Today, one of our young swimmers was able to swim almost 100 feet in the front crawl ! Now, this young lady has taken three sessions this summer and should be progressing well. She has worked very hard to get to where she is at (three strokes learned and can float forever!) .
Sadly, I had an opportunity to be at our local waterpark recently and was watching from outside the fence. What I saw was young swimmers, maybe between the ages of 8 and 12 years, struggling with a doggie paddle style of movement after landing in the water from the water slides.
Sadly, some families believe that if a child can go down a slide and then get to the side (in any fashion) that their child can swim and are safe in the water. No so. If anything, they are taking a big risk of the child believing that they are a good swimmer and will eventually take bigger risks, such as jumping "at the cliffs" (a local watering hole that they jump from a height into barely a shallow pond---and yes there has been a drowning there in the past).
Sadly also, that there were certified lifeguards on site that felt that these children could swim well enough as well. I have to wonder about the swimming level of these guards!!
Gone seems to be the time that the pool management, lifeguards and parents knew that learning to swim (at least the five basic styles of swimming) is a mandatory life skill. Maybe it is time for all of the state bathing codes to include the swimming qualifications of those that work in and around aquatic facilities. It just might be the way to bring back the importance of really learning to swim. Until then, maybe aquatic facilities and their managers should set their own standards much higher and be sure that everyone is a swimmer. A real swimmer.
Just my 2 cents!
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
PARENTS SHOULD REMEMBER THAT MOST GUARDS ARE TEENS
As a parent we believe that when we send our children to the local pool, the lifeguards will keep them safe. But what we need to remember is that most teens who are watching over local pools are teens, young teens.
The younger the guard, the less likely that they have had enough life experiences to handle all situations that can occur at an aquatic facility. Training can only account for so much, as far as response to an incident. This is where proper management by an aquatic manager/aquatic specialist and better hiring practices, as well as extra on site training, could make a difference.
Teens will be teens, and so the management needs to be mature enough to manage the teen years of a guard as well as the pool facility. Just recently, on the 4th of July, my family was at our local park for the festivities. The area of the park we found as a suitable site for our gathering just happened to be near the aquatic center. For hours during the day and evening we watched the many mistakes that the local teens made as lifeguards.
From taking their eyes off of the pool to visit with another guard while sitting in their station chair, to totally turning their backs on the pool area to talk to friends on the outside of the fence, as well as enforcing rules on one group of children, but allowing others to break the rules, these young guards were in drastic need of more training and a manager that could maintain a safer location for area children to swim.
Most lifeguard training programs actually train a guard to prevent incidents from happening so that there is no need to an emergency response. As a last resort, guards are trained to make an emergency rescue and extraction from the pool. When in service training is not done on a regular schedule and the hot days of summer continue, most teen guards will lose their concentration and focus on keeping their eyes on the public in the water. And most guards cannot even tell you what the state bathing code sets their pool patron level to be, or what mandated equipment is required.
Another misconception about lifeguards is that they are the strongest swimmers at the aquatic facility. Well, they really should be but that is not always the case. If a guard can meet the minimal standards of the training course they are in, they will receive their certification. But remember, the certification, although it has to be renewed every few years, just means that they at least met the minimal standards of the course on the day the certification cards were handed out. There are no guarantees unless the manager over them has policies and standards in pace to assure their skills are met, including swimming levels, on a weekly basis.
A lot of local pools will also use guards to teach swimming lessons. But unless the guard has taken an instructor course in learning about learning styles, teaching methods and stroke mechanics, they may be doing more harm than good with their swimming lessons. Again, the manager should be held accountable for the level of knowledge and skill of their guards.
As parents, most do not know what it takes to be a good guard or swimming instructor. They just trust that they are making the right choice because it is at the local pool or aquatic center. I would encourage parents to ask questions about qualifications and background of guards and instructors. If you do not get an answer that seems right, find somewhere else for your children. And never let your young children go to the local swimming pools with out you.
Some cities are beginning to see the need for stronger training and management in aquatic settings. They are looking at changes and hiring qualified managers as well as guards. Unfortunately, a lot of the times it is large cities that make this step forward and smaller ones just look away and hope that nothing happens. You might find this link with a news station in the Houston area interesting and informative as to how some steps to better and safer aquatics is happening in the Houston area. http://www.khou.com/news/investigative/ITeamLifeguard-215133651.html
Here is to being informed and keeping safe around water.
*Mary Myers is a former American Red Cross Instructor Trainer for WSI, First Aide, CPR, AED and Supplemental Oxygen. She has also trained with YMCA and American Learn To Swim Teachers. She is a member of US Swim Schools Association
The younger the guard, the less likely that they have had enough life experiences to handle all situations that can occur at an aquatic facility. Training can only account for so much, as far as response to an incident. This is where proper management by an aquatic manager/aquatic specialist and better hiring practices, as well as extra on site training, could make a difference.
Teens will be teens, and so the management needs to be mature enough to manage the teen years of a guard as well as the pool facility. Just recently, on the 4th of July, my family was at our local park for the festivities. The area of the park we found as a suitable site for our gathering just happened to be near the aquatic center. For hours during the day and evening we watched the many mistakes that the local teens made as lifeguards.
