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What do you do after a critical incident at your facility? How do you ensure that your staff is taken care of and that you are aware of what happened and how to prevent it from happening again. Taking care of your staff after a critical incident must be of utmost importance to you. Presenter: Susan Grosse, Aquatic Consulting & Education Resource Development Category: Risk Management - AqP Core Requirement .1 CEU Read more

We are constantly assessing our aquatic facilities from staff to operations to ensure efficiency and safety. Whether it’s one of our many daily checklists, a swimming evaluation, or an audit what we do with this data can be more important than collecting it. Join Stephanie Darimont and Matt Haynes in this interactive lecture as they walk through the process of translating assessment results into concrete, trackable action items for your facility. Presenter:  Stephanie Darimont, American Red Cross Mathew Haynes, American Red Cross Category: Programming & Staff Training - AqP Elective .1 CEU Read more

This session will provide attendees the opportunity to explore how you prepare yourself today will position yourself for jobs tomorrow. So much training goes into becoming an aquatic professional and many want to do more; become more; and obtain other positions. Exploring the opportunities that benefit aquatic professionals for growth and professional development that can lead to becoming a Supervisor, Manager, or Superintendent. Presenter: Tom Hellman, City of Folsom Category: Leadership/Executive Development, AqP Elective .1 CEU Read more

Frontline Manager Training is a unique webinar designed to enhance training for frontline managers and leaders. Perfect as a supplement to your annual training or seasonal onboarding, this webinar focuses on skills needed by on-deck managers to help them lead successfully while ensuring safety and creating an environment that aids in lifeguard retention. NOTE: We encourage you to watch this presentation with your team. Please note that you will only be able to watch each portion one time, so please plan accordingly! ​Content Includes:  WOW Factor: Techniques to Motivate Your Team to Provide Exceptional Guest Service with Kelly Martinez Guest services have been priority at all aquatic facilities; however, do you walk the talk?  This presentation will focus on providing participants with an understanding and implementation of the WOW Factor.  It will also examine exceptional guest services, motivating team through incentive programs and how to achieve buy-in at all levels. At the end of the session, participants will:  Evaluate their team's priority of providing exceptional guest services to every person who comes through their door.  Discuss methods o motivation using incentives and positive recognition whenever an employee goes over and beyond.  Explore concepts of balancing authority and rule enforcement without negatively impacting the guest's experience.  Explore the "Peak End Theory".    Aquatic Risk Management: What Would You Do? with Kirsten Barnes Strong aquatic safety programs are built through everyday decisions, not just emergency response plans. In this interactive session, frontline aquatic leaders will explore real-world risk management through practical “What Would You Do?” scenarios focused on staff performance, facility hazards, guest behavior, and operational decision-making. Participants will learn how to identify risks, control hazards within their influence, and strengthen the layers of protection that help prevent incidents before they occur. Walk away with actionable strategies to improve accountability, elevate safety awareness, and build a stronger culture of risk management at your facility. At the end of the session, participants will:  Identify common aquatic facility hazards and distinguish between risks that can be controlled versus risks that must be mitigated through operational practices. Analyze real-world aquatic scenarios to determine appropriate responses that improve safety, reduce risk, and strengthen frontline decision-making. Apply practical strategies for supervision, staff accountability, and facility safety to enhance daily aquatic risk management operations.   Respected as a Supervisor, Not an Equal with Juliene Hefter What is your leadership style? How do you earn the respect of your employees? This session will enhance your ability to supervise your staff in a caring and effective manner and will teach you what is needed to be respected by your staff. This session also covers the transition from equal to supervisor and what changes are needed to make the transition.   About the Presenters:  Kelly Martinez has been presenting nationally and internationally for over 18 years, challenging the status quo, and questioning practices that are based on “this is how it has always been done.”  This mindset led her to audit everything and then strive to plug the holes.  After conducting hundreds of non-traditional audits, she now enjoys sharing what she has learned to help eliminate drownings in lifeguarded facilities and improving the way the aquatic industry teaches children how to swim. Kelly is also the co-founder of the website, Lifeguards Love You Tube which is a video library and resource for aquatic professionals to supplement lifeguard training. Kelly Martinez has been an Aquatic Professional since 1992.  For the past 16 years, she has been an Aquatic Recreation Coordinator III for the City of Phoenix, Arizona co-supervising 23 pool facilities and over 500 part-time aquatic staff. Kirsten Barnes is Missouri born and raised and lives with her family in the mountains of Colorado. As a graduate of the Missouri State University Recreation & Leisure Studies program, Kirsten's career in recreation has included overseeing programs serving a variety of populations including aquatics, youth sports leagues, summer camps, senior programming, ice arenas, golf courses, and special events. Kirsten also oversaw lifeguard management at 24 aquatic facilities and water parks with a private management company before taking the reins at a private fitness and wellness center serving over 17,000 members, supervising more than 220 employees, and overseeing a budget of almost $10 million in annual revenues. She was named a 2026 Aquatics International Power Issue Nominee and now works supporting the Aquatic industry in her role as Assistant Director of the Association of Aquatic Professionals. Juliene Hefter Juliene Hefter is the Executive Director/CEO of the Association of Aquatic Professionals and a nationally recognized leader in the aquatics industry. Her career honors include the Wisconsin Park & Recreation Association’s Professional Award of Merit, Recreation Professional of the Year, Aquatic Professional of the Year, and the Public Policy Innovation Award. She was named one of Aquatics International’s “Top 25 in Aquatics” and later recognized as a Top 10 Aquatic Advocate. In 2017, she received the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s Paragon Award. Juliene is a sought-after speaker, consultant, and expert witness specializing in aquatic operations, leadership, risk management, training, and organizational development. She also contributed to several major industry programs and is a founder of AOAP.   Read more

This presentation will discuss what grant writing entails and how to ensure that you are finding grants that may be of benefit to your agency. It will also include how to apply for grants as well as making sure that you are doing it correctly. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn what is important about grants, how to find them, and how to get them! Presenter: Susan J. Grosse Category: Leadership/Executive Development, AqP Elective .1 CEU Read more

When drownings occur with lifeguards on duty, lifeguards are often blamed for the tragedy. But, based on extensive scientific testing, lifeguards are regularly positioned where drowning victims cannot be identified while at the surface or on the pool bottom. This webinar will offer insight based on science, as well as drowning prevention strategies that can be easily adopted by any organization that relies on lifeguards for safety. Presenters: Maria Bella, Aqua Conscience, LLC Category: Drowning Prevention .1 CEU   More About Maria Maria Bella has been actively involved in the aquatics industry for more than 40 years. She has operated numerous aquatic facilities and has served as a subject matter expert for the CDC’s Model Aquatic Health Code; the ICC's International Swimming Pool and Spa Code; IAPMO's Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code; the PHTA Technical Committee on ANSI standards, and the American Red Cross Lifeguarding program. Bella performs research to improve lifeguard effectiveness, and provides consulting services to private and government entities in standard of care for aquatic facility operations as well as positioning and supervision of lifeguards. Read more