Pool season is here: Swimming lessons in school could be a lifesaver | Mark Ryan

Reading, writing, and arithmetic are considered the important academic building blocks in one’s formative years.

Swimming lessons are not essential – at least not in most schools.

They should be.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of 10 people die each day from drowning in the United States – with two of the 10 being children under the age of 14. The CDC reports that, for children ages 5 to 14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle deaths.

Florida Department of Children and Families’ statistics are even scarier. According to DCF, Florida loses more children under the age of 5 to drowning than any other state in the nation.

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Drowning victims are usually victims because they cannot swim.

A law passed at last year’s Legislative Session should help raise awareness. Public schools are now required to provide parents with information explaining the importance of learning to swim, and listing available resources for lessons and help for lower-income families. The bipartisan bills (HB 1119 and SB 358) were championed by Dr. Bill Kent, chairman of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

The new regulation, which is up and running this (2022-2023) academic year, puts the onus on responsible parents. It is not a mandate for schools to require swim lessons.

“It’s a first step, not a perfect piece (of legislation),” said Casey McGovern, who lost her 19-month-old daughter to a drowning incident. (HB 1119 was formally named the Edna Mae McGovern Act for her daughter.)

"McGovern, program manager for Every Child A Swimmer program, a nonprofit organization, believes more schools should take an active role in making lessons a priority.

There are some schools that do make it a priority. At John Hopkins Middle School of St. Petersburg, for instance, three physical education teachers – Sofia Forte, Cody Chernoff and Danielle Neitz – have joined forces to assure lessons for their 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students at E.H. McLin Pool, which is next to Campbell Park Elementary School.

The school works in conjunction with the City of St. Petersburg, which makes its certified lifeguards available as instructors. Children are tested on the first day, then placed in the appropriate level – beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Each child will get a minimum of eight lessons over a two-week period.

“Most kids can’t swim on the first day,” said Forte, who has been the driving force behind the program for eight years. “We want them to be able to save themselves.”

“It is part of our state curriculum, but it is not pushed. Not at all,” Forte added.

“We’re lucky, we can walk to and from Campbell Park,” said Neitz, who also teaches Health classes at the school. “If a school has the ability to do it, there’s everything to gain and nothing to lose.”

A reason frequently cited for swim lessons not being included in a school curriculum is cost. Water safety advocates are told the money is needed for more important things – like a new football stadium or baseball diamond.

A school without a pool could choose to invest in a pool.

Or a school with a pool could share it.

It can be worked out.

The American Red Cross estimates that 54 percent of Americans either cannot swim or are unable to perform basic swim safety skills.

The logical place to teach swimming lessons is the same place children are taught reading, writing, and arithmetic. With this year’s Legislative Session underway – and the warmer weather approaching – will there be any new proposals on the table that demand more responsibility from schools in terms of teaching children to swim?

Anyone who has dealt with a preventable drowning in an emergency room setting would agree that much more needs to be done.

Mark Ryan is a Tallahassee RN and a member of Premier Health and Fitness Center.

Learn more about swimming lessons

The City of Tallahassee offers small group swimming lessons starting in spring 2023 at Trousdell Aquatics Center and other city pools. Learn more at talgov.com/parks/aquatics

The Tallahassee Swim School offers private and semi-private lessons at some City aquatics facilities. Contact the Tallahassee Swim School at 668-2636 or visit talswim.com

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Swimming lessons should be a school requirement