Today we’d like to introduce you to Miss Maria Barringhaus.
Hi Miss Maria, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
§ How long have you lived in Lakewood Ranch and where?
I have lived in the Country Club for 23 years.
§ Can you tell me more about your love affair with water and swimming? Any personal stories about your first experiences?
My mother immersed me in many activities. Fortunately, at age 3, my baby bucket list included swimming. It felt natural; I quickly learned about water safety, core strokes, and like many littles – once in; I never wanted to leave the pool.
I grew up in Washington, MO. As a teenager, I was elated to get a summer job as a lifeguard. Part of the Red Cross lifeguard certification program included swim instruction. I enjoyed the class so I approached Mrs. Agnes Nolting, our Aquatics Director, and asked if I could offer private swim lessons at the pool. To my amazement, she said “yes.” As a 16-year-old, I was blessed to have the opportunity to be mentored by Mrs. Nolting – she was passionate about water safety and making swim accessible to all. While many feared being a swim instructor, I saw it as a wonderful opportunity. With Mrs. Nolting’s guidance, trust, and support; we confirmed our belief that anyone can and should be given the opportunity to learn this critical survival skill and enjoy a lifelong mode of exercise, recreation, and sport.
§ What inspires you to help others, and how do you help others in the local community?
There is a magical personal connection that comes from helping someone learn to swim… Although I apply proven methods, experience allows me to teach from the individual’s physical and emotional baseline, respect their vulnerabilities, and quickly earn their trust… I know when and how to safely stretch them beyond what they think is possible. Teaching swim is not only fulfilling, but a personal mission to help others acquire a life-saving skill and enjoy a lifelong mode of exercise, recreation, and sport.
In my youth, I was taught how to safely enjoy swimming and have always enjoyed working with children so after permanently relocating to Lakewood Ranch in 2003, I began my second career as an elementary educator and launched the School of Fish Swimming Lessons (SOF).
During my 22 years serving the greater Manasota community, SOF awareness has grown principally through our website, Observer / Summer Program Ads, customer referrals, and many wonderful program collaborations.
• After learning that we taught swimming lessons to children with special needs, in 2012, the Manasota BUDS wrote a grant and engaged SOF for group lessons.
• In 2015, we began a summer swimming lesson program with Manatee County Government. Initially, we taught <20 children at the John H. Marble Aquatic Center.
• In 2023, despite the temporary closure of several pools for improvement, Derek Marshall, Lieutenant Water Safety Division in Manatee County Department of Public Safety, choregraphed a schedule enabling us to conduct three summer swimming programs at the G.T. Bray and Lincoln Aquatic Centers to approximately 210 children. One of two Lincoln programs included the Palmetto Youth Center – Summer Camp.
• Interestingly, the PYC Summer Camp was modeled after successful 2021-2025 Summer Camp programs at the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex in Sarasota. After learning about the programs from Mr. Larson at the Robert L. Taylor Community Center, Mr. Bellamy introduced a similar program at Palmetto Youth Center.
• The 2021-2025 Taylor program originally funded by Sonja Dickey, Chapter Coordinator – Central Florida, Charlotte Harbor, Manasota & North Central for the Florida Swimming Pool Association (FSPA) began partnering with Casey McGovern, Program Manager of Every Child a Swimmer (ECAS) to secure funds so SOF could deliver swimming lessons to more than 45 children in 2023, 50 in 2024, and 85 in 2025.
o The FSPA and ECAS grant “learn-to-swim” funds designed to expand opportunities for children to learn to swim who otherwise could not afford to participate in swim lesson programs. These programs are reaching underserved and at-risk populations and help to create a cultural pull for a new generation of safe swimmers.
§ I understand you specialize in instructing children with disabilities. Where do these students come from (which counties), and how many kids do you help per year?
We teach individuals with special needs including people who are non-verbal, hearing impaired, and those with various learning and physical abilities. We use the medium of water to help individuals recover from stroke, brain trauma, and other sports related injuries.
SOF supports the greater Manasota areas e.g., Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Anna Maria Island, Parrish, Palmetto
§ I understand you have helped many students and adults overcome aquaphobia. I’d love to know more about this.
Teaching aquaphobic individuals requires a lot of patience, and being a good listener. The process creates a lot of anxiety, panic and pure fear that each individual has to overcome. Each circumstance is different as some have experienced a near drowning incident, some have been caught in a rip tide in the ocean, and some just have a fear of the water without incident. Each lesson is customized to fit the needs of each individual and their situation. I have a MA degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology, so those skills are utilized when teaching individuals who fear water.
§ When you raise grant money, where does it come from and who/what programs does it go to?
See comments above regarding Manasota BUDS, FSPA, and ECAS.
§ Can you tell me more about your for-profit business?
I manage two independent, but often complementary businesses. The School of Fish Swimming lessons and Busy Bee Tutoring. Busy Bee offers tailored instruction inspiring children and adults through cognitive learning strategies that enable true understanding to develop and apply skills accelerating academic performance and continuous improvement.
