SIDNEY – The Sidney Daily News, in cooperation with Minster Bank, Ruese Insurance and Frickers, will sponsor the 30th annual Water Safety Program, also known as Splash, for all local children June 6-9 at the Sidney-Shelby County YMCA, 300 Parkwood St.
The week-long program is free of charge to children who are at least 3-years-old up to the sixth-grade, with costs incurred by the sponsors. For the past 30 years, the Sidney Daily News has been a major sponsor.
Registration is required beginning May 9, with forms being available at area schools and able to be printed the Sidney Daily News. Participants may choose their desired class time, but sessions will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. Families need not be members of the YMCA to register.
This years’s theme is “STAR WAteRS: May the swim be with you.”
The 45 minute annual program usually has 300 to 400 children learn the basics of pool safety, backyard pool safety, boating safety, beach safety, and basic swimming and rescue skills from volunteer instructors and YMCA staff members. Children ages 3-5, who have not completed Kindergarten, are welcome to enroll, but must be accompanied by a parent in the water.
“Our goal is to hopefully have every child leave with the “starfish,” which is floating on your back. So if you ever fall in the water and are by yourself – which we stress that you should never, ever be by yourself – but there was an incident where someone maybe accidentally pushed you into a deeper part where you can’t touch, the starfish is a safe position. This for whether they are a non-swimmer or a beginner swimmer, without struggling,” said Jessica Elliot, YMCA aquatics and youth coordinator.
“What we are trying to implement is how to to teach your child to be safe in the water with the position of the head. – So we can avoid situations like the incident that happened last year with the little boy drowning. We are trying to implement that your mouth is the most important part to stay out of the water. Don’t worry about your eyes. Don’t worry about your ears; it’s your mouth, because that’s what keeps you alive,” Elliot said.
Children will learn how to save themselves, as well as safety tactics to help a friend without having to jump into the water. And aside from water safety, they are also taught the stroke technique and the importance of skin care.
The program originally began as the need arose to teach basic safety skills after a child drowned 30 years ago. Elliot said that about 80 percent of participants have had no swim lessons prior to the first day of Splash and each year they have many repeat attendees and volunteers.
“Sometimes with a little bit older kids its more challenging because they have more awareness and more fear,” Elliot said. “When you create a fear, you create a rock, and what do rocks do? They sink. And that’s what your body does when you are scared; you sink. But if you have no fear and you are loving the water, you will create a balloon and you will float.”
Even though it is reiterated to children to never be near or get into the water when alone, the program is intended to make them more comfortable with water and get them excited to become swimmers. Elliot says that hopefully this introduction to water will result in more children taking swim lessons and possibly future swim team members.
Elliot says for progression, children need more than a one time exposure to lean to swim, and so they offer a series of lessons at the YMCA “to develop competence in swimming along with confidence and endurance.” The initial class begins with an introduction to water for children as young as six months up to three years old, and then the succession of classes are intended to strengthen youngsters’ skills over time.
Each day through out the week they learn a value with the hope to of instilling the YMCA’s core values of caring, honesty respect and responsibility. At the end of each class, each child gets a piece of paper with the program’s theme and value tied together and are asked to color the picture a certain color if they have exhibited the value of the day.
When the children return with their art, the pool area walls are then covered for a month or two for parents and others to view.
At the end of the week, each participant receives a certificate of completion and the YMCA hosts a pizza party for the volunteers, during which they receive a T-shirts to signifying their participation.
“The Sidney Daily News is thrilled to be apart of the YMCA’s Water Safety program again this year,” said Natalie Buzzard, general manager and advertising director of the Sidney Daily News. “The paper, along with Minster Bank, Ruese Insurance and Frickers will provide local children with the opportunity to participate is this important program to hopefully help save lives.”
