The Exchange Webinar Series : insights for swim people

The Exchange webinar series brings together practical, relevant professional development for swim teachers, leaders, and swim school operators across Aotearoa and beyond.

Throughout the series, you’ll hear from an inspiring mix of New Zealand and international speakers on topics that matter, from swim teaching and programme delivery to leadership, growth, and the day-to-day realities of running a swim school. Big school or small swim schools, city-based or rural, new to the industry or decades deep, this series is for you:. It’s free for everyone, no memberships, no affiliations, no conditions.

PD matters. For years, swim school professionals across Aotearoa have looked for professional development that’s accessible, relevant, and grounded in real swim school life. This series exists because of that call. I’ve invited respected colleagues and sector experts to generously share their knowledge, experience, and perspectives with the New Zealand swim school community . . .  our community.

Why You’ll Want to Be There. This series is about energising and strengthening the swim school sector. Each session is designed to help you:

• Build confidence and capability in your role

• Gain fresh insights into best practice and emerging thinking

• Walk away with ideas you can actually use. . . straight away

How to Get Involved:Access is easy. Email me your interest and you’ll receive the unique link for each live webinar.

It Costs Nothing: Every session is free. Each presenter, like me, is giving their time to give back to the industry that has shaped us.

Who Should Attend: Anyone involved in swim schools, swim clubs, or swim programmes. From brand-new swim teachers to highly experienced professionals and leaders.

Save the dates. Spread the word: this is professional development made for swim schools. 1-2pm (NZ) on the last Wednesday of each month.

If you have any questions or want to join The Exchange webinar series, reach out using the contact button below.

Laura McNab

Linda Holmes

Natalie Lanfear

Mel Rickwood

Wednesday June 24th, 1-2pm NZ time

Going all-in on one truth: your people are your brand

What happens when you stop chasing quick fixes and focus on what really matters?

In this practical, real-world session, the team from Rec Alley shares how they tripled their customer service scores in just 12 months—not through big-budget initiatives, but by committing to a simple, consistent process: survey → data → action → review.

At the heart of their success is one powerful idea: your people are your brand. When you invest in your team, everything else follows.

Expect honest insights, lessons learned, and practical takeaways you can apply in your own environment no matter your size or setting.

Gabbi Anderson – Club Manager, Rec Alley Gregory Hills
Gabbi’s journey with Rec Alley began in 2017 as one of its first coaches. Now Club Manager, she brings over a decade of experience as a competitive gymnast, having performed both nationally and internationally. Her deep understanding of athlete development, combined with her genuine passion for the sport, shapes her people-first leadership approach.

Ozren Vukelic – CEO, Rec Alley Gymnastics
Ozren is a dynamic, people-focused leader with experience across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. With qualifications in media, communications, marketing, and human resource management, he is known for aligning teams, navigating complexity, and delivering meaningful results. His leadership style centres on clear communication, strong culture, and empowering others to perform at their best.

Together, Gabbi and Ozren bring real-life lessons from gym club operations offering practical ideas and inspiration to help shape success in your own organisation.

Wednesday September 30th, 1-2pm NZ time

Building Strong Foundations – the Fundamentals of Learn to Swim for School Aged Children

With nearly four decades in aquatics, Mel Rickwood brings a wealth of real-world experience, practical knowledge, and passion to this essential webinar for swim educators and swim school teams.

As the owner of Aquatics Down Under Swim School in Sydney’s North Rocks, Mel leads a thriving operation teaching more than 1,500 children every week with a team of 35 staff, all from a unique shopping centre location. Across her 38-year career, Mel has shaped the industry as a teacher, assessor, mentor, presenter trainer, international speaker, water safety advocate.

Her practical and engaging session will explore:
• Developmental stages in school aged swimmers
• Learn to swim progressions from beginner to competent
• Teaching strategies and effective class management
• Overcoming common teaching challenges
• Embedding water safety into every lesson

Whether you are a swim teacher, supervisor, coordinator, or swim school owner, this webinar will provide practical takeaways and fresh insights to strengthen your programme and support better swimmer outcomes.

Mel’s philosophy is simple — strong foundations create confident swimmers for life.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of the aquatic industry’s most respected and experienced educators.

Your feedback on 2026 webinars.

March 2026: Why a Child Is Not Progressing: Understanding the Body Behind the Swim.

Laura McNab, Occupational Therapist. Creator of the RISE nervous system literacy framework, Brisbane, Australia.

“I could have had another 4 hours of it, it was great knowledge/thought provoking.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed the full webinar. It was a great way to kick start the season - I came away with lots of thoughts / ideas on how I can explain to the team what/why we do things.”

“One thing I’m likely to apply in my work is balancing progress with a deeper understanding of each student’s responses by observing their movements and behavior. By recognising how the body communicates through these signs, I can prioritise creating a safe, predictable, and supportive environment, allowing me to deliver more effective and responsive lessons.”

“It was great, I'd be keen for a  longer session.”

“There was a lot of information which was exciting.”

“Laura - keep sharing and encouraging others aquatic instructors to look at their client as an individual and what the persons needs.”

“As a swimming teacher, it has given me a deeper understanding of what is truly happening in class when students show specific signs or movements. Being aware of the possible causes also helps me deliver more effective lessons.”

“This was so relevant to my role that I spend in the water & training staff. We have reached out to Laura - we strongly believe the team hearing it from Laura with all her passion as the expert will be far more powerful.”

April 2026: The 10 Commandments of Swim School Marketing and the Customer Journey.

Saskia Kirby, CXO, Carlile Swim.

“The topic and the content that Saskia shared were both significant and highly practical for our daily operations. Because she covered the essential points so effectively and clearly, I found the session complete and very helpful.”

“Great webinar session. Thank you again, Saskia.”

“I found the section on social media most valuable. Especially the emphasis on sharing tips and useful content instead of just running ads. It shifted my thinking towards building stronger connections and providing value to our audience. We are getting there but still plenty of room for improvement!”

“By understanding how my role as a teacher supports the organization, I can better understand how our families perceive our services. This perspective allows me to ensure that everything I do is intentionally designed to contribute to the growth and success of the swim school.”

“Really enjoyed it.”

May 2026: It’s Not Deafness, It’s Communication: Practical Inclusion for Swim Schools

Community Partnership Manager: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Foundation NZ

“Kia ora Scott - that was a great presentation from Linda!”

“The most valuable part of the webinar for me was learning about the importance of intentional inclusion and understanding how small adjustments in communication and teaching methods can create a more supportive and effective learning environment for deaf or hard of hearing students. It was also valuable to become more aware of out-of-the-pool considerations, such as the possibility that parents, grandparents, or caregivers may also have the same condition, and how important it is to communicate and support them effectively as well.”

“Thank you so much. My homeschooled daughter and I learnt the signs together at the end of the session, which I aim to use while teaching my lessons”

“Many thanks Linda. New insights and ideas are always very welcome so we can make our environment and classes as accessible as possible to all.”

“Thank you so much, Linda, for taking the time to share this significant topic with us. The session gave me a deeper understanding of intentional inclusion and reminded me how important it is to make every student and family feel seen, supported, and welcomed. I’m grateful for everything I learned and inspired to apply these lessons to my own teaching moving forward.”

“My takeaway was significant especially around the adapting of my teaching methods to meet the needs of every student. This reinforces the idea that effective swim instruction is not just about teaching skills, but also about creating an environment where every student feels safe, understood, supported, and capable of succeeding”.

“One thing I am likely to apply in my work as a result of this session is being more intentional about gathering all the necessary information about our students so we can make the appropriate adjustments when needed and provide better service and support for every learner.”