“Alright, kiddos,” Teacher announces, “we’re here. Before we head into the pool, let’s check. What are the pool rules again?”
An assortment of enthusiastic voices cries out, “Sunscreen, get a buddy, we have to see you-” Anything said beyond is incomprehensible.
“That’s right,” confirms Teacher, “you need sunscreen, a swimming buddy, eyes on me, and you MUST, I repeat, MUST wear your floaties when going to the deep end. That being said, everyone follow me to the pool.”
The short walk to the pool is a blur to Zane. His mind is elsewhere thinking of all the fun things he’s going to do, I’m gonna make big splashes and race my friends and go to the deep end and do cool things and make big splashes. When the pool finally comes into view, it’s a paradise. An ocean of clear, wavy water covers all the eye can see. Zane can see all the way to the bottom, and if not for the distorting ripples he would believe it to be empty. The pool makes a distinct “L” shape, branching off to the side to mark the deeper waters. It is already occupied with people of all ages. Most are lounging around on rafts or in inner tubes, but some of the younger inhabitants are gleefully splashing and flailing about. Multicolored balls soar through the air, descending until forced skywards with a satisfying whack. Just as Zane had imagined, children are in competition, playing water tag, racing one another, and throwing balls of mass destruction. He finally succumbs to his anticipation and starts toward the
My head went back, and my feet popped up. I felt the frigid water seep into my hair, and soak my scalp. I heard my mom’s soft voice trying to keep me calm, and reminding me to keep my bellybutton up to the air as if some puppet master was holding it up by a string. Every time my mom tried to let me float by myself, my feet would begin to sink. It was as if I was a weight on a fishing line pulling it down into the dark abyss. I couldn’t seem to stay relaxed, I was as stiff as a two by four. That fire was still burning my inner forest deep within me. I remember startling myself out of the float, because I did not feel my mom’s hands supporting me anymore. I scrambled for footing on the bottom of the pool floor feeling the rough pool floor slip past my toes a couple times before I got the traction to stand up. I was kind of confused for a moment as I tried to get the water out of my eyes and nose. My family was now all out in the pool area, and I realized the moment I have been dreading for the past few years of my short life was here and I knew it. My family was going to have me jump off the diving board, in hopes that it would dissipate my excruciating fear of water. My heart was beginning to pound through my
As a lifeguard, it is my personal responsibility and duty to preserve the peacefulness and protect the lives of every patron that enters the pool. This holds true especially at Baker Park (Edward P. Thomas Jr. Memorial Pool), for the pool often reached maximum capacity within an hour of opening, not including the daily two hundred children we get from day campps, such as Boys and Girls club and YMCA. While I guard the pool and perameter, it is crucial to exhibit all three qualities of Ready, Respectful, and Relentless, for anything can happen instantly which can interfere with the public safety of everyone, including myself.
All my life, I have been fascinated with the aquatic realm. It began with my adolescent admiration for the Little Mermaid, and flourished when I joined and became the captain of my swimming and water polo team at North Miami Beach Senior High School. Therefore, when glancing at vimbly, I automatically went to the tab of explore and active outdoor. Just how I adore sitting and spending time reading a book on a day of leisure, being able to devote a day out under the sun and having an adrenaline rush is what ends up being a memorable moment in my book. To my delight, there was a section solely for water sports. As I scrolled through the pages filled with various pastimes, my eyes focused on scuba diving. I am infatuated with the countless tales
Dinitia and I stayed in the pool all morning, splashing, practicing the backstroke and the butterfly. She flailed around in the water almost as much as I did. We stood on our hands and stuck our legs out of the water, did underwater twists, and played Marco Polo and chicken with the other kids. We climbed out to do cannonballs and watermelons off the side, making bug geyserlike splashes intended to drench as many people sitting poolside as possible. The blue water sparkled and churned white with foam (191).
“Get up now,” My mom yelled down the hallway. “Hurry or you’ll be late!” My brother and I dreaded waking up early to swim, but we had chosen to commit. Even though I’ve competed every year since first grade, I still struggled. That summer swimming taught me to have stamina, the ability to not quit even though it was hard.
You’re lining up now!” You turn and look at the whiteboard, and sure enough, a big 19 is spread across the top. Although it pains you to do it, you remove your heated, comfy layer of sweats, exposing your newly formed goosebumps, and head down to the pool. When you arrive at the table, a woman checks off your name and tells you to sit in the fourth chair down. It’s only been an hour, and the woman looks as though she has been working for three days straight. You don’t recognize either of the girls sitting next to you. It turns out that the girl to your right is from Watertown, and the girl to your left is from Cortland. You strike up a conversation with the girl from Watertown, and it turns out that you have a lot in common. Gradually, the line would inch forward, and you would be stuck sitting in someone else's chair, in which they had left a pool of water in, so you resort to sitting on the very edge of the chair. About two races before your own, your coach walks by, and starts talking to you, knowing that you are very nervous. “Don’t worry about it, you will do fine! Just remember, the faster you swim, the faster you’ll be able to dry off and get warm again.” You nod and laugh shyly and continue to anxiously wait for your race.
