CAST Water Safety Foundation

04/25/2026

COMMUNITY CUSTOMER: LIZ HUBER

At U3, we’re inspired by the people who make our community stronger & Liz Huber is one of them.

As the founder of the CAST Water Safety Foundation, she’s helping prevent childhood drowning through self-rescue swim education & access to life-saving lessons.

A former teacher, mom of two, & passionate advocate, Liz is turning awareness into action every day.

We’re proud to have her in the U3 community! If you see her in the café, say hi !☕ 💛

04/23/2026

04/20/2026

04/19/2026

After getting initial skills in the fall, this kid came once a week all winter long to practice his float skills with Ashley Condron !

04/18/2026

Repost from a few years back. Still so true 🩵.

This applies to many things in life. I read this life lesson in a article about a family living on the PCT. It reminded me of how our family has approached water.

If you want your kid to be comfortable in water, the worst time to stop lessons (or playtime at the pool) is when they’re upset.

Our instructors end each lesson after something positive has been accomplished. This reinforces the behaviors we are teaching and makes it more likely that we will see these behaviors repeated in the next lesson. Even if they are still crying, instructors are strategically building upon the skills that will equate to confidence and competence over time.

Small kids and babies communicate their feelings through tears and protests. Crying through an experience doesn’t mean they are in danger, being traumatized, or even that they’re scared. More likely, they are just expressing that they are displeased with the hard work and challenges they are facing in lessons*. Continued hard work is the only way to improve at something that you can’t yet do.

The only way to be safe in the water is to actually learn to swim & self-rescue.

If you stop swim lessons right when your kid is most upset, this will define their entire attitdue towards swimming and lessons. They’ll also be in great danger around water. If you keep going with swim lessons until your kid gains skills and confidence, well, then you will have a safer swimmer!
Likewise, if your kiddo has a scare during swim time with your family (they stay under longer than they wanted, struggle to get to the edge, fall off a raft, etc.) it is very important not to end the swim day while they are upset. Stay in the pool and create at least a few minutes of a calm and safe experience in the water. If this means you are holding them, this is fine. There is nothing wrong with a kiddo who knows water can be scary and wants to be held by a parent.

Keep going until your kid gets skills and confidence and believe me you’ll be glad you didn’t quit.

*As always, be sure you are taking lessons with a highly trained and certified instructor.

04/18/2026

When my baby wouldn’t stop crying at swim lessons, these 8 things helped me through:
👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

1. I focused on how she behaved immediately after the lesson was over. I found comfort in the fact that she calmed down quickly and reached to her instructor for high fives.
2. I considered the many other circumstances that made her cry. From needing to have her diaper changed to having to share a doll with her sister, there was plenty of material!
3. I reminded myself that when kids do not yet have extensive language skills, crying is a common mode of communication.
4. I conversed with my instructor often about her progress at lessons. When discussing swim lessons at home, we focused mostly on the skills being gained. “Today you swam to the steps with your eyes open!”
5. I connected with other parents who chose the same instructor. There were plenty of families at the pool who had kids who had transitioned from crying to smiling. It was easy to find families that loved and trusted the program.
6. I noticed that she had begun to “pretend play” as a swim instructor. She behaved kindly and encouragingly to the dolls and toys that she was “teaching to swim.”
7. I continued to remind myself of our “why”. Drowning is the leading cause of death for kids 1-4, with most of these accidents happening at non-swim times. Our family loves to travel and be at the pool. We needed these lessons. We needed our kids to learn the skills and respect.
8. Remembering the previous seven tips helped me check my own attitude poolside. When I put my most confident and trusting self forward, it positively benefited my baby too!

Visit castwatersafety.org and on IG for more water safety tips!

04/13/2026

Repost from the early days. Still true. Share to save lives!

These devices delay the learn to swim process.

They create false security.

They’ve never been approved or evaluated for swimming pool/learn to swim usage.*

Get in the water with your kids. Eliminate their false sense of security. This may save their life.

*When swim time is over, and you’re still at the waterside, the life jacket is a good added layer of protection. This will protect them if they fall in, without giving them the courage to JUMP in without skills.

02/26/2026

100%

02/25/2026

Our goal is to save lives. Our friends Levi's Legacy puts into words how CAST's education and efforts to create access to skills can make an actual difference.

02/13/2026

We love our CAST kiddos!

01/23/2026

Cali ISR sound up

01/16/2026

Kicking off 2026! 💦🙌