Y Talk: It’s Time to Focus on Keeping Children Safe Around Water by Tara Young

There is a list of basic life skills all parents instinctively know they must teach their children to keep them safe and healthy. It includes habits like looking both ways before you cross the street, washing your hands with soap and water and eating the right amount of fruits and vegetables every day.

For too many parents, safety in and around water is not on the list; and that’s something we need to change.

Too Many Drownings

Fatal drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years old. Last year, at least 174 children died in the U.S. between Memorial Day and Labor Day due to drowning. The problem is particularly acute among minority communities. African American children ages 5 to 14 are three times more likely to drown than their white counterparts. The disparity is partly due to the lack of swimming experience among these children.

According to a recent national research study conducted by the USA Swimming Foundation and the University of Memphis, 70 percent of African American and 60 percent of Hispanic children cannot swim, compared to just 40 percent of Caucasian children. The Y is committed to reducing water-related injuries, particularly in communities where children are most at risk.

Swim Lessons Reduce Drowning Risk

The good news is, that there’s something we can do to help reduce these statistics. Research shows that participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning among children. But in addition to learning lifesaving water safety skills, children can increase their physical activity by swimming. Swimming also motivates children to strive for self-improvement, teaches goal orientation, and cultivates a positive mental attitude and high self-esteem. It also teaches life lessons of sport and sportsmanship, so that children can learn how to work well with teammates and coaches and how to deal with winning and losing.

Millions of people, from toddlers to adults, take advantage of the Y’s more than 2,200 pools across the country. The Carlisle Family YMCA has been a leader in providing swim lessons and water safety in our community for more than 50 years. Last year we taught 3,475 swim lessons to youth and adults. The Y continues to help youth and adults experience the joy and benefits of swimming, so they can be healthy, confident and secure in the water. There are a variety of programs to choose from, including Gym ‘N Swim, CYAA Swim Team, Masters Swimming as well as parent/child, group, private and semi-private swim lessons.

Lifelong Source of Fun and Exercise

If you know how to stay safe in and around water, swimming can be a lifelong source of fun and exercise. Instead of keeping your children away from water, help them learn fundamental water safety skills by enrolling them in lessons. These classes can provide them a new, exciting way to keep active and meet new friends. To learn more about the Carlisle Family YMCA’s Aquatics Programs, check out our website or feel free to contact me at: tyoung@carlislefamilyymca.org

-by Tara Young, Aquatics Director