Buckhead · Popsicle Pier at Spine Center Atlanta
Sunday morning swim lessons in Buckhead, for cautious and fearless kids.
One adult instructor with one or two children, a parent beside every child, in a small, warm indoor pool at Spine Center Atlanta on Howell Mill Road. For the child who waits at the edge and the child who runs for it. Ages 2½ and up.
$55 a lesson for semi-privateFounding Families pay $52.50, with no registration fee, when you book by February 28, 2027. Under 3, private: $85, or $82.50 Founding. Billed monthly for that month's Sundays.
- First lessons Sunday, November 8
Already know you want private lessons? Book a private lesson and start right away.
- Sundays, 9 am to 1 pm
- One or two children per lesson
- A parent beside every child
- 27-minute lessons
- Warm water
- Taught by our founder this fall
Great for nervous kids. Great for the ones who jump right in, too.
Our whole method is one question: "Hard or hurt?" For a careful child, the answer is the Brave Equation: a little scared + a little try = brave. We do scary hard; we never do scary hurt. When a child says stop, we stop. No child is forced, rushed, or put under the water. You're beside your child the whole time.
If your child cries at the edge of the pool, we built this for them. If your child is in the water before you've found a chair, we built this for them, too.
A bold child has plenty to work on: floating, strokes, distance and the water rules. The same question that helps a careful child try helps a bold child stop and think. A child who is too cautious learns to try; a child who is reckless learns to check first. Every child needs both.
Why one or two children with a coach? In our 27-minute semi-private, each child gets about 13 minutes with the coach, plus a moment between turns to take in what they just did.
How we teachWhat Madison parents say
Our Madison pool has 5.0 stars on Google. In Madison parents' own words:
"I cannot say enough praise about Popsicle Pier! Our son started 18 months ago- we came for the swim skills, but stuck around for the life skills developed along the way. Coach Jamey does an amazing job of weaving important principles into each lesson- he coaches kids on concepts like resilience, recovering from failure, developing your strengths, and not being afraid of hard things. He also takes the time to learn each kid and figure out what motivates them. He realized my son loves animal facts, so now he always does animal trivia and coaches him to swim like a dolphin, a whale, etc. And along the way our son has become an incredible swimmer. Popsicle Pier lessons are well worth the money and a highlight of our week! 🩷🏊♂️"
"Absolutely recommend for all of your swim lesson needs! My grandson did 2 months of lessons & is now able to swim in the deep end & do cannonballs off the side of the pool! Coach Jamie is so good at what he does!"
"My kids look forward to seeing Coach Jamey every week! He is great and helps them build confidence in so many different ways."
Sundays in Buckhead
- The poolWarm water. A small, quiet indoor pool, much warmer than a typical pool and 4 feet deep, with steps down into the water and none of the noise and crowd of a busy public pool. Never more than two children in the water.
- WhenSunday mornings, 9:00 to 1:00. Lessons begin Sunday, November 8.
- WhoChildren 2½ and up; under 3, private lessons. Every child 3 and under, and any child who isn't toilet-trained, wears a snug swim diaper. Teens and adults who never learned to swim are welcome too; ask us.
- HowWeekly 27-minute lessons in a 30-minute slot, one adult instructor with one or two children, and a parent beside every child for the whole lesson.
- Who teachesThis fall, our founder, Jamey Myers, teaches every Sunday lesson.
Your first visit
- WherePopsicle Pier at Spine Center Atlanta
3161 Howell Mill Rd NW
Suite 420
Atlanta, GA 30327Get directions - Why this poolWe rent the warm therapy pool at Spine Center Atlanta on Sunday mornings for lessons.
- LifeguardA certified lifeguard is at every lesson: your coach in the water, or a lifeguard on deck.
- ParkingPark in the parking deck; parking is free. To drive out of the deck you need a token or a code, and we give you one, free of charge.
- Getting to the poolFrom the parking deck, take the elevator to the 4th floor; you'll see our sign by the elevators. Turn right off the elevator and follow the Popsicle Pier signs to Suite 420, then to the pool.
