Tag Archives: Swimming Lessons

Pool and Spa Safety

Prepare Now for Safe Summer Swimming

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Pool Safety

The best time to prepare for a safe swimming season is before the season ever begins.   Two of the most important pieces in the pool safety plan can be accomplished now — swim lessons and CPR certification.

Swim Lessons

Children and adults should not only feel comfortable in the water, they should successfully complete basic swimming and water safety training before entering a swimming pool.  Even better, swimmers should continue with swimming lessons throughout the season and beyond to increase ability and strength.  Your local Y or community center may offer year-round swim lessons.  Alternatively, you can contact your local Red Cross to find locations that offer swim lessons.  

CPR Certification

Even the strongest swimmers can experience accidents in water, so becoming certified in CPR and first aid is the second crucial step you can take now to prepare for a safe swimming season.   Contact your local Red Cross for class offerings.  Be sure to take a refresher course every year because you never know when your life-saving skills will be needed.

When swimming season arrives, the swim lessons you and your family take and the CPR certification you achieve will go far in helping prevent accidental injuries and drownings in and around the swimming pool.  Don’t forget, though, that responsible adult supervision should always be available when children are playing in and near the water.  No preventative measures ever replace proper supervision.

Holidays and Gift Ideas, Pool and Spa Safety, Pool Fun

The Only Sport That Can Save a Life

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Did you know that swimming is the only sport that can save a life?  By learning how to swim, or by strengthening your existing swimming skills, you have a much better chance of staying safe in the swimming pool.  Lessons for adults and children are available year round at many community centers, YMCAs or YWCAs, and Red Cross facilities.  Now is the best time to improve swimming ability because there’s plenty of time to learn this vital life-saving skill well before swimming season begins again.  

If you like to give meaningful gifts for the holidays, consider giving swim lessons to your favorite water-loving adult or child.  Swimming lessons make a unique, long-lasting, and life saving gift.  It would be hard to find any other gift that offers benefits like that! 

For more information about the importance of swimming lessons and knowing how to swim, watch this short and helpful video from the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Pool Safely campaign.

Pool and Spa Safety, Pool Fun

Break a World Record and Help Prevent Drowning

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Swimming Safety

You can help set a world record on June 14, 2011, when you join the “World’s Largest Swimming Lesson” in your community.  The goal of this event is to raise awareness about the importance of teaching children how to swim.   A whopping 3,971 people from 34 states and 5 countries participated in this event in 2010 — you can help break that record in 2011.

The “World’s Largest Swimming Lesson” was put together by a coalition of the nation’s leading water safety and training organizations, including the International Swim Instructors Association, National Recreation and Parks Association, United States Swim School Association, and the World Waterpark Association, among others.  By raising awareness about water safety, these organizations hope to reduce incidents of accidental drowning, which is the second leading cause of death for children ages 1-14.

To find out where you can participate in the “World’s Largest Swimming Lesson” in your community, or to become a host facility for this record-breaking event, visit the event website at www.worldslargestswimminglesson.org.

Pool and Spa Safety

Add This to Your Pool Safety Checklist

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Did you know that children are 8 times more likely to drown or experience submersion accidents in swimming pools if they do not know how to swim (Consumer Product Safety Commission)?  One more step in helping to prevent swimming pool accidents is to ensure that the children (and adults) who will be using the swimming pool know how to swim.

Whether you and your children need to learn to swim from scratch or just need to strengthen your skills, now is the time to get started.  Indoor pools are common at many local YMCAs, YWCAs, or community centers, and year round lessons are usually available to adults and children of all skill levels.  Contact them today for schedule information.

Swim lessons are important for safety, but they are also great fun and provide access to one of the best forms of exercise.  Parents and caregivers should keep in mind, though, that even if children are taking lessons and may be considered strong swimmers, they can still experience swimming pool accidents.  Responsible adult supervision should always be available when kids are in the pool.