#Swim lessons virginia beach rec center how to

I clung there with both hands, my toes walking up the frigid side of the underwater tiles trying to keep my body above the water line. Some other children held onto the side of the pool with one hand. I remember the feel of the water, as though I had just jumped into a bag of ice like my dad would buy at the grocery store. I had goose bumps all over, and now they were making me jump into the arctic frost. Taking the towel off was emotionally scarring. “Alright, towels off, and get in the pool.” About 25 children stood there shivering and waiting for her next words. The instructor told us to stand by the pool around the deep end. Getting to the pool seemed to be the same every day. kids and grin and shake their heads at us. kids would turn around at the signups and look down the long line of 8 a.m.

class was like getting to go to a sunny resort playground with a water slide and a diving board. class was for the children who would be frozen like popsicles for an hour before the decent warmth of the sun would start to make itself present. class, but we never got in line early enough at the city parks and recreation sign ups at Pembroke Mall to get into the 10 a.m. I have no disagreement with teaching children to swim at a young age, but it was the time of day that got to me.

#Swim lessons virginia beach rec center how to

My mother believed that if we were going to grow up here in Virginia Beach, we needed to learn how to handle ourselves in the water. The event we dreaded, the torture we succumbed to for two weeks straight, was swimming lessons. We didn’t eat breakfast before we left the house because my mother didn’t want us to get cramps.ĭressed in a bathing suit, wrapped in old towels, my brother and I were taken in the family car and dropped off at the old Pembroke Lakes apartments on Independence Boulevard. Remember the Lassie theme? I can’t think of that sad, sweeping music now without thinking back to that dreaded month of June. My younger brother and I were dragged away from the end of Petticoat Junction as the music from Lassie was coming on. It happened each June, and it involved an involuntary evacuation of my family’s den during the most precious time of a child’s newly minted summer vacation. Parents work with their children to explore body positions, floating, blowing bubbles, and fundamental safety and aquatic skills.SANDBRIDGE - I dreaded a summertime tradition in my family. Overview: Accompanied by an adult, infants and toddlers learn to be comfortable in the water and develop swim readiness skills through fun and confidence-building experiences, while parents learn about water safety, drowning prevention, and the importance of supervision. GROUP SWIM LESSONS INFANT/TODDLER (Ages 6-36 months) Our new swim curriculum is based on extensive research, and is focused on the mastery of skills in a way that provides personalized attention and lets students set the pace. Students will learn water safety skills and build stroke technique, developing skills that prevent chronic disease, increase social-emotional and cognitive well-being, and foster a lifetime of physical activity.Īll lessons are conducted under the supervision of certified life guards and taught by nationally certified swim instructors trained in CPR, AED, First Aid and Oxygen Administration.

The YMCA offers a wide range of swimming options to improve swimming skills, build confidence in the water, and teach personal safety. We have come a long way since that first group lesson, and we’re excited to present the latest upgrades to you. The Y is credited for being first to develop a group swim instruction program in 1906.