By Jared Kaufman, JCC Aquatics Director
It’s hard to believe it’s already May and that summer is just around the corner! In just a few short weeks we are set to re-open our Summer Swim Club, which means it’s time to get back in the pool and ready for a summer of swimming.
May is National Water Safety Month, and it is an opportunity to make ourselves aware of how important it is to teach the lifelong skill of water safety. Did you know that drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children ages 1-4? Each year in the U.S. there are over 3,500 fatal drownings. Of those fatal drownings, 945 of them are children – which accounts to about 1 in every 4 drownings1.
These numbers are shocking – but preventable! There are many ways to be safe in and around the water. First and foremost, never swim alone. You should always swim in the presence of certified lifeguards. Be sure to follow the rules and never leave a child unattended in the water. In open water or while boating, always wear a life jacket. Most importantly, learn to swim and be water safe! Formal swim lessons reduce drowning in children ages 1-4 by 88%2!
At the Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Academy at the Katz JCC, it is our mission to make all students comfortable and water safe. We teach the SwimRight method which uses the swim-float-swim technique as its foundation. In this method, we teach our students that if they were to ever fall in a body of water or need help in the water – to instinctually roll to their back and wait for help. Our award driven method keeps students engaged as they work to accomplish and complete each of our 8 structured swim levels focusing on water safety, proper body positioning and proper stroke development. Along the way, students receive stickers, graduation ribbons and new swim caps with the goal to graduate the program with a gold medal and the opportunity to swim on our swim team!
Water safety is always our number one priority! Come into the JCC, check us out and sign up for a free swim evaluation today. Visit our website at www.katzjcc.org/lksa or call the LKSA swim office at 856-424-4444, x1722 for more information. New LKSA families, mention this blog post and receive 20% off your first month of lessons!
Let’s prevent these statistics from growing, make everyone aware and teach our children to be water safe!
https://vimeo.com/208228715
Sources:
- https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/water-safety/waterinjuries-factsheet.html
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/381058
