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IT'S YOUR CHOICE
It's Your Choice
B-T Aquatics does its best to provide a safe environment
for your activities. You are responsible for making good choices.
You are responsible for selecting the programs suited to your skills, abilities,
and health. By electing to use the facilities and participate in B-T Aquatics programs,
you assume all risk for any harm or injury you sustain. By your voluntary
participation as a participant or spectator, you could be injured. Take
responsibility. Do not take risks or do activities that may not be
appropriate. Ask questions. If you have any questions about
your health and how it might be affected by exercise or other activities at the
B-T Theisen Pool, contact your doctor and obtain permission before participating.
A complete physical is recommended before beginning any exercise program.
Pay attention to your surroundings. Be aware of the presence of others
while you participate. Do not engage in activities that could injure
others. Report any unusual significant hazard during your presence or
participation and remove yourself from participation. If you bring
belongings, you are responsible for their care and safety. They could be
lost, stolen, or damaged. Contact a B-T staff member if you have any
problems or concerns.
IT'S YOUR CHOICE
reposted from the Face-Up
First Blog, posted 7/30/08 www.faceupfirst.blogspot.com
Another child drown in
Lincoln last week. Read the article:
http://journalstar.com/articles/2008/07/25/news/local/doc488946d72b26a505018327.txt
This is the second toddler to drown in a backyard in Lincoln in the past
two months. The Nebraska Heath and Human Services Department issued a
release July 2, 2008 reporting that drowning was the Number One cause of
accidental death for children ages 1 to 4 in the state of Nebraska. Read
the release:
http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/newsroom/newsreleases/2008/July/drowning.htm.
Nationally, it is the number two cause of death in this age group behind
choking.
There is a very real need to protect your children from drowning.
B-T offers a free online safety course: WATER SAFETY EDUCATION FOR
PARENTS & CAREGIVERS. Click to get to the course home page.
http://www.btaquatics.org/WATER_SAFETY_EDUCATION.htm
In addition, I've prepared and 18-Minute PowerPoint presentation on
water safety. If you OPEN the presentation, it should start playing
automatically; or you can SAVE it to your computer and watch it at your
leisure.
18-minute PowerPoint Presentation
I get frustrated when I read the safety tips put out by some other
swimming organizations. I think most stop short of "telling it like it
is."
FLOTATION DEVICES
I disagree with advice to use flotation devices with adult supervision.
The emphasis is always on the importance of having adult supervision.
The emphasis should be on not using these devices.
DO NOT USE FLOTATION DEVICES. They are the worst
pre-swimming
experience a child can have and their use dramatically increases the
time it takes to learn to swim. They promote a head up posture in the
water. This posture is not the posture required for a relaxed floating
position. The muscles remember flotation device use. It takes a long,
long time to retrain them at lessons.
Flotation devices do provide a false sense of security for child and
parent.
There is nothing safe or helpful about water wings. The delay learning
to swim and they do not provide any lifesaving benefit. In my opinion
they should be taken off the market. They are unsafe.
Parents tell me every day how "independent" their children are, and that
they "swim all over the pool in their
floaties
with no fear." These children are not swimming. And there was a wasted
swim time opportunity where they could have been learning to swim.
I could go on and on about the very real danger in using water wings,
swimmies,
and flotation suits. Please do not ever allow your child to use these
devices.
But what about Coast Guard Approved
Lifejackets?
There is a saying in the pool business, "a good lifeguard is a dry
lifeguard." Lifeguards try to prevent emergency situations from
happening in the first place. I think of
lifejackets
the same way..."a good
lifejacket
is a dry
lifejacket."
Lifejackets
are to be worn to protect a child in the event of an accidental
submersion - such as off a boat or dock. They are necessary pieces of
lifesaving equipment. They are not toys to be used in recreational
swimming in a backyard pool.
