One
undeniable
reason why
Every Child Should Learn to Swim “SAFETY”
By Lynn Ledford {Partner, Cal Elite Kids}
I
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. Standing 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 Author-
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Magazine
ity reports that a swimming pool is 14 times more likely
than a motor vehicle to be involved in the death of 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.
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.
www.southcoastmagazine.com
An Extraordin \