Swim Lessons in Spring Could Save a Life This Summer

Swim Lessons in Spring Could Save a Life This Summer

Eighty-eight percent of drowning deaths for children aged one to four can be prevented with formal swim lessons. The YMCA of Greater Charlotte’s qualified instructors offer both private and group swim lessons for all ages, with the youngest swimmers aged six months old.

Even though Mecklenburg County isn’t anywhere near a coast, the Charlotte area had 39 drowning deaths in 2018, including three children under 7. Any Charlotte parent is right to feel extra protective around water—the fatal accident sounds all too familiar in Mecklenburg County.

In 2017, Charlotte magazine even explored the question of why so many people are drowning in Charlotte, especially since we’ve been the state leader in drowning deaths multiple times since 2005 (not including boating accidents or bathtub drowning fatalities).

“Mecklenburg County has been stated to lead the state in deaths by drowning, and it’s surpassing our coastal counties,” Ame Guy, association aquatics director with the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, told WSOC in 2018.

So, why are so many people drowning in Charlotte?

Well, with our proximity to Lake Wylie, Lake Norman, Mountain Island Lake, and the Catawba River, we are generally at higher risk of fun-turned-fatal. Additionally, children in our area are at an elevated risk of drowning because of the number of pools without lifeguards.

A drowning death is a tale no parent wants to tell. However, many drowning deaths can be prevented with swimming lessons. Although the sooner the better, no time is a bad time to get swim lessons—whether you’re five or 75.

Swim Lessons Save Lives

YMCA OF GREATER CHARLOTTE

The simple truth is: Swim lessons save lives. When it comes to equipping your child with the skills he or she needs to survive and thrive, swim lessons should be at the top of the list. Among children one to four years old, participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent. Swim lessons empower children to feel confident in the water and give them the skills they need to reach safety.

Beginning as young as six months, children can begin to take lessons with their parents at the Y. It takes months of lessons to have the skills to swim independently, so right now is the perfect time to prepare your child for summer with swim lessons.

It’s Never Too Late to Learn to Swim

Although now is a great time to start getting water-ready for summertime, the truth is, there is never a wrong time to learn to swim. Even if you think you’re too old! Did you know that John Legend just learned to swim in his 40s? It’s important that everyone in your family knows how to swim, including yourself. It’s a common misconception that swim lessons are only for kids, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, the YMCA gives swim lessons to people of all ages every single day.

Why Swim Lessons at the Y?

YMCA OF GREATER CHARLOTTE

When it comes to your child’s safety in the water, you want a professional in charge. And at the YMCA, that’s what you get—Y swim instructors undergo rigorous Y-USA-approved training and adhere to a nationally-proven curriculum. Lessons are carefully planned, and a progressive approach ensures your child masters the skills in the right order so that they move toward mastery of swim most efficiently. Of course, the Y’s instructors are fun, caring, and love to teach, too!

The YMCA is trusted by parents across the nation to provide quality, life-saving instruction to their children—so much so that one million kids take swim lessons at the Y each year. The YMCA of Greater Charlotte offers lessons at times and locations that work with you and your child’s schedule. Affordable group lessons and private lessons are available now.

Be ready for the summer — find YMCA swim lessons near you today. Click here to find a branch near you.