Business owner Danielle Bakic is quick to point out each image is symbolic of how she teaches swim lessons. The swim school is known for teaching kids to swim in nine days.
“Floaty donuts go underneath their chin. They hold onto the donut, lay back, relax and they will start floating within minutes,” Bakic said. “By the next lesson, we start taking the donut away, and it trains them to lay back ... If we say ‘donut’, it means they need to flip over and float to save their life.”
Images of cotton candy dangle from the rafters.
“Our hands look like dolphins ... so whenever kids are doggy padding, and their dolphins are sinking, I say, ‘Your dolphins are so sad, they need more cotton candy," Bakic said. "They will get their dolphins way up high which helps them reach their arms to go way up high for freestyle.”
The backstory
Prior to opening Swimming Fishies Swim School in June 2023, Bakic taught swimming lessons from her backyard until she faced homeowners association conflicts. She also tried running the business at various pools across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex but found that to be extremely stressful. Her husband, Preston Bakic, a co-owner of the business, decided it was time to build a permanent space for the swim school.
“My husband is an airline pilot. In 2020, he took a leave of absence to build my swim dream. He found raw land in Argyle and designed and built the entire thing,” Bakic said. “I spent over 300 hours painting all those murals.”
The details
Bakic personally trains all new hires and makes sure they know swimming basics.
“I used to hire only people that were competitive swimmers. I learned that [it] is very irrelevant when it comes to becoming a great coach,” Bakic said. “Now, I hire based on personality, how patient they are and how outgoing they are with kids. If you have that foundation, I can train you to become a great coach.”
The business uses a heated pool, which is 45 feet by 20 feet, and is kept at 90 degrees. The depth ranges from three-and-a-half- to four-and-a-half-feet.
“I wanted it to be a perfect height so we don’t have to hunch over while teaching so our backs aren’t hurting,” Bakic said.
The inspiration
Bakic said when she was 17 years old, she saved her mother’s life.
“I was a competitive swimmer. My mom is not a strong swimmer,” Bakic said. “She was drowning in the ocean about 100 yards out, and she was bouncing off the bottom of the ocean floor, popping up screaming, ‘help’ and I dove in. She got on my back and I did the breaststroke and was able to save both our lives that day.”
Through this experience, and from coaching a swim team at the age of 18, she said she realized the importance of swimming as a life skill and the life-saving potential it provides.
Going forward
When the school reopens in March, this will be the first time swim lessons will be offered year round.
This year will also be the first time the school will offer infant aquatics.
“We just hired a general manager who will be our infant aquatics coach,” Bakic said. “He's infant aquatic certified and trained to teach babies when they fall in the water, they flip over and float.”
Quote of note
The school also offers swim lessons to adults and children with special needs.
“[A boy] couldn’t use his right hand and was born without kneecaps, and so they said he would never be able to walk. He's had about 30 surgeries and he can walk,” Bakic said. “He learned to swim across our entire pool on day one. The mom was crying. It was amazing.”
- 820 Indian Trail, Argyle
- www.swimmingfishies.net
