The beautiful shores of Brighton Beach have attracted tourists from all over the world, but something even stronger then the tides has kept people coming back for more.
Serving the Brighton Beach-Manhattan Beach community for over 60 years, Shorefront YM-YWHA, has become synonymous, for some with words such as caring, entertaining, responsible and beneficial. “ It’s a great place to get some exercise into your day and meet new people,” said Robert Pukhkiy a longtime member.
But not every program has been successful from the start. The original swimming course was considered a disaster by many, and only after adopting the techniques created by champion swimmer Lenny Krayzelburg has the school become a success.
Unlike the old swimming “school”, the Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Academy stresses safety in the water and teaches students based on their specific needs by separating them into one of six levels: Splasher, Floater, Kicker, Streamliner, Freestyler, and Flyer. As the student develops their abilities, they can move between levels but only after they are properly trained and tested by an instructor.
Aquatics manager Eugene Karabanov, described the new academy as being “a more Americanized way of teaching”, when compared to the previous harsher “Soviet Russian method.” In other words techniques are now taught in a step-by-step format, rather than forced on all at once. “We push forward, not away,” Karabanov humbly said.
Most importantly the academy’s instructors give in-the-water private lessons to students, which the previous program desperately lacked.
“Their methods of teaching involved sitting on a beach chair by the pool telling us to move our arms and kick our feet, but never actually showing us how to do that in the pool. They were too preoccupied gossiping about their lives to actually teach,” Alena Meyerovich, a student of the old program said. Meyerovich later added that she never ended up learning how to swim.
Nowadays, there are even swimming classes available for children with special needs, ages 5-13.Even though the students are not in the academy itself, many of them, upon learning the basics are eligible to try out for admission. Special needs class instructor Radzhesh Laptev, commented on the joys of seeing his students enter the academy, “You not only feel happy and excited for them, but you also feel a sense of pride in yourself” he said.
Laptev, who also teaches various levels in the academy, has noticed a substantial increase in customers, “I see more and more new faces every class, from each age group.”
With all the positive changes the Lenny Krayzelburg academy has brought to Shorefront, some may argue that there is one less than perfect feature: the price. Private classes meet four times a month, each lasting either 15 or 30 minutes. Those that choose the one-on one 15 minute classes are charged $108, and those participating in the 30 minute sessions pay $208. For parents looking for an option that won’t necessarily break the bank, their best bet is the group sessions which cost $77 a month.
On the bright side after completing the academy, students can leave their swimming caps and goggles at home and finally enjoy the hardest level of all, conquering the ocean waters, which are conveniently located right around the corner.