Youngsters show off their new swimming skills
A first group of happy kids graduated today in a popular discipline of the Y’s ongoing summer camp. There was plenty fun in the water and Jose Sanchez captured these moments at the Princess’ swimming pool.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
The YMCA’s first session of its swimming camp ended today. And we stopped by to see what was accomplished over the past three weeks. Organizers of the camp say that a lot has been accomplished with these youngsters.
Clara Cuellar, Executive Director, YMCA
“Today is a celebration of three weeks of work on behalf of the students. We have two summer sessions for swimming and today concludes the first summer session so the children are celebrating and displaying their skills. We have students from four years old right up to thirteen in the water and we have beginner students who learning just to not be afraid of the water all the way up to children who are exhibiting four to five different swimming strokes in the water.”
The instructors are youths themselves in high school, who have been trained to interact with the kids.
Aesha Garel, Swim Instructor
“Well basically what we are trying to instil is technique and we have them do the front crawl, back crawl,breast stroke, elementary back stroke, doing laps and improving their technique for longer cardio and working them out basically.”
Jose Sanchez
“You’re a high school student, do you always do this with you holidays?”
Aesha Garel
“Yes, this is my fourth year I think or my third … my third and I’ve been always out here. The kids bring me back. It’s really gratifying to see them achieve the techniques and really have fun while doing it.”
Samantha McCord, Swim Instructor
“I’m trying to gain the confidence of my students because I deal with students that are terrified of water. So what I try to do is break it down that the water is okay and then I try to gain their confidence myself and then we bring them into the water. First we start with the smaller pool and then we work our way to the deeper end and all my students are now in four feet.”
Lyndon Simmons, Swim Instructor
“We are showing the kids how to be comfortable around the pool, have that confidence to swim on their own and also we are teaching them to float on their backs and their front. These floats help them to relax whenever they are exhausted or tired so that they can use these techniques to relax.”
Jose Sanchez
“So you were once a student of this program?”
Lyndon Simmons
“Yes, I did the complete program, minnow through shark and then I became a teacher.”
Aesha’s students say they have gained useful skills in the pool.
Lynette Palacio, Student
Well basically we learn di different techniques ah swimming like di dolphin kick, back glide, elementary back and den like di breast stroke.”
Adrian Sosa, Student
“ We learn stuff like butterfly, dolphin kick, elementary back, frog kick, breast stroke and back stroke. It was really fun cause I learned lots of new stuff and met new friends.”
Jose Sanchez
“You recommend it for other people for the next session coming up?”
Lynette Palacio
“Definitely. Ih really fun and we usually make new friends, especially teachers; they’re great teachers. They are very good to us.”
Adrian Sosa
“It’s really cool, so yeah, come.”
Samantha McCord
“Come out and enjoy it because we try to build the esteem that you could actually do it. even if you don’t believe in yourself that you can do, everyone can learn to swim on heir own speed so we just try to break it down for them.”
The second session for swimming starts on Monday for the next will last three weeks. The sports disciplines are in basketball and tennis and for those that are more academically inclined there is math and reading. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
The cost of the swimming Camp is seventy-five dollars. You can call the YMCA at 222-5497 for more details.
