Making Waves Teaching Kids How To Swim

Collier County families are fortunate to have a variety of options for finding learn-to-swim instruction from certified teachers, regardless of the non-swimmer’s age, income level or where they reside. Taxpayer-funded and nonprofit providers teach basic aquatic skills at facilities throughout the county. And there’s a private company, Aquamobile Swim School, that offers at-home swim lessons and lifeguarding services in Collier and Lee counties, as well as in Ontario and across the U.S. “It’s a skill everyone should have, whether they’re young or old, especially where there’s water everywhere,” Aquamobile’s Diana Goodwin says. “There are so many homes with pools, and it’s so easy for a child to slip away. All it takes is a few seconds. It’s so important to learn the techniques so that if they fall in, they can get to the edge of the pool, climb out and be safe.” Helping children become swim-capable is a focal point for lesson providers and for good reason. Drowning is the leading accidental cause of death for children under age 5, with fatality rates of nearly 3 per 100,000 in 2010, according to a 2015 Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. Swimming pools are the most common drowning locations for children up to age 5, while older children and adults are more likely to drown in natural bodies of water, the report further states. Florida leads the nation in the drowning deaths of children under 5, according to the Florida Department of Health. In 2013, the state had the country’s second highest drowning rate for 1-to-14 year-olds, at 2.54 per 100,000 people. The state’s most recent data for Collier County shows six drowning deaths in 2010, 12 in 2011, six in 2012, three in 2013 and two in 2014. The state health department is still tabulating data for 2015. A desire to prevent drowning in Collier led to the 2010 formation of the NCH Safe and Healthy Kids Coalition, which works to prevent injuries and improve the health of children up to 18 years old. “Drownings are 100 percent preventable, and every time that we hear of a tragedy, our hearts ache and it reminds us that we need to continue to provide information and programs to prevent these tragedies,” says Paula DiGrigoli of the coalition’s advisory board. “Swimming is a lifesaving skill that everybody needs to learn, especially in Florida.” Making lessons available to minorities is particularly important, she adds, citing a 2010 USA Swimming Foundation study that found that 70 percent of African- American children and 58 percent of Hispanic children had little or no swimming ability, as compared to 40 percent of white children. The coalition works with more than 60 agencies, including local schools, Collier’s health department, EMS providers and the National Drowning Alliance, to provide education about water safety, CPR and where swimming lessons are available. Some lesson providers, such as area YMCAs and the city of Naples’ River Park Aquatic Center, offer discounts and scholarships to families-in-need, said Ms. DiGrigoli. The coalition’s Swim Central program targets children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, paying aquatic facilities to provide water safety instruction for 1,000 pre-school students each academic year (and also providing transportation). The program is funded by an annual grant from the Naples Children and Education Foundation, founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival. “We work with Collier County Parks and Recreation and the city of Naples, the Boys and Girls Clubsand the YMCAs,” Ms. DiGrigoli says. “Every single aquatic facility in town, we work with all of them to provide water safety lessons.” Need-based partial scholarships for swimming lessons are also available through the Collier County Parks and Recreation at its three aquatic facilities. “Last year, we had more than 600 people take our classes,” Rich Degalan, supervisor at Sun-N-Fun Lagoon, says about the facility’s summer classes in 2015. Aquamobile Swim School also takes the cost-conscious into consideration by allowing people to take the lessons as a group and split the flat hourly rate between them. “You can have the benefit of semi-private lessons and still keep the cost down,” Ms. Goodwin says. Collier County’s three YMCAs — Greater Naples, South County and Marco Island — are another popular source for swim lessons, year-round. On Marco, The Y offers private and group swim lessons for all ages at its Ms. Dottie Weiner Aquatics Center, with a focus on instructing youths. In May, the facility offers the Waterwise Program, which teaches the basics of water and boating safety to third graders from Tommie Barfield Elementary School on Marco and Manatee elementary in East Naples. Boating safety instruction is handled by members of Marco’s U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, while the Marco Y’s aquatics staff conducts a swimming skills test and dispenses information on pool safety. Personnel from the Marco Island Fire- Rescue Department provide instruction in proper responses to water-related emergencies. In late June, the Marco Y kicked off a new, free swimming program for children from Parkside and Manatee elementary schools who are participating in the organization’s summer camps. Both schools are Federal Title 1 schools, where 90 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced breakfasts and lunches. About 50 children are being served by this summer’s four-week-long, group-lesson program, which is for pre-school students through fifth grade. Another 50 youths will receive lessons between August and October, according to Joel Frysinger, the Marco Y’s program coordinator. The program is funded by a $6,000 grant from YMCA of the USA. “A lot of those kids have never had any swim lessons, and the younger we get them, the better,” Mr. Frysinger says. “I’m just glad that we’ve been afforded the opportunity to help with this.” Swim spots For information about swimming lessons in Collier County, ages served, cost and the availability of financial assistance, contact: >> Greater Naples YMCA, 5450 YMCA Road: 597-3148 or ymcapalms.org >> Greater Marco Family YMCA, 101 Sand Hill St.: 394-3144 or marcoislandymca.org >> Collier County Parks and Recreation’s Sun-N-Fun Lagoon, 15000 Livingston Road: 252-4021 or collierparks.com >> Collier County Parks and Recreation’s Golden Gate Aquatic Facility, 3300 Santa Barbara Blvd., 252-6128 or collierparks.com >> Collier County Parks and Recreation’s Immokalee Sports Complex, 505 Escambia St.: 657-1951 or collierparks.com >> City of Naples River Park Aquatic Center, 451 11th St. N.: 213-3037 or naplesgov.com >> South County Family YMCA, 27200 Kent Road, Bonita Beach: 221-7560 or southcountyfamilyymca.org >> American Red Cross Collier County Chapter: 596-6868, or colliercountyredcross.org >> Aquamobile Swim School: (888) 950- 7946 or https://aquamobileswim.com Originally posted July 28th, 2016 on Florida Weekly.