Don’t limit children’s access to swimming

In the United States, “drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death in children aged 1–14 years,” according to the World Health Organization.

Being a child, male or a member of a minority group and lack of swimming ability are the major factors in drowning deaths. Whereas we strive to instruct our children to protect themselves via health classes, elaborate fire and perceived-threat drills, we provide insufficient education and practice to prevent this perfectly preventable tragedy.

Swimming is treated as a luxury whereas other sports are not. To my knowledge, no one ever died from not playing football, tennis or hockey, all very expensive sports in terms of training and facilities. The ability to swim, aside from saving lives, provides children with a refreshing and joyful activity and is a confidence builder. Many of us who have little prowess in sports thrive in the water.

Recently, I looked at the Santa Fe public pools’ schedules and saw a preference for lap swimmers. I am one, but I feel strongly that teens and children should have priority in the daytime. I found that the Fort Marcy Recreation Complex is under construction (“Rec center work limits access,” June 12) and was directed to the Salvador Perez Recreation Complex pool, where I had the privilege of swimming in a full lane while all the children were confined to a corner of about 20 feet by 20 feet.

Recently, I went to the Genoveva Chavez Community Center and swam laps while an elite swim team from Oregon practiced in the deep end with diving boards. Similarly, all this week (all month?) I see the Salvador Perez pool has reserved four lanes for 3½ solid hours for “swim team.” I learned from a quick phone call that likely it’s a private rental, arranged by the pool manager.

Last summer, an elite team from Iowa rented the Chavez Center during the weekend of June 10-11 (maybe longer). I was struck by the contrast between the fit, trim, skilled (all-white with the exception of one swimmer) teens and our chubby, local kids who donned floaties and had little space to swim in the warm, crowded leisure pool. Our kids have little chance to flex their limbs and test their abilities there. I witnessed one mom putting a life vest on her child as if they were out in the ocean. It simply doesn’t look good. Our kids aren’t important enough to merit space in the deep, cool, daunting water that the Iowa and Oregon swimmers somehow garnered?

I understand that the city of Santa Fe has a lifeguard shortage.

I saw a help-wanted sign yesterday on a Chavez Center bulletin board; lifeguards needed, must possess a license and CPR certification. We must face the fact that we are not growing lifeguards

Swimming is treated as a luxury whereas other sports are not.

right here in the community.

I see endless options for expanding family and kids’ use of our pools. If we rent our pools to elite teams for high-altitude training, let them swim at night, bring their own lifeguards, give our kids swim and diving lessons as part of the deal, log hours as guards Saturday at Salvador Perez, pay for public school transport to the pools during the school year, etc.

It’s important that we not let adult lap swimmers, like myself, insurance companies and apathy limit children’s access to this fun and empowering activity. Recent news that our state ranks last in child well-being calls for action to change what we’ve been doing for too long. Ceding some of our lanes to the kiddos and creating homegrown guards will be powerful steps in the right direction.