Susan Pascale-Frechette, Pods Swimming

Susan Pascale-FrechetteSusan Pascale-Frechette’s great-grandparents on both her parents’ sides were Italian immigrants who planted their roots in the Federal Hill section of Providence. Entrepreneurship is in her blood; Her great grandparents owned and operated Leo’s cigar store, owned and managed apartments and helped their son run his dental practice. Susan was destined for entrepreneurship. While receiving her BS in Dental Hygiene from the University of Rhode Island, Susan became an entry level swim coach for the Ocean State Squids at Brown University. There she found her true passion, providing families with life skills both in and out of the water. After the closing of the swim program, Ocean State Squids, Susan started her own program to fill the void.

Pods Swimming was founded in 2007, with forty students. Today the program currently enrolls over 1,000 students and employs over twenty in eight locations. Founding the program was not without its sacrifices, but with perseverance, Susan overcame scheduling struggles and continued to expand into new locations. As Susan resiliently developed the learning curricula and foster relationships with parents and students, parents began to see the impact of enlisting their children and the business began to growth by sheer word of mouth.

Susan is driven to ensure the curriculum taught at Pods Swimming is progressive and innovative. After researching national programs, Susan discovered the United States Swim School Association. Annually, Susan traveled to Arizona to be trained in their curriculum. Susan and some of her staff travel to the USSSA conference to refresh their knowledge and learn the revised curriculum. Pods Swimming is proudly the first USSSA program established in Rhode Island.

The immense impact that Susan’s work has had on the community and families that she teaches is evident. Susan is deeply committed to her students, teaching water safety, and pushing children beyond their limiting beliefs. This year, Susan and her team are taking Pods to even greater lengths, opening a six lane 25-yard pool, and teaching pool. The facility will not only be conducive to swim lessons but will create opportunities for rehabilitation, fitness, recreational and masters swimming, aligning with Susan’s dream of serving her community and investing in its healthy future.

Leave a comment

Avatar About the Author: The Rhode Island Small Business Journal is a printed monthly magazine and an online resource for the aspiring and start-up entrepreneur and small business owner.

previous arrow
next arrow
Slider