I recognize the trust and sacrifice my customers make when they choose to engage us for swimming or tutoring services. From my first job at 5 years old teaching baton twirling, my prior career with Fortune 500 companies, and present day… I appreciate the value of an individual’s hard-earned dollar so my team is driven by customer results, value, and continuous improvement.
We maximize the value of each minute and monitor week-to-week student progress and actions needed for improvement. This is all made possible by a highly selective group of instructors who receive hours of instruction on my proven methodology. A key success factor is creating a low student to instructor ratio that is below Red Cross recommended levels. Despite these ingredients, there is no substitute for our passionate and caring instructors who know how to achieve target skills, but respect and teach the individual… Each instructor has the experience to recognize and apply an approach that can be understood, inspire, and converted into the desired swim outcome.
§ Any stats on how many kids/families you teach every year, and how many years you’ve been teaching?
• Although I have been teaching swimming lessons for more than 30 years, in 2025, the SOF team delivered swim instruction to more than 300 individuals at public and private pools.
• In 2025, SOF taught more than 4,000 lessons…
o 3,000+ at Public Pools
Approximately 1,000 at the Palmetto Youth Center (Lincoln Aquatic Center) and Robert L. Taylor Summer Camps supported by the FSPA and ECAS programs.
2,000+ Weekend and Weekday Summer group and private lesson program at G.T. Bray and Lincoln Aquatic Centers
o 1,000+ at Private Pools
• The SOF team applies a proven methodology to achieve results at all ages and skill levels through highly-qualified instructors maximizing engagement with student to instructor ratios that are below Red Cross recommended levels
§ Why is it important to teach kids or anyone how to swim?
Teaching swimming is a passion and it is extremely important, especially living in Florida as we are surrounded by water. I know our students are learning how to swim and how to be safe, but they are also learning life long skills that are invaluable. Seeing the excitement from a child or an adult when they master floating, taking a breath, flutter kicking and being able to get from point A to point B safely, is so inspiring.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Managing growth, staffing and maintaining the highest quality of instruction are always challenging, but when the team comes together, it is inspiring and magical.
As you know, we’re big fans of School Of Fish Swimming Lessons. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
§ How long have you lived in Lakewood Ranch and where?
I have lived in the Country Club for 23 years.
§ Can you tell me more about your love affair with water and swimming? Any personal stories about your first experiences?
My mother immersed me in many activities. Fortunately, at age 3, my baby bucket list included swimming. It felt natural; I quickly learned about water safety, core strokes, and like many littles – once in; I never wanted to leave the pool.
I grew up in Washington, MO. As a teenager, I was elated to get a summer job as a lifeguard. Part of the Red Cross lifeguard certification program included swim instruction. I enjoyed the class so I approached Mrs. Agnes Nolting, our Aquatics Director, and asked if I could offer private swim lessons at the pool. To my amazement, she said “yes.” As a 16-year-old, I was blessed to have the opportunity to be mentored by Mrs. Nolting – she was passionate about water safety and making swim accessible to all. While many feared being a swim instructor, I saw it as a wonderful opportunity. With Mrs. Nolting’s guidance, trust, and support; we confirmed our belief that anyone can and should be given the opportunity to learn this critical survival skill and enjoy a lifelong mode of exercise, recreation, and sport.
§ What inspires you to help others, and how do you help others in the local community?
There is a magical personal connection that comes from helping someone learn to swim… Although I apply proven methods, experience allows me to teach from the individual’s physical and emotional baseline, respect their vulnerabilities, and quickly earn their trust… I know when and how to safely stretch them beyond what they think is possible. Teaching swim is not only fulfilling, but a personal mission to help others acquire a life-saving skill and enjoy a lifelong mode of exercise, recreation, and sport.
In my youth, I was taught how to safely enjoy swimming and have always enjoyed working with children so after permanently relocating to Lakewood Ranch in 2003, I began my second career as an elementary educator and launched the School of Fish Swimming Lessons (SOF).
During my 22 years serving the greater Manasota community, SOF awareness has grown principally through our website, Observer / Summer Program Ads, customer referrals, and many wonderful program collaborations.
• After learning that we taught swimming lessons to children with special needs, in 2012, the Manasota BUDS wrote a grant and engaged SOF for group lessons.
• In 2015, we began a summer swimming lesson program with Manatee County Government. Initially, we taught <20 children at the John H. Marble Aquatic Center.
• In 2023, despite the temporary closure of several pools for improvement, Derek Marshall, Lieutenant Water Safety Division in Manatee County Department of Public Safety, choregraphed a schedule enabling us to conduct three summer swimming programs at the G.T. Bray and Lincoln Aquatic Centers to approximately 210 children. One of two Lincoln programs included the Palmetto Youth Center – Summer Camp.
• Interestingly, the PYC Summer Camp was modeled after successful 2021-2025 Summer Camp programs at the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex in Sarasota. After learning about the programs from Mr. Larson at the Robert L. Taylor Community Center, Mr. Bellamy introduced a similar program at Palmetto Youth Center.
