After I posted the responses I received regarding the Kingsley youth swimming program, I got this helpful clarification: Everything is completely accurate about Coach Holder...he is an amazing and loving Coach. My daughter has swam on the team for the past 2 years and continues to. However, the Stingrays no longer swim at Kingsley. This year they are swimming at Duquesne University and Coach Holder continues with the team at Duquesne. They swim 6 days a week. Their full name is the Pittsburgh Stingrays. I do not know who is facilitating the swim program at Kingsley but I do know it isn't Coach or the Stingrays. When the Stingrays swam at Kingsley both our team and the Center held swim lessons...I believe that is where the confusion comes from. On Mon, Mar 26, 2012 at 10:31 AM, Alexandra West <alexandra.west@gmail.com>wrote:
A number of you asked me to share the responses I got to my inquiry regarding the youth swimming program at the Kingsley Center. A number of the responses referenced a WQED segment focusing on the competitive swim team program. I found the spot on the web. Here's the link:
http://diversityinaquatics.org/2010/10/coach-hosea-holder/
For those who might be interested, the next session of swim lessons starts April 7, and the deadline to register is this coming Friday, March 30. I don't know about the schedule for the competitive swim team.
Here are the responses I got from people on the list:
Both of my girls took various lessons there. No complaints.
I have heard amazing things about Coach Holder from other families who have had kids in the program. I believe he was featured on wqed tv, you might google for that, they did a piece on the program.
WQED actually did a special about the swimming coach at Kingsley - he's evidently a special man, been there a long time and is coaching the kids of kids he taught to swim.
Lessons for young children actually depend upon who has been hired to teach them that session. You probably need to go look at the lessons and judge the teachers for yourself. I know one boy who taught who was excellent, but he has moved on, so I don't know who's teaching now. Kingsley is a place where teachers change whith who's available during that session. Can be great. Go observe and see if it's right for your child.
The program is great! And the coach is awesome. My son swam there last year (he decided to quit in order to take karate). But it's a great place and you will love it.