to arrive at least 5min before class.
We do have a unisex changing room. We don’t have private showers, but you can rinse off at the deck showers before and after class.
You can purchase a 10 class punchcard for $100, a monthly membership at $75 per month that allows you any 2 classes per week, or you can pay as you go at $12 per class ($10 per class if you are a senior age 60 and up). We also have a drop-in day of rate at $15 as long as we have space in the class.
You are free to use the card at your leisure, however, we do 6 month expiration from the issue date.
You will need to register for each individual class you want to attend.
For more details and to register CLICK HERE
You will be notified of any schedule changes via email, social media and we will change our voicemail message. We will do our best to reschedule the class, however, if we aren’t able to do so, we will credit you account for the cancelled class.
Parties FAQs
- Gymnastics and pool parties are offered on Saturday’s and Sunday’s throughout the year.
- Gymnastics
$385 up to 20 kids. Additional kids are allowed for an additional fee. - Pool
$415 up to 20 kids. Additional kids are allowed for an additional fee.
- The Gymnastics and Pool parties consists of 1hr of activities and half hour in the party room.
- You provide your birthday cake, cupcakes or cookie cake. (Party Pizza must be ordered through us!)
- You have half an hour in the party room before the next party starts, so it is recommended to keep things simple.
- You are limited to balloons that can be tied to the table or anything that can be placed on the party table.
- Nothing can be mounted or taped to the walls.
- Because we often have parties back to back and need to prepare the rooms for each party, you will only have access to the party room after the first 45 minutes of the party.
- Our party hostess will take all of your party items and prep the room while you and your guests are enjoying the party.
- You and your party guests should only arrive 10 minutes prior to the scheduled party time.
- We want to ensure that parties have adequate time to depart.
- There are NO REFUNDS for parties or party guests.
- If your child gets sick, you may reschedule.
- If there is inclement weather, you may reschedule.
- Gymnastics parties are appropriate for age 3 – teen.
Siblings and guests must be at least 3 and potty trained at the time of the party. - Pool parties are appropriate for age 8 – teen.
- We can have at least 2 parties happening at the same time.
- The party room can be divided to accommodate 2 parties at a time.
Unfortunately not.
- Gymnastics and pool parties have a limit of 40 guests.
- It is recommended that guest ages 6 and up can be dropped for Gymnastics and pool parties.
- If your party is booked 30 days prior to the requested day, payment in full is due at the time of booking.
- If your party is booked up to 60 days prior to your requested date, a $150 non-refundable deposit is due at booking and the balance will be due 30 days before the party date.
- It is recommended that only children attending the party and the host parents are allowed in the party room. If parents want to stay, we recommend they hang out in the back of the room, and remember that the time limit in the room is 30 minutes as another party will need to be set up.
- If a child needs assistance, their parent is allowed to stay in the room with them.
- You can now reserve a time online, however, your party isn’t confirmed until you receive a confirmation email./call from our entertainment staff. Once you receive a confirmation from our staff, your party will be processed and reserved after payment is received from you.
- You can also call us and book directly with the front desk.