• The 2021-2025 Taylor program originally funded by Sonja Dickey, Chapter Coordinator – Central Florida, Charlotte Harbor, Manasota & North Central for the Florida Swimming Pool Association (FSPA) began partnering with Casey McGovern, Program Manager of Every Child a Swimmer (ECAS) to secure funds so SOF could deliver swimming lessons to more than 45 children in 2023, 50 in 2024, and 85 in 2025.
o The FSPA and ECAS grant “learn-to-swim” funds designed to expand opportunities for children to learn to swim who otherwise could not afford to participate in swim lesson programs. These programs are reaching underserved and at-risk populations and help to create a cultural pull for a new generation of safe swimmers.
§ I understand you specialize in instructing children with disabilities. Where do these students come from (which counties), and how many kids do you help per year?
We teach individuals with special needs including people who are non-verbal, hearing impaired, and those with various learning and physical abilities. We use the medium of water to help individuals recover from stroke, brain trauma, and other sports related injuries.
SOF supports the greater Manasota areas e.g., Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Anna Maria Island, Parrish, Palmetto
§ I understand you have helped many students and adults overcome aquaphobia. I’d love to know more about this.
Teaching aquaphobic individuals requires a lot of patience, and being a good listener. The process creates a lot of anxiety, panic and pure fear that each individual has to overcome. Each circumstance is different as some have experienced a near drowning incident, some have been caught in a rip tide in the ocean, and some just have a fear of the water without incident. Each lesson is customized to fit the needs of each individual and their situation. I have a MA degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology, so those skills are utilized when teaching individuals who fear water.
§ When you raise grant money, where does it come from and who/what programs does it go to?
See comments above regarding Manasota BUDS, FSPA, and ECAS.
§ Can you tell me more about your for-profit business?
I manage two independent, but often complementary businesses. The School of Fish Swimming lessons and Busy Bee Tutoring. Busy Bee offers tailored instruction inspiring children and adults through cognitive learning strategies that enable true understanding to develop and apply skills accelerating academic performance and continuous improvement.
I recognize the trust and sacrifice my customers make when they choose to engage us for swimming or tutoring services. From my first job at 5 years old teaching baton twirling, my prior career with Fortune 500 companies, and present day… I appreciate the value of an individual’s hard-earned dollar so my team is driven by customer results, value, and continuous improvement.
We maximize the value of each minute and monitor week-to-week student progress and actions needed for improvement. This is all made possible by a highly selective group of instructors who receive hours of instruction on my proven methodology. A key success factor is creating a low student to instructor ratio that is below Red Cross recommended levels. Despite these ingredients, there is no substitute for our passionate and caring instructors who know how to achieve target skills, but respect and teach the individual… Each instructor has the experience to recognize and apply an approach that can be understood, inspire, and converted into the desired swim outcome.
§ Any stats on how many kids/families you teach every year, and how many years you’ve been teaching?
• Although I have been teaching swimming lessons for more than 30 years, in 2025, the SOF team delivered swim instruction to more than 300 individuals at public and private pools.
• In 2025, SOF taught more than 4,000 lessons…
o 3,000+ at Public Pools
Approximately 1,000 at the Palmetto Youth Center (Lincoln Aquatic Center) and Robert L. Taylor Summer Camps supported by the FSPA and ECAS programs.
2,000+ Weekend and Weekday Summer group and private lesson program at G.T. Bray and Lincoln Aquatic Centers
o 1,000+ at Private Pools
• The SOF team applies a proven methodology to achieve results at all ages and skill levels through highly-qualified instructors maximizing engagement with student to instructor ratios that are below Red Cross recommended levels
§ Why is it important to teach kids or anyone how to swim?
Teaching swimming is a passion and it is extremely important, especially living in Florida as we are surrounded by water. I know our students are learning how to swim and how to be safe, but they are also learning life long skills that are invaluable. Seeing the excitement from a child or an adult when they master floating, taking a breath, flutter kicking and being able to get from point A to point B safely, is so inspiring.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
§ Can you tell me more about your love affair with water and swimming? Any personal stories about your first experiences?
My mother immersed me in many activities. Fortunately, at age 3, my baby bucket list included swimming. It felt natural; I quickly learned about water safety, core strokes, and like many littles – once in; I never wanted to leave the pool.
I grew up in Washington, MO. As a teenager, I was elated to get a summer job as a lifeguard. Part of the Red Cross lifeguard certification program included swim instruction. I enjoyed the class so I approached Mrs. Agnes Nolting, our Aquatics Director, and asked if I could offer private swim lessons at the pool. To my amazement, she said “yes.” As a 16-year-old, I was blessed to have the opportunity to be mentored by Mrs. Nolting – she was passionate about water safety and making swim accessible to all. While many feared being a swim instructor, I saw it as a wonderful opportunity. With Mrs. Nolting’s guidance, trust, and support; we confirmed our belief that anyone can and should be given the opportunity to learn this critical survival skill and enjoy a lifelong mode of exercise, recreation, and sport.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.schooloffishswimminglessons.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/schooloffishswimminglessons
Image Credits
Property of School Of Fish Swimming Lessons 2025
