Welcome to Green Feet Swimming

Nationwide, drownings are the #1 cause of unintentional deaths for children 1-4 years old and the second leading cause of death for children between 5-9 years old.

Statistics show that one month of formal swimming lessons reduces the risk of drowning by 88%

Welcome to Green Feet Swimming

Nationwide, drownings are the #1 cause of unintentional deaths for children 1-4 years old and the second leading cause of death for children between 5-9 years old.

Statistics show that one month of formal swimming lessons reduces the risk of drowning by 88%

Private Swim Lessons

Children progress faster with private 1:1 instruction. Our guided 20 minute lessons let us cater to your child's needs... not the other way around.

How Does Our Swim Program Work?

Our lessons are designed with your little swimmer and family in mind. We want your child to progress as quickly (and SAFELY) as possible... all while knowing how busy your schedule can be.

  • We offer 4 sessions* each year. Our schedule changes with each session to offer you the most flexibility.

    • Winter - January - March

    • Spring - April & May (Registration Opens 3/10/24)

    • Summer - June & July (Registration Opens 5/5/24)

    • Fall - August - October (Schedule NOT Posted Until Registration Opens 7/7/24)

  • Each *Session* will have a specific registration date and may not be currently displayed on our website

  • We charge $30 per private lesson or $120 for a month with a minimum of 4 lessons.

  • There is a 1 time annual registration fee (per family) of 30$.

  • You will be charged at the beginning of the month for the number of lessons in the upcoming month.

    • $120 for 4 lessons (1X each week)

    • $240 for 8 lessons (2X each week)

    • $360 for 12 lessons (3X each week)

Sign Up In 5 Easy Steps

  1. Pick your session (each session has a specific registration date)

  2. How fast do you want them to progress? Decide how many times you want your little swimmer in the pool each week. 1, 2, or 3 times/week

  3. Click "Check Available Times & Book Lessons" to be taken to our enrollment portal

    1. Confirm your location of choice (San Mateo/Lomas or Tramway/Menual)

    2. Confirm your date and time of choice

    3. Confirm your instructor of choice

  4. Click "Register" once your have found your desired class. *If the class is full you may add your name to the "Waitlist" - If no "Register" or "Waitlist" is displayed, the class is full.

  5. Login to your Parent Portal or Register if your new - *your card on file will be charged before your first class.

How Does Our Swim Program Work?

Our lessons are designed with your little swimmer and family in mind. We want your child to progress as quickly (and SAFELY) as possible... all while knowing how busy your schedule can be.

We offer 4 sessions per year.

  • We offer 4 sessions* each year. Our schedule changes with each session to offer you the most flexibility.

    • Winter - January - March

    • Spring - April & May (Registration Opens 3/10)

    • Summer - June & July (Registration Open 5/5)

    • Fall - August - October (Registration Opens 7/7)

  • Each *Session* will have a specific registration date and may not be currently displayed on our website

  • We charge $30 per private lesson or $120 for a month with a minimum of 4 lessons.

  • There is a 1 time annual registration fee (per family) of 30$.

  • You will be charged at the beginning of the month for the number of lessons in the upcoming month.

    • $120 for 4 lessons (1X each week)

    • $240 for 8 lessons (2X each week)

    • $360 for 12 lessons (3X each week)

Sign Up In 5 Easy Steps

  1. Pick your session (each session has a specific registration date)

  2. How fast do you want them to progress? Decide how many times you want your little swimmer in the pool each week. 1, 2, or 3 lessons/week

  3. Click "Check Available Times & Book Lessons" to be taken to our enrollment portal

    1. Confirm your location of choice (San Mateo/Lomas or Tramway/Menual)

    2. Confirm your date and time

    3. Confirm your instructor

  4. Click "Register" once your have found your desired class. *If the class is full you may add your name to the "Waitlist" - If no "Register" or "Waitlist" is displayed, the class is full.

  5. Login to your Parent Portal - Register if your new - your card on file will be charged before your first class.

Quality Staff

  • CPR/First Aid Certified

  • Safe Sport Certified

  • Lifeguard Certified

  • Certified Pool Operator

  • Carefully Screened

  • Fully Trained

  • Required Continuing Education For All Instructors

  • Flexible Scheduling

  • Full Refund If Not Satisfied

Why The Backyard?

Operating in the backyard offers so much benefit to your little ones. Between the pool being heated to over 90 degrees and the welcoming environment, your child will feel right at home. This comfort allows them to focus on learning to swim.

The backyard connects the student, parent, and staff on a personal level. Instead of separating the student from parents, the backyard allows feedback from the staff and allows parents to ask questions during lessons.

