Family first. Safety always.

Certified ISR Instructor committed to your child’s safety and success.

Dedicated to teaching life-saving skills — one child at a time.

For more than 46 years of living on the water as well as playing in and on the water, Tom more than realizes the importance of water safety and swimming survival skills !

Tom Grothouse is a resident of Winter Haven, Florida, and Crown Point, Indiana, who along with his wife Carol and their three children, Ryan, Kristen, and Karen, originate from Crown Point, Indiana. Prior to spending time in the education field at Polk State College and Northridge Christian Academy as an Athletic Director, Coach and Project Manager, he spent 30 plus years in the Airline and Logistics Industry, spending most of his time with American Airlines, Flying Tiger Airlines, and other privately owned companies.

In the Educational Field, working with children and student athletes at various levels has always been more than a career for Tom; it has been a ministry of service in an effort to impact young people and families. These factors along with other personal experiences led Tom to become an ISR Certified Instructor.

Tom has had a considerable athletic experience culminating in spending four years within the California Angels Organization. Leading up to that time with the Angels, started his youth and High School athletic career in Munster, Indiana; earning Varsity Letters and participating in Track, Cross Country, Basketball and Baseball. He went on to play College Basketball and Baseball at St. Joseph's of Calumet College and Santa Monica College, where he joined the California Angels. After getting married to Carol, who in her own right is a tremendous athlete, Tom coached Youth Basketball, and every level of Baseball and Softball including All Star Teams for over 8 years in the Tampa Bay, Coral Springs, and Winter Haven, Florida areas. He concluded his official sports career by pitching a one hitter as a 42 year old for the Clearwater Dodgers of the Senior Baseball Association.

Tom and Carol love spending time and investing their lives in their children and grandchildren, while also having a passion to serve others in the Christian Ministry; Carol investing her life in teaching children at Christian Schools and Tom investing his life in Pastoral, and Men's Ministries.

FAQs

Can’t babies swim naturally?

Unfortunately, babies cannot naturally swim. If this were the case, there wouldn’t be so many drownings every year. According to the Center for Disease Control and Accident Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1-4 in the United States.

If more frequent but shorter lessons are better, then why don’t you teach 7 days/week?

Everyone needs a little break from learning to process the information and in this case to give muscles a chance to recover. In addition, you need to be able to spend time with your family, as does your instructor. Weekends are family time. Periodically, if weather or other issues have cause lessons to be canceled for numerous days, your instructor may choose to offer make-up lessons on a weekend. This is strictly up to the instructor and based on the availability of parents.

Why are lessons 5 days per week and for only 10 minutes?

The reason for this is multifaceted. First, repetition and consistency are crucial elements of learning for young children. Research shows that short, more frequent lessons result in higher retention. Second, most children have fairly short attention spans and will not be able to focus on the task for longer and we want to take advantage of the best time for learning. A third reason is that, though the pool temperature is maintained at 78-88 degrees, the temperature is still lower than your child's body temperature. Lessons are work and therefore will also be losing body heat. Instructors check students regularly for temperature fatigue since this is an indicator of physical fatigue.

Why do you have the children swim in clothes?

Because 86% of children who fall in the water do so fully clothed, we want our students to have experience with such a situation. If a child has experienced the sensations of being in the water in clothing prior to an emergency situation, he/she is less likely to experience panic and be able to focus on the task at hand. If you have ever jumped in the water with clothes on, then you know that there is a significant difference in weight and feel with clothes as opposed to a bathing suit.

Inspiring children through faith, family, and life lessons—one story at a time.

In addition to his work as an ISR Certified Instructor, Tom Grothouse is also a published children’s book author. His book, “What Grandpa Wants to Teach Me,” reflects his heart for family, faith, and guiding the next generation. Through his writing, Tom shares meaningful lessons and values that encourage children to grow in wisdom, kindness, and confidence—both in and out of the water.

Get your copy

Speak directly to Coach Tom

about current lesson availability.

Call Coach Tom