Challenge Accepted: Filling the Big Data Void in Aquatics

Nicole's heavy lift. A vision for data collection for swimming instruction. Nicole Fairfield explains why the aquatic education field lacks solid research data and how her Joyful Waters curriculum craved that data. She aims to fill the research gap and is planting seeds for scientific validation for all types of aquatic developmental benchmarks. She also outlines the vision for a secure, comprehensive database to track developmental and adaptive outcomes. In this episode, #76, of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, you'll hear from the ambitious instructor in Georgia and learn: Why current swim‑lesson reporting (e.g., Red Cross) misses critical information like caregiver involvement and birth order. How Joyful Waters combines trauma‑aware, developmentally‑informed methods for babies, kids, and adults. The plan to build a secure, national database that collects detailed learner and instructor data for IRB‑level research. Real‑world applications: adaptive swimming for children with special needs and preparation for Customs & Border Patrol swim tests. Steps instructors and parents can take today to start contributing data and improving aquatic education outcomes.