One
undeniable
reason why
a child. We buckle our children up every time we get into
the car — from the first day we bring them home. That
same diligence (times 14!) must be applied to keeping
our children safe around water.
By Lynn Ledford {Partner, Cal Elite Kids}
tend to take a positive approach to
promoting swimming lessons. The positive
approach fits our culture at Cal Elite. I like
to focus on our gentle teaching philosophy.
I love to talk about all the studies on baby
swimming and how baby swimmers have
better balance than non-swimmers and how
their grasping abilities are more refined.
It is exciting to share information how the bilateral cross
pattern movements of swimming lend to improved
cognition and development. I love talking about how
swimming is just FUN and it is something that can be
done throughout one’s entire life. And, and, and… I do
love swimming. I love everything about it. But, once in
a while, the positive approach takes a back seat to the
most important reason why every child should learn to
swim. Scare tactics are not who we are at Cal Elite. But
safety — that rings true for us every single day. Stand
ing alone, SAFETY is the number one reason why every
child, every man, woman and child, must learn to swim.
Let us be reminded that drowning is the leading cause of
death for infants and young children between the ages
of 1 and 4. (US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC) Most drownings occur in home swimming
pools. (CDC) There are over 4,544,000 in ground pools,
3,535,000 above ground pools and over 5,170,000 hot
tubs in the U.S. That is 13+ million reasons for Americans
to be concerned, (International Aquatic Foundation).
Drowning is a ‘make me sick’ thought for parents. For
every child who dies from drowning, another five receive
emergency medical intervention for non-fatal submersion
injuries. No parent wakes up in the morning and thinks,
“This is the day my child will drown.” Non-fatal drowning
injuries can cause devastating brain injuries resulting in
long term disability and permanent loss of basic functioning. We read about it in articles like this. Too many
families are living it, right now. Agghhh. It makes me
sick just to write about it. Our own Orange County Fire
Authority reports that a swimming pool is 14 times more
likely than a motor vehicle to be involved in the death of
2 | S Magazine
The 3 top risks? You pick the order – they all contribute to drownings, THEY ARE ALL CRITICAL:
• Lack of Swimming Ability
• Lack of Supervision
Of all the preschoolers who drown, 70% are in the
care of one or both parents at the time of the drowning
and 75% are missing from sight for 5 minutes or less.
(CDC)
• Lack of Barriers
There are other risks, lots of them. Alcohol, for example,
seizure disorders, where one lives, being male, swimming alone, weather conditions and more. Certainly
knowing how to respond to a drowning is critical. Learn
CPR, have access to a phone. Know how to call 911.
These things matter too. But there are three factors that
are prevalent common denominators in drownings and
WE CAN DO SOMETHING about all three!
• Teach your child to swim.
• Supervise the water – obsessively.
• Build and maintain proper barriers around the
water.
We are the owners of Cal Elite, a children’s sports and
activity center in Rancho Santa Margarita. My husband,
Mark, is a Fire Captain with the Orange County Fire
Authority. We grew up in Orange County and have raised
our children in Orange County. I remember the day Mark
came home, tossed his gear on the garage floor and
said, “If you are going to teach kids to do something, for
crying out loud, teach them to swim.” I knew from the
tone of his voice the type of call he had been on. Boy. 6.
Drowned.
Well, it took a few years — a move to a bigger building
(where we could dig a big hole in the ground and fill it
with water), and a bit of new debt — but with a cooperative city, an open-minded planning commission and a
supportive community, Cal Elite has been teaching kids
to swim year round in our indoor facility for over 10 years.
We are extremely proud to partner with the families in
our community and we are forever grateful to play a role
in teaching our children to swim.
An Extraordinary Swim School
for the Extraordinary Child
Every child is extraordinary! And learning to swim is
different for every child. Some children thrive in the water, effortlessly, without fear or hesitation. Others prefer
to go slower, needing a little more time to observe and
feel secure. For some, learning to swim is a full out
effort that engages every muscle, nerve and thinking
process (and usually every vocal cord) before they
settle into a comfortable swimming experience. Cal
Elite’s swim program is built around the CHILD. Our
curriculum is designed to provide progressive swim instruction aimed at getting results in a fun environment
that is full of encouragement and support. Our instructors are experienced, professional teachers who have
met strict training requirements and have a strong
background in swimming and teaching. We make
every minute count! Cal Elite’s lessons are 30 minutes long — with each minute devoted to purposeful
instruction. We know our families have busy s