The backyard also lets us keep our cost low so we can offer the BEST instruction in Albuquerque... and the BEST Price as well!

What Does Green Feet Mean?

  • Helping those who cannot help themselves.

    At our swim school, we teach water safety from the very beginning.

    Statistics show that one month of formal swimming lessons reduces the risk of drowning by 88%.

  • We strive to build strong confident swimmers.

    Children not only deserve to know how to swim but they can be phenomenal swimmers at a very early age.

    Like reading, swimming takes time, patience and lots of practice.

  • Bringing families together.

    Enjoy time in the pool with your kids instead of being worried constantly about whether or not they can swim.

    Allow your children to be both confident & HAPPY in the water. Whether that is swimming, surfing, water skiing or SCUBA. Green Feet Swimmers can do it all!

    Finally... Green Feet are what brought our family together over 20 years ago when Russell was stationed here at Kirtland Air Force Base in the Pararescue program.

How It All Started...

Green Feet Swimming... Formally know as "Nicole's Swim School" started in 2013 while Russell and Nicole were teaching their 4 young children how to swim in their parents backyard pool.

Russell and Nicole knew it was super important to teach their children how to swim, but as their family grew they couldn't afford the cost of swim lessons.

This is where it all began! Nicole took her decade plus of gymnastics and diving coaching background and applied it to teaching her own children how to swim. Friends quickly started noticing how well Nicole's kids were swimming and asked for help. That led to more friends and friends of friends.

Despite the growth, Nicole has always made the effort to keep cost down. She understands the financial struggle of young families and multiple children. Nicole wants to help as many kids learn to swim as possible and always wants to make swim lessons accessible to children.

Nicole taught even while traveling full time in a RV for 3 years. She taught lessons in UT, FL, and NC. Through the years she has done group lessons, semi private lessons, and private lessons. She has seen what truly works and created her curriculum around what works best.

Our focus now is to help AS MANY kids learn to swim. The city of Albuquerque has a goal of helping 100,000 kids learn to swim in the next 10 years and we want to be a big part in that. This is no small task, which is why Green Feet Swimming has trained and hired more instructors and has new pool locations to help give more children the opportunity to learn to swim.

Our family owned and operated school now employs 2 of the 6 children Russell and Nicole have. Russell works behind the scenes on all things business while Nicole focuses on the teaching. There is no greater joy than to work side by side, doing good and making a difference, with the people you love!

About the owners

A competitive gymnast from a very young age, Nicole reached level 8 by the age of 10, but had to say goodbye to the sport she loved so much after wearing a back brace for 3 years.

She began diving for Albuquerque High her junior year, and found something she could pour her heart into without the severe back pain.

Nicole first began coaching in 2000 when only a junior in high school at the gymnastics school she grow up in. Upon graduation in 2001, she pursued coaching diving for all Albuquerque Public Schools as well as Rio Rancho and Saint Pius high schools. In her 4 years as a high school diving coach, she coached 6 state champions.

After coaching the high school team she was invited by a former Olympic diver, Abel Sanchez, to help coach the women's dive team at the University of New Mexico.

That was not her first influence by an Olympic athlete. Rusty Mitchell was a 1964 Olympic gymnast. He was the first person to ever compete a double back in the Olympics. He then built New Mexico gymnastics from the ground up. As the head coach, Rusty won multiple national championships at the University of New Mexico. Rusty and Nicole's father were long time friends. Rusty passed away recently but he was a mentor to Nicole from the day she was born.

Russell came to Albuquerque in 2003 in the US Air Force PJ pipeline after graduating the Army Special Forces Underwater Operations course in Key West, FL. Earning the coveted "SCUBA bubble", he excelled at all things water and medicine. After graduating near the top of his class in combat medicine, his military career came to an end after an injury.

Still loving the water, Russell now teaches SCUBA as a civilian instructor. He has instructed and divemastered both in the Florida Keys as well as here in Albuquerque.

Of all the sports they love, Russell and Nicole have chosen to pursue teaching swimming. They believe every child deserves to know how to swim and save themselves if ever needed. The standards, work ethic, and passion they teach is evident in the program that they have built together.

What a wonderful first swim lesson we had today! Amazed with the lesson, but overall Nicole the instructor. So patient with my daughter, such a lovely person who is able to just genuinely make your child feel comfortable. She won my daughter over within minutes of meeting her. Super excited to continue these lessons and watch my daughter learn such wonderful tips and tricks. A big thumbs up from us!

• Erica M | Albuquerque

Multiple locations and options!

Conveniently located just south of

I-40 and San Mateo

Now offering classes near Tramway and Menaul

NEW!!! We come to you lessons starting spring of 2024!