“Honestly, I’d like to get pushed in the pool every year,” a smiling Personius said while trying to dry himself off. “It hasn’t been enough times as far as I’m concerned. I’m very happy for the kids. They’ve been working hard all year and they truly deserved this.”
Honestly ever since I was two years old I have been in water, and learned how to swim at around three. I had not learned anything about swimming in Wheeling High School and I can prove that I did not benefit from the swimming sessions. I had already known survival techniques such as not panicking in water and floating on my back to save energy. I already had common sense of not using drugs because I could drown. I had known that many college students go to Lake Michigan at night and die because they can't see or are drunk. To be honest I knew all of these rules but feel maybe Wheeling high school had re-emphasized all of them. I will try to use these techniques at my pool in Florida and continue to teach others how to swim.
Over 1,075 of all the second graders in Citrus County schools took part in the School District’s water safety last year. In addition, from August through October nearly every day high school swim athletes, their families and spectators also took place in FHSAA high school competitive swimming either in practice or by competing or attending one of the near 20 high school swim meets last school year. This means that 1,000s of Citrus county school students visit the Y each year as part of school actives. As we both agree it is our hope that the new Aquatics Director is a proponent and supportive of Citrus County School District’s learn to swim program and High School
Oscar Vazquez is one of the four high school students who was attending the American Forces Career Center to enlist in the United States Army. He got denied due to his immigration status. A sergeant at the AFCC recommended that he should stay away from any government office for his wellbeing so he won’t risk getting caught by the Immigration and Custom Enforcement Agency. Since his dream was shattered he decided to organize an underwater robotics competition that he saw on a television commercial. Oscar consults with Mr. Fredi Cameron, a substitute teacher, to help oversee an engineering club to enter an underwater robotics competition. Mr. Cameron agrees as long as he finds more students to join.
As a Red Cross certified lifeguard and swim instructor, I am been trained to always be prepared for any situation that could occur around the pool. One day while I was working, I discovered that one of my coworkers had a swim lesson planned but could not make it to work due to a family emergency. Not only was the child upset that his swim teacher was not there, but the parent's were not entirely content about the situation either. I realized that there was only one solution to the problem; I needed to step in and solve the problem. To do so, I organized a lesson plan suited for the child and obtained the necessary equipment for the lesson. I approached the parent's of the child and offered to teach their child after I explained what had occurred
Lifeguard classes were 2 days that consisted of CPR training, swimming laps, and learning rescues. When we first began, there were three of us sitting at a table on the pool deck with an outdated rolling TV. I was handed a 100-page lifeguarding manual my eyes bulged out of my head, the butterflies in my stomach multiplied. Looking through the book, watching rescues and talking through every question I had calmed my nerves. But the statistics of drowning still haunted my mind, 360,000 people died from drowning in 2015 (WHO). All though at the YMCA in Red Oak hasn’t had a drowning,
The fascinating, open air swimming pool is located near a tremendous ocean with its beautiful view. Swimming pool is construct with the cool blue tiles that enhance the color of water in the pool. Day is not so hot due to slight breeze that touching the people faces softly. Water in the pool is blue as the sky and clean as the crystal. Cool blue Water of pool is soothing the eyes and refreshing mind and body. The place is busy and crowded with visitors. People there wanted to dive in the deep of water. Youngsters diving in the pool with eyes closed, arms outstretched feeling their heart before feeling the depth of water. Splashing of water on others seems very interesting and a great fun for children. They seems to enjoy splashing on their
My hands dangle in mid-air, my googles snug against the border of my eyes, my mind empty as I stare into the sea of blue before me. The announcers voice echoes over the seemingly quiet deck. The faceless voice proceeds, “On your mark,” this sent the anxiety, and butterflies through my entire body as I gripped the rigged block. As my hands rest now on this pleated surface, I think of all the time and effort I had put in just for today. I knew that if everything went smoothly, I would drop a satisfactory amount of time. “Get set,” the changeless voice declares. My body now shifts my weight to my legs, my head moves into position, and my hands grip the block so bearish that my knuckles turn white. I repeat to myself, “two hand touch, it’s a
The next part of the training turned out to be the toughest. We were required to dive ten feet to the bottom of the pool and retrieve a ten pound weight. Once the weight was brought to the surface we were supposed to tread water for two minutes while keeping the weight above the water line. This appeared to be simple so I dived in, expecting an easy time. I had no trouble getting the weight to the surface and proceeded to tread water with a feeling of undoubtable success. But once again my anti-floating physical quality began to take effect. At one minute and thirty seconds I began to sink and within the next fifteen seconds my head was submerged and I was fighting for air. The water from the pool began flowing into my mouth with each desperate grasp for air; it felt as if an ocean were draining into my body. I remember hearing from under the water the instructor's muffled voice counting down the last ten seconds of the exercise. When it was all over I slowly made my way back to the pool's edge where I was informed by the two young girls that they had no difficulty