Meet Our Instructors

Ashly DeBlander has her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University and her Masters Degree in Education from Arizona State University. She taught Elementary school for five years and currently works as a Behavior Specialist in the Mesa School District. Ashly has been swimming since she was five years old and belonged to a variety of swim clubs from Illinois to California. Ashly has worked with Kidtastics for 9+ years helping kids love and act safely in the water!

Hello my name is Ashlyn! I am a swim coach from AZ, I love kids and have a passion for the water. In my free time I enjoy playing guitar and singing, paddle boarding, traveling, and playing sports. I am going to school at Phoenix College studying Sustainability and the Environment. My passion for children though lead me to teaching at Kidtastics. I am excited to help children learn and grow in their swimming abilities this year. I believe the water should not be scary for children, but fun! Most importantly it should be an opportunity for them to learn and exercise while staying safe.

Carter Henkel is born and raised in Gilbert, AZ. She is currently a student at the University of Arizona majoring in elementary education. Swimming has been part of her life for as long as she can remember. She started competitively swimming at a young age and was on her high school varsity swim team all four years. Over the past couple of years, she has worked as a swim instructor for different teams in Gilbert and loves it more than anything. Her passion is to work with kids and to help make a difference in their lives. She is excited to be apart of the Kidtastics team and looks forward to helping teach kids water safety and swim this summer.

Hello my name is Emma and I absolutely love swimming! I have hundreds of hours teaching kids to swim, and I try to do it in the most fun and safe way possible! I am currently going to optometry school at Midwestern University and have my bachelors in microbiology. I love being outdoors whether it be hiking, swimming, paddle-boarding, or playing sports. I am hoping to help kids learn to enjoy the water this summer while also being safe!

Hi my name is Jill! I have been teaching swim lessons for over two years now. I grew up swimming and diving, and have always had a passion for the water. In my free time I enjoy building legos, paddle boarding, watching old movies, and spending time with my dog :) In the future I plan on attending a university to study psychology and childhood development. I am excited to help kids overcome fears, achieve goals, and have fun along the way! Swimming should be safe and challenging but a blast at the end of the day. I look forward to teaching your kids this summer!

Hi, I'm Kaylee! Swimming has always been an important part of my life and I look forward to teaching your children! I grew up in Scottsdale, AZ, and am grateful to have been part of my Varsity High School Swim Team, including qualifying for State with my relay teams. I have been working as a swim coach for the last two years, and Lifeguarding. Swimming is such an important life skill and a great way to safely have fun with friends. I look forward to teaching your children this summer. Let's swim like a big fish!

Hello, my name is Kayla! When I was Two years old I jumped into a pool & taught myself how to swim; I have loved the water since. I was on a swim team & have been teaching swim lessons for about three years now. I absolutely adore kids especially when teaching them to love what I love so much, the water. Not only just teaching them, but showing them that the water isn’t something they need to be afraid of, with good boundaries of course. I would describe my teaching style as calm & gentle. I can push when needed but take a very patient approach when teaching. Aside from my fabulous job, I am currently going to school for dental hygiene so I can make my dreams come true to live in a place surrounded by the water 24/7 (preferably Gold Coast or north shore ).

Hi! My name is Taydem! Since I can remember, I spent every summer in the pool! I love being around kids and I love that I have the opportunity to assist children in learning to swim. Swimming is such a valuable skill and a necessity here in Phoenix due to the number of pools in the valley. Teaching swim lessons is not only so enjoyable, but also super rewarding! I'm super excited to be a swim teacher at Kidtastics!

I've been a lifelong competitive swimmer since I was 10 years old. All of this hard work has paid off as I swam for USC and still compete as a member of ASU Swim Devil Masters. I have a bachelor's degree in Communications from USC. I have coached kids at Pleasanton Seahawks and Rio (US Swimming teams) and am an ASCA level 2 swim coach. I'm a mom of 2 wonderful college-aged kids and love that I’m able to pay it forward and teach children water safety and stroke techniques. I truly enjoy getting to know the kids and their personalities in this rewarding adventure.