Young Swimmers Learn With Every Stroke

This Fourth of July officially kicks off the summer swim season. As kids and families across the township will be diving in to escape the 85+ degree temperatures this Independence Day, swimming safety becomes of utmost importance.

“There are so many benefits to kids swimming,” said Cheryl Shiber, a swim instructor with CS Aquatics, a company running a swim camp at starting next week.

“First of all, it is a terrific aerobic exercise nearly unmatched by other sports, it’s an activity that the whole family can do together, and swimming lets kids explore their creativity. They make up games and scenarios; pools are a great place to let your kids have fun.”

However, Shiber warns that for those first learning the ins and outs of swimming, no matter what age the swimmer is, the most important aspect of learning how to swim is becoming comfortable in the water.

“It really is all about going under,” the instructor, who swam competitively in college and coached swim teams at St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, said.

“Once we teach the kids how to blow out of their noses, they get more and more comfortable in the water.”

For Shiber, she runs her camps, which have been operating in Jersey City and Hoboken for four years, and expanded to Mahwah last summer, the same way she recommends all kids learn how to swim, with a good mix of “instruction and free swim time.”

“Free swim time gets kids more comfortable in the water,” she said.

“Sometimes my students will be apprehensive to try something during an instruction period, but will feel more comfortable during the free swim period, and I see them doing it perfectly on their own.”

Though she warns against forcing kids to go in the water, she says “the more time they can spend in the water, the better. It will lead to more confidence.”

Especially while outside of instructional or small group swimming, like at a family gathering on the Fourth of July, swimming safety should not be taken lightly, she said.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, risks associated with swimming are serious, as drowning is the second leading cause of death for children ages one to 14 in the United States.

The CDC recommends precautions including designating at least one adult to be the supervisor of kids playing in, or around, the pool, having kids swim on the buddy system, teaching kids proper swimming techniques, and learning CPR.

See the entire list of CDC swimming safety tips here.

Learn more about CS Aquatics, whose classes start in Mahwah July 11, by visiting it's website.