According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of death for children 1-4 years old. Many community rec centers recognize the need for preventative action and do so through water safety and swim lessons. This programming is becoming increasingly available across the country, however, certain groups are disproportionately served including those with diverse abilities. To remedy this in the Las Vegas, Nevada, area, the YMCA of Southern Nevada is offering free semi-private lessons for these populations.
With help from the YMCA of the USA, anyone 3 years or older with diverse abilities can receive vital water safety knowledge in a safe, professionally supervised environment. The Y serves those with autism, physical impairments, verbal impairments and others in need of more individualized attention versus a group class through this program.
“Offering the four free semi-private lessons to get the person comfortable in the water is a great opportunity we have to offer,” remarked Adriana Saiz, the senior aquatics director at the YMCA of Southern Nevada. “With it being a complimentary service, we’re able to reach those who are underprivileged or may not be able to afford lessons. Drowning is one of the leading causes of death for children, so it’s important we get them in the water.”
Helping participants get used to being around water is a huge goal. They learn basic strokes along with becoming more comfortable with putting their face underwater, blowing bubbles, floating and turning. Jumping into the pool and being able to get back to the edge and climb out is another key safety element of these lessons.
Feeding into Other Aquatics Programming
Building upon these lessons, the YMCA of Southern Nevada also offers Splash Ball programming which teaches basic water polo skills. It’s fun, reasonably-priced programming that continues what’s learned in semi-private lessons.
Saiz emphasized while the free, adaptable swim lessons aren’t revenue-generators, they feed into programs like Splash Ball which are monetized and also into purchasing a Y membership.
“If someone enrolls because it’s a complimentary, free program, and if they have an interest in continuing part that, it gets them to come in and grow from that,” explained Said. “We’ve had a lot of people who participated see how their child enjoyed it and want to keep doing lessons or see what else is happening with our diverse abilities program.”
This semi-private instruction is vital for operations and members. It aids in community development and creating a diverse, welcoming space at the Y. Offering four lessons for free plays a vital part in remaining accessible, however, it requires balance.
Determining how it fits in the line of priority is a delicate process. For example, these lessons cannot take all the peak times other monetized aquatics programming, but staff are sure to communicate with the community to find a time that works. “We have to find a good balance of meeting the needs of our community but also help us generate revenue which is a necessity, even though we’re a nonprofit,” said Saiz.
Navigating this difficulty is worth it, though, to ensure the YMCA of Southern Nevada continues its positive community impact. Having these opportunities for this historically underserved group enforces its role as a leader in water safety and diversity.
Want more resources like this sent straight to your inbox each week? Sign up for a digital subscription here.
