OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — The Goldfish Swim School in Overland Park participated in the World’s Largest Swim Lesson on Thursday.
Swim lessons were taught in 600 locations across 19 countries in the daylong event.
It was started by the World Waterpark Association 15 years ago to raise awareness about water safety and for swim schools across the world to offer swim lessons and provide safety tips.
During an hourlong session at the Goldfish Swim School, students learned how to tread water, swim to the pool wall, hold onto the wall and float on their backs.
“Drowning is the leading cause of deaths, single leading cause of death for kids one to four, and sadly, most parents don’t know that,” said Beth Root, director of World’s Largest Swim Lesson. “The hardest thing for us to hear is a news interview with a parent that said, ‘I just didn’t know.’”
According to WLSL, swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by up to 88 percent for children between ages one and four.
Parents can start their children in swim classes when they are as young as four months, and they are encouraged to keep their kids in classes year-round so they do not lose their swimming skills.
“You hear about kids drowning, you hear about toddlers drowning,” said Du'Wayne Moorem, a father who brought his six-year-old son to Thursday's event. “Whether you know how to swim, whether you don’t know how to swim, you’re in the urban community, no matter where you are, it’s something you need to invest in for your kids.”
Moore brought son, Brian, to the World’s Largest Swim Lesson School. Moore says he was concerned about his son’s fear of water.
“He’s been terrified of water since being a baby. I bought him the little plastic pools you put in the backyard — it’s not happening,” said Moore.
That is why Moore had high hopes when he brought his son to the lesson.
He was delighted to see that something switched while working with the instructors.
“It’s really touching, because I’ve tried so hard and I don’t know what magical skill she has or trance she put him under,” said Moore. “Just knowing that he has a fighting chance, no matter what situation he’s in in the water, that gives me a lot of assurance.”
Seeking that peace of mind is something General Manager of Goldfish Swim School, Kirsten Conrad, understands all too well.
With two kids of her own, it is a constant conversation in her home.
“Something that I thought was really great with swim lessons, is not only did it teach them to swim, but it started the conversation with me and my two children. We talked about water safety, we talked about why we need to wear our life jacket on the lake,” said Conrad.
Part of raising awareness around water safety is the awareness of disparities when it comes to access to swim lessons.
The barriers can be financial, geographical or even cultural.
“There are a lot of people in my community that, their parents didn’t know how to swim, their grandparents didn’t know how to swim, so they don’t think it’s important for them to know,” said Moore.
The Goldfish Swim School partners with the Boys and Girls Club to offer free swim lessons for students who are a part of that program and also works with national organizations to offer scholarships to pay for fees.
In order to make sure all children have access, Conrad says Goldfish Swim School also offers one-on-one classes to students with special needs. Instructors are fully-trained and even meet with parents to create a customized teaching plan.
“It should be something for everybody. It should be mandatory that every kid knows how to swim. And that’s just period, point blank,” said Moore.
Root says there are a lot of free online resources for parents who want to enhance their children's ability to swim. The American Red Cross has a program called Longfellow's WHALE Tales that provides all sorts of resources that parents can use at home, including videos, worksheets coloring sheets, all information that will help with water safety.
The National Drowning Prevention Alliance has a Parent Water Safety Toolkit with information to help determine what kind of swimming lesson is right for their child, how to assess where your child should be, and when to start.
