Tuesday, January 25, 2011

YardSwim Moves Into Pool Maintenance

For almost a decade, YardSwim has been working to spread the word of water safety to as many people as possible in San Diego County.  We have been able to reach out to a number of communities and provide lessons to thousands of families. In order to continue our excellence in service we have decided to offer pool maintenance as well as aquatic and disaster preparedness programming.

YardSwim pool maintenance technicians are CPO certified and insured.  CPO stands for Certified Pool/Spa Operators.  All YardSwim pool maintenance technicians are trained and experienced to handle everything from pool cleaning to repairs. 

Our client list is growing and we are so happy to be able to provide such a quality service.  For more information please contact us at www.yardswim.com.

Friday, January 21, 2011

How to get your child ready for Junior Guards?

Junior Guards is a summer camp that takes place along the southern California coast.  The camp teaches children lifeguarding skills such as ocean and beach safety, lifesaving techniques and procedures, first aid and CPR.  Camp participants will also have the chance to participate in ocean swims, body surfing, body boarding, surfing, snorkeling, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, beach games, and competition events with other junior lifeguard programs.

There is a tryout test for new camp participants.  Every program has different test guidelines but generally a new camp participant will have to demonstrate competency in the following areas, a timed 100 yard swim, 2-5 minutes of treading water, and an under water swim that could be anywhere from 10 feet to 15 yards.

Most children are capable of passing the treading water and the under water swim sections of the test but the timed 100 yard swim can be a challenge for most.  This is usually because most children between the ages of 9 -15 years old, have never had to swim that far continuously.

One of the most important things that a family can do to get their children ready for the Junior Guards tryout test is to expose them to long distance swimming.  Below are 3 simple steps that can help to better prepare a child for Junior Guards or as it is more commonly referred to as JG.

How to get your child(ren) ready for the 100 yard swim?

Step #1:  Get rid of the goggles. A strong swimmer is one who can swim with or without goggles.  Since goggles break, leak, or become forgotten, it is necessary to get children comfortable with opening their eyes in the water.  This will help your child(ren) to be more prepared for swimming in the ocean.  Note: Chlorine does not usually irritate the eyes.  Check with your physician about chlorine allergies if you are concerned with swimming in a pool.

Step #2:  Have your child(ren) swim front crawl for 100 yards or more 2-3 times per week for 2 weeks.  Swimming front crawl is the fastest stroke for most swimmers.  This will give them the greatest chance to be successful during the test.  Even though the 100 yard swim will be timed don't be concerned with timing your child's prep swims.  This may discourage children from wanting to take the test.  If your child does not know the front crawl then the best thing to do is enroll them in swim lessons.

Step #3:  Teach your child(ren) how to make their streamline glides more efficient.  Most JG tryout tests are conducted in a pool.  This means that the tryout participants will have several chances to push off the pool walls as they test.  If participants can learn to glide in a streamline position during their swim, then they will be able to conserve energy and complete the swim in a faster time.

JG is a fantastic summer program and I hope that this information will be helpful in helping your child(ren) to participate.  Remember, be enthusiastic and encouraging so that a positive association is made with aquatics and lifeguarding skills.  For more information please contact us at http://www.yardswim.com/.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

What is Junior Guards in San Diego?

Junior Guards is a summer program that is held in Southern California along the coast.  Children that want to participate must meet a certain criteria in order to join JG.

3 Criteria for Joining Junior Guards

  1. Must be between 9 yrs – 17 yrs.  Some programs only allow 9 yrs -16 yrs
  2. Must pass a tryout test.  The tryout test usually includes 5-10 yard swim under water, treading water for 3-5 minutes, and swimming 100 yards in about 2 mins and 30 secs. 
  3. Must pay the $300 - $600 fee per participant.

Age:  The ages that can participate, are any age between 9 and 17 years.  Some programs only allow ages 9 – 16 years.  Every JG program will usually group participants by age. They will usually separate everyone into three groups, A, B, and C.

Tryout Test:  The Junior Lifeguard Program is not a “learn to swim” program. Therefore, participants are given a tryout test to determine if they have the minimum skills needed to benefit from the program. All the JG programs encourage parents to work with their child(ren) on swimming skills before the beginning of the program to ensure that their child(ren) can pass the test with confidence.

The tryout test usually includes 5-10 yard swim under water, treading water for 3-5 minutes, and swimming 100 yards in about 2 mins and 30 secs.  The one part of the test that seems to be the most difficult for children is the 100 yard swim.

