5200 Reasons for Swimming Lessons

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With summer here, we asked our sponsors at SwimRevolution to write a guest post about swimming lessons and water safety. The stats that Jeff shares below are eye opening and pretty horrible to read, but it’s important for all parents to be aware.

Kids are out of school, the temperature is hot, pools are open – summer is here! Indeed, all of these are reasons to be excited, but please take a moment to read this article on the widely accepted “Layers of Protection” at the top of this page. The layers encompass 7 different strategies to REDUCE  the risk of drowning.  Georgia has already seen its share of needless drownings this summer and despite our tenacious attempts we cannot make that risk of swimming 0%.  It is my hope however, that we can have an impact for the better.
As parents, you can probably attest to the fact that your children simply do not just sit still were you can easily monitor them… turn your focus for a second and they are off causing mischief!  Throw a pool or water source in the mix and I bet that chance of wandering feet doesn’t sit well with you.
Now I am going to make you do some mental work… Say you lose focus for a brief second… What one layer of protection, if you were forced to choose, puts your child’s safety in his/her own hands should things go south!?!?
SWIMMINGLESSONS!   Think about it! Sure, you can protect your pool or hottub with fencing and alarms and keep life jackets handy… you can pretend you  always  have an eye on your child… But let’s assume the worst. Your child finds an unfenced pool or water source with no supervision and no lifejackets handy…  are you sitting comfortable right now?
If you are standing, it might be time to sit. Here are some recent drowning statistics that are going to blow your mind…
  • 5,200 –  average # of children younger than 15 who required emergency medical attention due to near drowning related injuries in the US last year
  • 390  – the # of children under the age of 15 who drown annually on average in the US
  • 137  – # of children who drowned this past summer alone in the US from Memorial to Labor Day
  • 100   – the # of children YOUNGER THAN 5 who drowned out of the 137 mentioned above
  • 168   – the additional # of children who required medical attention due to near drowning in the US from Memorial to Labor Day alone
The only way to truly reduce this risk is to make sure your children take swim lessons.  Give yourself some peace of mind and together we can reduce the risk of drowning and near drowning!
 
 
Jeff is a co-owner of SwimRevolution, along with his brother, Jim, and brings a lifetime of swim experience to that role.  He grew up competing and instructing swim lessons for FAST (Fairport Area Swim Team). A standout high-school athlete, Jeff also gained All-American honors and went on to swim collegiately for the University of Notre Dame.  Post graduation, Jeff went on to compete at the USA Swimming national level and US Masters level – winning two national titles.  He has helped countless young athletes better their competitive technique and heads SwimRevolution’s Triathlete training program.
 
Jim also brings a lifetime of swimming experience to the pool.  Jim is a native of Fairport, NY, growing up competing and eventually instructing swim lessons for FAST.  Having gained high-school All-American honors, he went on to swim collegiately for St. Bonaventure University and continued to compete nationally post graduation in USA Swimming. Jim has coached at every level of the sport, from beginners to competitive swimmers and has had the honor of coaching at top university swim camps, most notably at the University of Notre Dame.

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A New Orleans girl turned Georgia peach and stay at home mom to 2 daughters. Before taking the leap into full time mothering, I worked at at an Atlanta-based advertising agency. I have lived in Smyrna for almost 10 years and am still not sure how I managed to find a job more chaotic and unpredictable than advertising.