Any type of
flotation devices inhibit learning to swim and learning to swim
should be the priority with children - not bobbing around "swimming
independently" in water where they cannot stand.
I have been teaching for many years. It is rare among non-swimming
students who have not worn
lifejackets
or floaties
for them to enter the pool without permission and assistance. It is a
regular
occurance among non-swimming students who have worn
floaties
and lifejackets
to bolt into water without permission and without assistance.
Families with wet
lifejackets,
like wet lifeguards, should reevaluate their safety precautions and
layers of protection put in place around their pools to see that both
jackets and guards remain dry in the future.
POOL PARTIES ARE FOR SKILLED SWIMMERS
Pool parties are for people who can swim. Do not allow non-swimmers of
any age at your pool party. Do not allow your non-swimmer to attend a
pool party. This should be a hard and fast rule. At the National
Recreation and Parks Association National Aquatics Convention last year,
one of the speakers stated, "If you want to have a drowning, host a pool
party." It is statistically true. However, again and again I see advice
printed and on television about having more lifeguards and enlisting the
aid of Water Watchers to prevent drownings at parties. I don't read or
hear them saying, "Don't have a pool party!"
More lifeguards and watchers is always a good thing; the more people
watching the better, but the way to prevent drownings at pool parties is
to limit them to people who know how to swim.
A party is not the appropriate place to learn how to swim. Spend time
with your non-swimming child in the pool without the excitement and
distractions that are inevitable at parties and family gatherings.
A child who is restricted from participating in a pool party is not only
safe, but has an additional incentive to learn how to swim.
WATER PARKS ARE FOR SKILLED SWIMMERS
My advice about non-swimmers goes for water parks too. Learn to swim in
a quieter, safer environment than a water park. Advice about how to keep
your non-swimmer safe at a water park typically stops short of telling
you the hard truth. Your family needs to wait to visit water parks until
everyone can swim. Take only skilled swimmers to a water park. If you
have non-swimmers in your party, choose an activity that everyone can
safely enjoy. Then get your kids to swimming lessons!
Pool access is a concern at both parties and water parks. At water parks
you have the additional concern of water quality. Both concerns are
covered in our online course.
I have a surveillance video showing a drowning that took place at a pool
party at a guarded public facility. A non-swimmer was allowed by his
parents to attend and was given a raft to be safe. The child fell off
the raft and was not recovered from the bottom of the pool for five
minutes. Watching this video gives you a graphic illustration of what
can and does happen every day. (An average of nine children drown every
day in the U.S.) I cannot check out this video, but you are welcome to
come to my office to watch and learn.
Finally, parents, please say "no" to your children. They are precious
gifts and need your protection.
"No, I will not catch you going off the board. You must learn to swim
before you can jump off the board."
"No, you may not wear
floaties,
but I'll get in and swim with you. Let's practice your
backfloat."
"No, you may not attend the pool party until you can swim 25 yards
unassisted."
"No, we cannot have a pool party because your brother can't swim yet.
Let's go bowling instead."
"No, we can't go to Fun
Plex
pool until you are a stronger swimmer. Let's go miniature golfing."
"No, you may not go swimming now. We have to keep the gate locked to the
pool because Cousin Sally can't swim. Play on the swingset."
You may be the only parent who holds firm to keep your child safe.
Other parents may allow flotation devices, and attendance at parties,
and jumping off the board with a ring, long days at the water park, and
the wearing of a
lifejacket
to keep the child "safe" in the backyard pool.
Those parents are not responsible for the safety of your child. It's
your choice.
If you have any questions about water safety or learn to swim issues,
please give me a call. I am here to help.
Take the time to complete the Water Safety Course and watch the video.
Be safe. -jn
Thank you for taking the time to participate in our online water safety
course. Please contact the pool if you have questions or need
additional information. Water safety professionals are encouraged
to submit new material for posting. Remember, teach your child to
swim first, and keep swimming for good times.
jeneal@brownell.edu
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