The 100 yard swim is usually such a challenge for children because it is a long distance swim that most students have not had much experience with.  Not only do test participants need to maintain proper crawl stroke technique but they also must demonstrate strength and stamina by completing the swim under 2 mins and 30 secs.

Fees:  Fees vary from program to program.

For more information www.yardswim.com.


Tuesday, January 4, 2011

When should I enroll my child in swim lessons?

When should I enroll my child in swim lessons?

After teaching students of all ages, 3 months and up, I get asked this question a lot.  The simple answer is, "the sooner the better."

The more accurate answer is, "it depends."

In order to answer this question more accurately, you'll need to know what you want from the lessons.  Most families that I talk to, want their students to be water-safe. Some want perfect swimmers who can compete at an advanced level.  Some families simply want to begin the lifelong activity of learning to swim.

Whether you are trying to "water-proof" your child or just get them more involved in aquatic activities, it is important to be patient.  Swimming is a skill that takes time to develop and perfect.  Since swimmer's can lose their skills when not swimming, it may take time to help a swimmer to progress to the desired goal.  Also, swimmers who are very young, 3 months to 3 years old need to develop coordination and get over certain difficult yet age appropriate developmental hurdles.

Difficulties young new swimmers can experience
  • Adjusting to a structured class
  • Adjusting to an instructor's teaching style or personality
  • Adjusting to an aquatic classroom environment
  • Learning to socialize with other students
  • Dealing with separation anxiety when being away from mom or dad
Even though your child may need sometime to adjust to some or all of these factors, it is important to be as encouraging and patient as possible.  Children will learn how to cope with these hurdles and may end up becoming more capable, confident, and comfortable in and around water.
Children can greatly benefit from learning to swim at a young age.  In swimming lessons children can learn more than just swimming skills. 

Benefits of learning to swim for young children.
  • Learn how to socialize with others
  • Learn how to share toys
  • Learn to build independence
  • Learn how to problem solve
  • Develop fine and gross motor skills
  • Develop better breath control
  • Learn how to cope with change
There are other benefits to starting children in swimming lessons at a young age. Children under 12 months old may not have any negative experiences to draw from.  This may help to make for a more positive introduction to swimming and water.  Children at such young ages may literally be starting with a clean slate.  Students who go to swim lessons worried about drowning can make for a more challenging first couple lessons.  A young infant may have an easier time adjusting to water in their nose, ears, or eyes.

There aren’t many negatives but let’s discuss them. Young children may need to get over a number of hurdles before they begin to feel more comfortable with swim lessons. 

Infants lack the coordination necessary to handle complex series of movements and may not have the strength to propel them through the water. Young students have lots of baby fat but very little coordination so this can hinder their progression through skills. 

Infants have a difficult time retaining information.  In order to be successful with starting young children on the aquatic road to learning to swim it will be necessary to stay committed for the long haul. Young children should be taking lessons 2-4 times per week or more, in order to get better.  Young children need repetition to be successful in swim lessons.  The more they swim, the faster they learn.

You can get started before swim lessons start.

If you want to better prepare your child to be comfortable and safe in and around water, you must start the process as early as possible.  Follow these simple guidelines.

1.      Expose your child(ren) to water as much as possible.  This means water on the face, in the eyes, and all around the body.  A bath or a shower may be a perfect opportunity to prepare a student for learning to swim.
2.      Under close supervision, let your child(ren) fall under water from time to time.  I see parents try really hard to keep their children from going under water.  Being underwater is how humans swim comfortably so give them that opportunity to learn.  Safely teach them how to jump to you from the side of the pool so that they can splash into the water making the experience more fun. Going underwater can also help your child(ren) develop better breath control.
3.      Avoid using floaties and goggles.  These tend to be used to encourage false senses of security meaning they give swimmers a false sense of what swimming is really like.  The water will not hurt their eyes.  Chlorine is usually not what causes the eyes pain.  The ph balance of the water is usually what does this so don’t lead your child(ren) to believe that chlorine is to blame.

Starting children in swim lessons after 3 years.

Older children can learn to swim faster than younger students but there are some negatives.  Older swim students have more coordination but may need more encouragement to stay involved in lessons.

Older children love to negotiate in order to keep things more comfortable for them.  They can better express themselves and may be more challenging for an instructor to handle.  A little child psychology may be necessary to get older students into the lessons.

Older children are also bigger and may be able to stand on the bottom of the pool easier. Children will always take the easy way out if they can.  This means that getting them to go underwater can offer quite a challenge.

In short, swim lessons are a very good thing for any age.  Water safety and learning to swim are very important skills to have.  For more information about YardSwim’s swim programs please visit us at www.yardswim.com