Kids prepare to get their feet wet
June 5, 2009
Mary Ormsby
STAFF REPORTER
One hundred GTA children will be Taking the Plunge with their first swimming lessons this month as part of the Star's summer campaign to waterproof kids.
Grade 5 and 6 students will be recruited from schools in the Danforth and Victoria Park Aves. area by the YMCA of Greater Toronto, which is partnered with the Toronto Star in this program, and teachers from selected schools.
"Swimming and being around water is one of the things that make summer in Toronto great," Star publisher John Cruickshank said yesterday.
"We think all the city's children should have that opportunity and the training that makes it a safe as well as an exhilarating experience."
The first class in the eight-week Taking the Plunge course begins June 29 at Malvern Collegiate, where children will become water-smart in a friendly, fun environment.
Drowning is a leading cause of injury-related deaths for Canadian children – and children of immigrants are disproportionately at risk as they often come from countries where recreational swimming is not common, according to the Lifesaving Society of Ontario.
These free, Star-sponsored lessons are aimed at introducing boys and girls to the basics of swimming and water safety.
"The more familiar you are with the water, the less likely you are to panic if you fall into the water," said Carolyn Tyner, the YMCA's manager of aquatics.
"For instance, you'll be more likely to hold your breath, exhale and come up. It's not the solution to drowning prevention but it's part of the solution."
Simply learning to put their face in the water may be all some children master over eight 30-minute lessons while others will progress quickly to floating or using strokes.
Tyner said it is vital to meet the comfort level of all children in their first exposure to formal instruction.
"Getting to a pool, getting into the pool and even being in a change room with other people can be a big change for some people," she said.
"We recognize the whole process of learning to swim is a change in people's lives, but we've found that as long as you make it fun, children are willing to do whatever you ask of them."
The children will be selected over the next two weeks with school staff recommending candidates from nonswimming backgrounds.
The children must be able to get to and from Malvern independently and will be able to chose the day and time for lessons that best suit them.
The YMCA is holding a nine-week summer camp at Malvern for 100 other children.
The Take the Plunge swimmers will use the high school's pool when the full-time campers are doing other activities during the day.
Toronto Star