- ChangingThere are three private bathrooms with showers and toilets, each with a door that locks, so you can change before or after the lesson.
- BringBring a swimsuit, a towel, a water bottle and a change of clothes. Under 3? You're in the water with your child, so bring your own swimsuit too. Come ten minutes early on your first Sunday. For children under 3, the reusable swim diaper we like is Splash About's Happy Nappy. We get a small credit from Splash About when you order through this link.
Buckhead prices
Semi-private
Two swimmers. Our recommended class.
$55 a lesson per child
Private
One swimmer. Required for children under 3.
$85 a lesson
Book by February 28, 2027
Your family pays $52.50 a lesson for semi-private or $82.50 for private, with no registration fee (normally $40 a child or $60 a family a year), for as long as your family stays enrolled without a break. Booking a free first lesson by February 28 counts, whenever your child's lessons begin.
Details
The rate belongs to your family, so a brother or sister who joins later gets it too. Booking a free first lesson by February 28 counts, whenever your child's lessons begin, with nothing to pay to hold the rate.
How to start
- Send the form.
- We reply within one day with a lesson time. Say yes, fill out our sign-up form, and we'll book it.
- The sign-up form includes the recording release, with nothing to pay. Before your child's first paid lesson, you add a payment method in our Parent Portal. The free first lesson is never charged.
Your free first lesson is a short session at the pool where your coach meets your child and finds the class that fits. No charge and no obligation. Under 3, it's a short private session with you in the water. Already know you want private? You can book a paid private lesson right away; that's what we suggest. Free first lessons, private and semi-private lessons all start Sunday, November 8.
Book a free first lesson- Registration fee: $40 a child or $60 a family, once a year; Founding Families pay none. A registration fee is yearly: if your family pays one, it is charged with your first bill and again on each anniversary of your enrollment.
- Billing is monthly, for that month's Sundays. We're closed Sunday, November 29 and Sunday, December 27, and you're never billed for those two Sundays. See the Closures page.
- To stop lessons, email us at least two weeks before your next billing date. Buckhead families: buckhead@popsiclepier.com.
- Semi-private without a partner yet. If your child enrolls in a semi-private class before we have matched a partner, your child starts at the semi-private rate while we work to fill the class. If we can't find a partner within a month of your child's first lesson, we'll tell you before anything changes, and your child moves to the private rate from the next billing period (for a Founding Family, the Founding private rate).
Who teaches
Jamey Myers, founder and working coach
Jamey has coached since 1995, from a first float to the Olympic Trials, with cautious kids and fearless ones. This fall, he teaches every Sunday lesson in Buckhead, and your child has the same teacher every week.
Every lesson
Where your child is, and what comes next
You'll always know where your child is, what they're working on, and what comes next. Your coach tells you at the pool, every lesson.
What you'll always know
- Where your child is today
- The one thing they're working on right now
- What comes next, and what it takes to get there
- How you'll hear it: from your coach, at the pool
Buckhead questions
Does a parent stay?
Yes. A parent beside every child. A parent or guardian stays for the whole lesson, watching: on deck, or in the water with your child. Under 3, you are in the water with your child. In a private lesson, you can always be in the water with your child, as much as you want. In a semi-private lesson, you watch from the deck. At the free first lesson, you can be in the water with your child if you want. You and the coach are both there for the whole lesson. If you need to step away, tell the coach first: your child comes out of the water and goes with you, and goes back in only when you are back.
How warm is the water?
Much warmer than a typical pool, so little ones stay comfortable. The pool is 4 feet deep, with steps down into the water.
What if my child won't get in?
The free first lesson is never billed. After that, "not today" is a fine answer, and so is "not yet." Your child decides when to get in: no child is ever put in the water or pushed past their no. Your child's coach works with them where they are and waits for one small try. A paid lesson is still billed, because your child's spot is held for them every week.
Is this a medical program?
No. These are swim lessons, in a warm indoor pool.
Other days?
Sundays only for now. Tell us what other times would work.