With summer approaching, it is important to give your child the best grounding to be able to enjoy and survive in the water. Children who are happy and confident in the water will be more able to think themselves out of a difficult situation and be in a position to most quickly, safely and enjoyably, learn to swim.
It is concerning to see the drowning statistics released from Life Saving Victoria, highlighting that those most at risk include young children, teenagers and young adults. In particular, those participating in high risk activities or alcohol affected are at a higher risk, as are recently arrived citizens who possibly do not speak or read the English language.
While there has been a decrease in the drowning statistics over the past ten years through education and advertising campaigns, the challenge is to create and maintain a water safety culture in Victoria while increasing participation in aquatic activity.
Children need regular and ongoing lessons until they reach the required skill level. By swimming all year round they retain skills and build techniques easily. Breaks in learning to swim, mean valuable time is lost and when lessons resume, skills must be revised and often re learnt. Those who do year-round lessons are stronger and better able to resist colds over the winter months.
Geelong Aquatic Centre which has operated for the past 25 years, is a specialist Learn-to-Swim centre which is the ideal venue for infants, children of all ages and adults to learn swimming and survival skills. All levels can be catered for in their two 25m and one recently enlarged learner’s pool, which are all heated and salt chlorinated. Lessons are taught in a sequentially developmental program where children are not progressed until each skill is attained to a proficient standard, so that confidence and competence is maintained.
All staff at Geelong Aquatic Centre are well qualified and passionate about teaching those in their charge to become confident and capable in the water.
Enrolments are being taken for term four, which starts on Monday September 26. Phone the centre on (03) 5222 5530 and speak to the friendly reception staff for bookings.