From taking their eyes off of the pool to visit with another guard while sitting in their station chair, to totally turning their backs on the pool area to talk to friends on the outside of the fence, as well as enforcing rules on one group of children, but allowing others to break the rules, these young guards were in drastic need of more training and a manager that could maintain a safer location for area children to swim.
Most lifeguard training programs actually train a guard to prevent incidents from happening so that there is no need to an emergency response. As a last resort, guards are trained to make an emergency rescue and extraction from the pool. When in service training is not done on a regular schedule and the hot days of summer continue, most teen guards will lose their concentration and focus on keeping their eyes on the public in the water. And most guards cannot even tell you what the state bathing code sets their pool patron level to be, or what mandated equipment is required.
Another misconception about lifeguards is that they are the strongest swimmers at the aquatic facility. Well, they really should be but that is not always the case. If a guard can meet the minimal standards of the training course they are in, they will receive their certification. But remember, the certification, although it has to be renewed every few years, just means that they at least met the minimal standards of the course on the day the certification cards were handed out. There are no guarantees unless the manager over them has policies and standards in pace to assure their skills are met, including swimming levels, on a weekly basis.
A lot of local pools will also use guards to teach swimming lessons. But unless the guard has taken an instructor course in learning about learning styles, teaching methods and stroke mechanics, they may be doing more harm than good with their swimming lessons. Again, the manager should be held accountable for the level of knowledge and skill of their guards.
As parents, most do not know what it takes to be a good guard or swimming instructor. They just trust that they are making the right choice because it is at the local pool or aquatic center. I would encourage parents to ask questions about qualifications and background of guards and instructors. If you do not get an answer that seems right, find somewhere else for your children. And never let your young children go to the local swimming pools with out you.
Some cities are beginning to see the need for stronger training and management in aquatic settings. They are looking at changes and hiring qualified managers as well as guards. Unfortunately, a lot of the times it is large cities that make this step forward and smaller ones just look away and hope that nothing happens. You might find this link with a news station in the Houston area interesting and informative as to how some steps to better and safer aquatics is happening in the Houston area. http://www.khou.com/news/investigative/ITeamLifeguard-215133651.html
Here is to being informed and keeping safe around water.
*Mary Myers is a former American Red Cross Instructor Trainer for WSI, First Aide, CPR, AED and Supplemental Oxygen. She has also trained with YMCA and American Learn To Swim Teachers. She is a member of US Swim Schools Association
Summer Swimming Classes Continue Through July!
Session #3 of our Learn To Swim Safely classes starts July 29th and runs through August 8th. These classes are for ages 2yrs (must be fully potty trained) though adult. Registration for the classes can be done through our parent company website at www.academyoffineartsok.com Just go to our sports tab and then select swimming lessons.
Our Learn To Swim programs offers two pre-levels and seven learn to swim levels. We offer instruction for all ages.
Call our office at 580-256-3262 for more information.
Our Learn To Swim programs offers two pre-levels and seven learn to swim levels. We offer instruction for all ages.
Call our office at 580-256-3262 for more information.
Preventing the Drowning of Young Children
There are many articles on drowning and drowning prevention on the internet these days, but one of the best articles on layers of protection around aquatic facilities is by The National Drowning Prevention Alliance.
The article is so truthful and complete, I will not add anything to it but my high recommendation that you read it for the safety of your children, your students, your family and friends.
Here is the link :
http://ndpa.org/home/resources/safety-tips/layers-of-protection/
The article is so truthful and complete, I will not add anything to it but my high recommendation that you read it for the safety of your children, your students, your family and friends.
Here is the link :
http://ndpa.org/home/resources/safety-tips/layers-of-protection/
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
BIGGEST MISTAKE PARENTS MAKE FOR THEIR CHILD'S SAFETY
We borrowed this from Swim Lessons University but it is well worth your time to watch the video!
One of the BIGGEST mistakes parents make from a safety perspective is not giving their child the opportunity to continue learning how to REALLY SWIM! By the time a child is 5 years of age, he is capable of swimming the length of most any re...sidential pool using formal strokes such as freestyle (front crawl) and backstroke. As a physical educator, I strongly encourage parents to have their children participate in a variety of sports and activities--BUT NEVER as a substitute to becoming a competent swimmer. If your child is five years old and can't swim freestyle with side breathing (as seen in this video), please twice about re-prioritizing his or her activities. http://youtu.be/VIXbsOVC1_
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
In an age of ethnic conflict, fatal disease and chronic malnutrition, it seems strange to stumble across figures such as this: 388,000 people die every year from drowning, according to the World Health Organization. To put this number in perspective, drowning accounts for nearly one in 10 deaths worldwide. It is the third-leading cause of unintentional death. It is also the greatest cause of injury and unintentional death among children younger than 5 in both the United States and Asia. This is a problem that traverses the developed and developing worlds......
http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-opinion/ci_21084779/their-view-silent-epidemic-388-000-year-die
http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-opinion/ci_21084779/their-view-silent-epidemic-388-000-year-die
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